If you’ve spent more than five minutes in the Naruto fandom, you know the Copy Ninja. Kakashi Hatake is basically the face of the franchise. He’s cool, he’s mysterious, and for the longest time, he was the only person who wasn't an Uchiha running around with a red, spinning eye. But here's the kicker: how does Kakashi get his Sharingan if he isn't part of the bloodline? It’s not like he just found it on the ground.
Actually, it’s a lot darker than that.
It happens during the Third Shinobi World War. Kakashi wasn't always the chill, Icha Icha-reading sensei we meet in Team 7. He was a cold, rule-obsessed kid. A prodigy, sure, but kind of a jerk. He was leading a mission to destroy Kanabi Bridge, and things went south fast. His teammate, Rin, got kidnapped. Kakashi wanted to stick to the mission rules, but his other teammate, Obito Uchiha, wasn't having it. Obito famously told him that those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.
👉 See also: Why Build a Bitch Lyrics Sparked a Massive Conversation About Beauty Standards
That moment changed everything.
The Tragedy at Kanabi Bridge
The mission to Kanabi Bridge is where the lore gets heavy. Kakashi eventually followed Obito to rescue Rin, and during the fight, Kakashi actually lost his left eye protecting Obito. He took a stone sword to the face. It was brutal. In that moment of desperation, Obito finally awakened his own Sharingan to save Kakashi. They got Rin back, but the cave they were in started collapsing because of an enemy jutsu.
Obito pushed Kakashi out of the way of a falling boulder. He got crushed. Half his body was flattened.
Knowing he was dying, Obito decided to give Kakashi a "graduation present" since Kakashi had just become a Jonin. He asked Rin, who was a medical ninja, to transplant his remaining left Sharingan into Kakashi’s empty eye socket. It wasn't a laboratory surgery. It was a battlefield procedure done under the threat of being buried alive. That is exactly how Kakashi gets his Sharingan. It was a gift from a dying friend, meant to help Kakashi "see the future" and protect their comrades.
✨ Don't miss: List of Women Country Singers: Why the Rankings Are Changing Fast in 2026
Why He Can't Turn It Off
You’ve probably noticed Kakashi always wears his headband tilted. There’s a practical reason for that. Because he isn't an Uchiha, his body doesn't "fit" the eye perfectly. An Uchiha can toggle the Sharingan on and off to save chakra. Kakashi can't.
The eye is always active. It’s constantly draining his energy.
If he leaves it uncovered, he’d collapse from exhaustion in a few hours just by walking around. Covering it with the protector is the only way he can function normally. Even then, using it in a real fight usually lands him in the hospital for a week. We see this early on in the Zabuza arc. He uses the Sharingan for a few high-level moves and then literally has to be carried home. It’s a massive handicap that he turned into a legendary strength through sheer discipline.
The Evolution to Mangekyo
Most fans forget that Kakashi didn't just "get" the Mangekyo Sharingan later in Naruto Shippuden. He actually awakened it at the same time Obito did, years prior.
It happened during another tragedy. Rin, the girl they both loved, died by Kakashi's own hand (though it was a tactical sacrifice on her part to protect the village). The trauma of killing his best friend triggered the evolution of the eye. However, because Kakashi wasn't an Uchiha and the emotional toll was so high, he passed out immediately and seemingly forgot he even had that power for years. It wasn't until much later that he figured out how to tap into Kamui, the space-time ninjutsu that allows him to warp objects into another dimension.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Transplant
There’s a common misconception that anyone can just pop an eye in and become a god. In the Naruto universe, it doesn't work that way. The "rejection" factor is real.
Look at Danzo Shimura. He had an arm full of Sharingans, but he needed Hashirama Senju’s cells just to keep them from sucking his life force dry. Kakashi didn't have any special DNA. He just had incredible chakra control. He’s often called a genius not because he has the eye, but because he managed to master a tool that should have technically killed him.
Honestly, the Sharingan is what held Kakashi back in terms of stamina. Imagine how much chakra he’d have if he wasn't constantly powering a foreign organ. But he kept it. Not for the power, but because it was the only piece of Obito he had left. It was a burden he chose to carry.
The Final Loss of the Eye
Fast forward to the Fourth Shinobi World War. Madara Uchiha—who is basically the king of being a menace—literally flies past Kakashi and rips the eye out of his head. Just like that. It was shocking to watch. Madara needed it to get into the Kamui dimension, and Kakashi was left blind in that eye again.
Naruto eventually used his Six Paths Sage Power to literally create a new, normal human eye for Kakashi. It was a miracle, sure, but it meant the Copy Ninja was no longer the Sharingan Hero.
But wait. There's a twist.
During the final fight against Kaguya, Obito’s spirit briefly returns from the afterlife. He inhabits Kakashi’s body and gives him both Sharingans temporarily. This is when we see "Double Sharingan Kakashi," arguably the most broken character in the entire series. He manifests a Full Body Susanoo—which is insane—and helps seal the goddess of chakra. Once the fight ends, Obito’s spirit departs, and the Sharingan fades away forever.
🔗 Read more: Another Brick in the Wall: Why This Rebellion Never Actually Ended
Kakashi finishes the series as a regular human. But by then, he’s already served as the Sixth Hokage. He didn't need the eye anymore.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Lore Buffs:
- Watch Kakashi Gaiden: If you want to see the actual animation of the transplant, look for episodes 119 and 120 of Naruto Shippuden. It’s titled "Kakashi Gaiden: A Boy's Life on the Battlefield."
- Understand the Chakra Drain: Remember that Kakashi's low stamina isn't because he's "weak," but because the Sharingan is a constant "always-on" tax on his system.
- The Kamui Connection: Realize that Kakashi and Obito’s eyes are linked. Whenever Kakashi was using Kamui, he was technically sending things to the same pocket dimension where Obito spent his time.
- Legacy Over Power: Recognize that for Kakashi, the eye was always a symbol of his failure to save his friends, which he eventually transformed into a tool to protect his students.
The story of how Kakashi gets his Sharingan is arguably the most important subplot in the series. It bridges the gap between the old generation and the new, and it explains why the Copy Ninja is so much more than just a guy with a cool trick. It’s a story of grief, friendship, and the heavy price of war.