The Naruto franchise features an impressive lineup of clans and bloodlines, with some stronger than most with their unique Kekkei Genkai. The Hyuga Clan is one such bloodline, poised as one of the Hidden Leaf’s four noble clans. The first part of the Naruto series showcased immense potential for the Hyuga, presenting the clan as a rival to the Uchiha, especially with their revered Byakugan and mastery in Taijutsu.
However, the initial narrative soon dissipated as Kishimoto centered the spotlight entirely on the Uchiha Clan, consequently sidelining the Hyuga Clan and their role in the series. In Shippuden, the Hyuga’s role was minimal and the Byakugan was treated as a feeble visual technique, paling in comparison to the strength and capabilities of the Sharingan. Neji and Hinata were also given the backseat for the most part, with their role being reduced to mere plot devices in the Great Ninja War arc. While many clans suffered the same fate, the Hyuga’s wasted potential has left a glaring mark on the series.
The Hyuga Clan’s Initial Promise
Most of Naruto’s ancillary characters were introduced during the Chunin exams arc, giving some much-needed insight into the village’s other clans and their members. The Hyuga Clan seemed to be the most promising one, especially with the introduction of the Byakugan and the Hyuga’s unique form of Taijutsu – Gentle Fist. Neji and Hinata’s backstories added to the clan’s complex nature, further revealing the grueling tensions between the clan’s main and branch families.
The Byakugan was exemplified as an extremely powerful Dojutsu, much stronger than the Sharingan and its copy mechanisms. The Hyuga Clan was even deemed as the Uchiha’s predecessor, with Might Guy explicitly stating that the Byakugan far surpasses the Sharingan. The Gentle Fist technique further added to the Hyuga Clan distinctiveness, as its chakra blocking capabilities can render the opponent completely debilitated, even going as far as damaging internal organs. Based on this capability, the Gentle Fist was deemed as the strongest school of Taijutsu in the entire Hidden Leaf.
The Eight Trigram Palm Technique was another one of the Hyuga’s absurdly-powerful skills, and while it created an air of superiority around the clan in the first half of the series, it was nowhere to be seen in the later parts. This technique alone had immense potential, especially during the Pain arc since Nagato controlled the Six Paths with chakra rods, something the Gentle Fist could have easily countered by blocking the vessels’ chakra pathways.
The Byakugan’s Decreasing Relevance
The Hyuga Clan and its branch member’s plight was forgotten after the Chunin exam, yet the Byakugan’s relevance still remained intact. However, this narrative only continued on till the Sasuke Retrieval arc, with the Byakugan’s relevancy greatly diminishing after Neji and Kidomaru’s hair-raising fight. Considering how useful the Byakugan’s 360° line of sight and x-ray vision are, it's quite odd that the series never made use of these impeccable sensory abilities.
Much of the Byakugan’s irrelevancy can be attributed to the Sharingan’s position as a major plot device, especially with its progression to Mangekyo and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. With such power-scaling and versatility, it became difficult for the Byakugan to compete with these changing dynamics. Moreover, much of Shippuden’s plot revolved around the Uchiha Clan, with Sasuke, Itachi, and Obito being the focal points, thus, the Sharingan naturally gained much of the spotlight with the changing story line.
The Rinnegan’s introduction was the final nail in the coffin for the Byakugan, since the two were eons apart in terms of raw power and abilities. As the series centered itself around the Rinnegan and its implications for the shinobi world, most forgot about the Byakugan and the position it held as one of the Three Great Dojutsu. After the Pain arc, the Byakugan became obsolete, receiving little to no screen time in any of the major arcs.
Neji’s Death During the Great Ninja War
Neji’s untimely demise is a clear reflection of Kishimoto’s intentions with the Hyuga Clan, especially since his death was simply used as a plot device to canonize Naruto and Hinata’s relationship. Being the only relevant shinobi from the Hyuga Clan, Neji’s death meant the end of the Hyuga’s significance in the series. Moreover, the circumstances of his death (which were easily avoidable) have tainted his legacy as the Hyuga’s prodigy, further tarnishing the Hyuga Clan’s position in the Leaf. Such a deliberate injustice on the author’s part is a clear indication of the clan losing its initial value in the series, with Kishimoto permanently sidelining them.
While many clans have faced a similar fate in the series, the Hyuga’s maltreatment comes as a surprise considering they are the direct descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki. Bearing such significant roots, Kishimoto’s decision of sidelining the clan becomes all the more jarring. Casting aside the Hyuga clan and wasting their potential could possibly be one of Kishimoto’s biggest mistakes, leaving a glaring mark on the series’ legacy.