Easily the most versatile and pivotal kekkei genkai in Naruto, the Mangekyo Sharingan is an ability that very few shinobi in history have ever awakened. As the evolved form of the Uchiha clan's prized dojutsu, the Sharingan, the Mangekyo confers special powers that are unique to each individual, augmenting the already immense advantage that Sharingan users possess. Some of the biggest players in the Fourth Shinobi World War were Mangekyo Sharingan users, each armed with power beyond imagination.

The entire spectrum of Mangekyo Sharingan abilities shown in Naruto includes Nature Release style ninjutsu, some of the most potent genjutsu techniques in the series, space-time ninjutsu abilities, and of course, the Susanoo. Most of these techniques, save for the Susanoo are unique to each Mangekyo Sharingan user, although there are instances such as the case of Itachi and Sasuke where one technique is passed on and developed further by the next user. All of these characters are extremely powerful in their own right and even though any attempt to compare their unique abilities may be difficult, the debate surrounding which of them is the most powerful on their own is definitely one worth looking into.

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Settling The Genjutsu Debate

Genjutsu is often overlooked among the three main categories of shinobi arts, but underestimating its effects can often leave shinobi in grave danger. Of all the genjutsu techniques featured in the series, there are two that stand out in a very noticeable fashion, and both are Mangekyo Sharingan abilities associated with a pair of extremely strong shinobi who were close comrades and friends.

The two abilities in question are Tsukuyomi, which is the genjutsu ability of Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan, and Kotoamatsukami, which was used by his friend Shisui Uchiha. In effect, Tsukuyomi is one of the most formidable genjustu in existence allowing Itachi to subdue a target completely and inflict lengthy periods of torture in less than a second while manipulating time within the illusion. Those who fall victim to this genjutsu almost never recover from the psychological trauma it imparts, and it is one of the main reasons why he was so feared.

On the other hand, Kotoamatsukami is a much more subtle technique which enters a targets' mind to bend their will in accordance with that of caster, without them even becoming aware of the manipulation taking place. The main downside to this genjutsu is in its recharge time, where it can only be used once in a decade, making it extremely unsuitable in battle. As such, while it is not as powerful as Kotoamatsukami, Tsukuyomi is easily the more versatile of the two techniques, even when considering how intensely it can tax the caster's chakra reserves and their eyes.

Flame Control Or Object Manipulation

Another one of Itachi's Magekyo Sharingan abilities, Amaterasu, was taken to new heights by his younger brother Sasuke Uchiha, who was able to manipulate the flames in a way that Itachi himself never could. This ability, known as Kagutsuchi, allowed him to apply complex shape transformations to the flames, which burn everything they touch indiscriminately, and are said to constitute the highest form of Fire Release in Naruto.

Sasuke was a natural at this from the start, and his precision with the flames grew even more pronounced as he used it repeatedly in battle, reaching a point where he could fashion complex spiked projections, coat his sword in flames, even infuse them into his Chidori, or even fire massive bursts of flames with his Susanoo. The sheer scale and complexity seen in his use of Amaterasu was light years beyond what Itachi had shown, highlighting how Sasuke's genius had pushed the technique's ability to its limit.

While not entirely similar, Shin Uchiha's Object Manipulation Technique granted him the power to telekinetically manipulate anything he branded with a seal. He employed this to fashion massive constructs out of his scalpels, and even perform surgery on himself to heal serious injuries instantly. However, this technique pales in comparison to Sasuke's Blaze Release jutsu, due to his mastery of shape transformation, and the technique's own versatility.

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Intangibility Or Perfect Susanoo

Perhaps the most distinctive among all Mangekyo Sharingan abilities in Naruto, Kamui is a space-time ninjutsu technique possessed by Obito Uchiha, which gave him the power of intangibility as well as access to Kamui's dimension. With this power, Obito could phase through his opponents' attacks, making it nigh on impossible to land a hit on him. Additionally, Kamui also provided a means for him to teleport himself, objects, and other people to Kamui's dimension.

He could exit this plane of reality at any point in the outside world, thus making high speed travel an easy feat for him. Even the likes of Minato, Naruto, and the entire Allied Shinobi Forces initially struggled when pitted against Obito, as a marker of how overpowered Kamui could be in the right hands. With this power, Obito became one of the strongest shinobi of his generation and a spitting image of his ancestor Madara Uchiha, manipulating the shinobi world from the shadows.

The least unique among all Mangekyo Sharingan abilities — but often regarded as the dojutsu's ultimate technique — is the Susanoo, as every individual who manifests this dojutsu in both eyes gains access to it. Despite this, the various Susanoo shown in the series have their own strengths and unique traits which help in ranking their relative power. Itachi's Susanoo is likely the most fearsome of them all, wielding the Yata Mirror — capable of neutralizing all ninjutsu — and the Sword of Totsuka, which seals everything it touches. Next would be Sasuke's, owing to its vast arsenal of Blaze and Lightning Release jutsu, which were augmented when he infused it with the chakra of all the tailed beasts. Hagoromo, Indra, and Madara also had Susanoo that were quite imposing in stature and power, but little is known about each of their unique abilities, so a fair comparison would be difficult here.

Conclusion

Each of the Mangekyo Sharingan abilities in the running are distinct their manner of working, and it is primarily their versatility in combat situations, their drawbacks, and the advantages they confer that sets them apart. Tsukuyomi is the better genjutsu in a combat scenario as it can be used more than once, even with the incredible strain it places on the user, but it may not be as effective when fighting large numbers of opponents.

Sasuke's mastery of shape transformation with Blaze Release is sublime, creating attacks that not even shinobi as powerful as the Fourth Raikage could evade. Susanoo, especially those of Itachi and Sasuke, are of course, the most prized of all Mangekyo Sharingan techniques, especially when fighting large numbers of adversaries, massive constructs, or even the tailed beasts. Finally, Kamui is one of the most overpowered abilities in Naruto as a whole, granting teleportation and intangibility to its user.

When looking at how much of an upgrade in strength all these abilities would give to an average shinobi, there is a very close match up between Kamui and Susanoo, since techniques such as Blaze Release require master over shape transformation to a degree that is on par with someone as skilled as Sasuke. Susanoo is extremely taxing on the body, with Sasuke describing it as "feeling pain in every cell in his body," which only increases over time and at higher developmental stages. Hence, due to this major drawback for those not of Uchiha heritage, Kamui is perhaps the most versatile and effective among all Mangekyo Sharingan abilites, as seen in the incredible development of both Obito and Kakashi when both acquired it.

Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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