Sanpaku eyes are when you can see the whites of someone’s eyes above or below the iris or both. Yin sanpaku is when the white below the iris is visible, and yang is when the white is visible above the iris. Scientifically, sanpaku eyes are not super significant, but there is superstition surrounding them. Supposedly, they indicate a spiritual imbalance, and they’re more common in people with a tumultuous life. I have sanpaku eyes, so I don’t know how to feel about this, but it’s quite interesting. This condition is not rare by any means, as roughly half the population has sanpaku eyes! Check out 25 celebrities with this interesting eye appearance.
1. Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot is a stunning example of yin sanpaku, as you can clearly see the white beneath her iris, even when she strikes different poses and facial expressions. Her eyes give her a ravishing appearance that holds your attention immediately.
2. Charles Manson
On the other hand, the presence of sanpaku eyes in Charles Manson is much more unsettling and not endearing in the slightest. His sanpaku is subtle but makes his eyes look wilder and crazier, which might contribute to how terrifying he is.
3. Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone has sanpaku eyes that lean toward yin but also have the yang sanpaku element to them. They’ve become less noticeable with age, but you can still see the sclera beneath his iris from some angles.
4. Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall’s sanpaku eyes are wildly unique and eye-catching, much like Bette Davis’ eyes and anime girl eyes. She has massive eyeballs and large irises but double sanpaku eyes, so her eyes almost seem to bulge out of her head in a dramatic and captivating way.
5. Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has a very obvious case of yin sanpaku eyes. You can clearly see the white beneath her iris, but the top of her iris touches her eyelid, so it’s only half sanpaku. Paired with the icy blue color of her irises, she gives off a mysterious and cool vibe with her stare.
6. Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy also has heavily yin sanpaku eyes, which contribute to her unorthodox but compelling look. Her features are very dainty and elegant, and the presence of the white, also called the sclera, beneath the iris makes her seem even more refined and delicate.
7. J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover had very dramatic yin sanpaku eyes, making his irises look like they floated to the top of his eyeball. Unlike other celebrities with sanpaku eyes, he had a stern and sincere stare that may have been why he was such a successful politician.
8. Aubrey Plaza
While some people may debate whether a famous person has sanpaku eyes or not, Aubrey Plaza’s are undeniable. Her yin sanpaku is very dramatic, but her eyeballs are large, and her eyelids are somewhat pulled back. These factors make her eyes appear large, while the irises are normal.
9. Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar’s sanpaku eyes were much more subtle but noticeable when he was speaking and changing his facial expressions. He has double sanpaku eyes, so you can see the white above and below his iris, but he leans toward the yang side.
10. Alexa Demie
Alexa Demie has strong sanpaku eyes that deliver a more mysterious and even deathly stare. The shape of her eyes and the lowness of her eyelids create an almost pouty appearance in her gaze, making her seem saucy and fabulously cool.
11. JFK
JFK also had sanpaku eyes, but they were not as obvious because his eyes were rather small, with heavy eyelids that enveloped the sclera. The sanpaku is far less noticeable when he smiles, as his eyes scrunch up, but his more relaxed and somber facial expressions show them.
12. Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis has very subtle sanpaku eyes that lean more toward the yin side. What is interesting about her eyes is that the sclera on the left and right of the iris are highly pronounced, so it makes the sanpaku element seem more dramatic than it is.
13. Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason had odd-looking eyes, as they were almost square or rectangular in shape. This interesting shape made his sanpaku eyes even more noticeable, and they heavily leaned toward yang. When he would flutter his eyelids down, you could barely see the iris, but the sclera was clear.
14. Diana Ross
Diana Ross had heavy yin sanpaku, which gave her a sleepy, sultry look that was simply captivating. Her eyes were big and mesmerizing, but the sanpaku feature made her look even more interesting and unique. And the massive lashes definitely helped.
15. Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried has very subtle yin sanpaku eyes, so the sclera can be slightly seen beneath her iris. Her irises are rather large, so the sanpaku is interesting to see when the iris still takes up much of her eyeball. It gives her an air of drama and sophistication.
16. Lily-Rose Depp

Lily-Rose Depp has highly pronounced yin sanpaku eyes, giving her the same mysterious and sultry look as other famous ladies mentioned above. Her eyes have a hazy, sleepy appearance because of how far the bottom of the iris is from her bottom lid.
17. Bette Davis

Bette Davis had some of the craziest and most obvious sanpaku eyes. They’re mostly yin but also yang, so you can see her entire iris without an obstruction from her eyelids. It gives her a bold and dramatic look that makes you want to stare into her eyes.
18. James Spader
James Spader has yin sanpaku eyes, which have become less pronounced with age, but you can still see them. His yin sanpaku eyes also give him an interesting gaze that can seem sincere and serious as well as soft and comforting.
19. Lynda Carter

Lynda Carter, possibly one of the most beautiful women who’s ever lived, has very slight yin sanpaku eyes that give her a sultry and elegant appearance. While her eyes are not fully yang sanpaku, you can see most of her beautiful greenish-blue irises.
20. Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi has very clear yin sanpaku eyes that give him the dreary, sleepy look I mentioned a few times before. However, his yin sanpaku eyes don’t create a sultry look but instead an edgy and somewhat mature appearance.
21. Jeremy Allen White
Actor Jeremy Allen White has bold sanpaku eyes, with white showing above and below his iris, giving him a distinct appearance and charming stare. His bright blue eyes are framed by his white sclera, creating a more piercing appearance.
22. Robert Pattinson
Like Jackie Gleason, Robert Pattinson has somewhat rectangular eyes that give him a chiseled and memorable face. His sanpaku eyes contribute to this, as his irises are rather small and make his stare seem sharper and more serious.
23. Twiggy
One of the reasons Twiggy was such a successful model is because of how pronounced her yin sanpaku eyes are, giving her the eccentric look of Bette Davis and Shelley Duval. Her eyes and irises are huge, so the white space makes her gaze very captivating and unique.
24. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson had very typical yin sanpaku eyes, as you could almost always see the white beneath his iris. This gave him the pointed but cool gaze that graced many of his album covers, including Bad. It made him look younger than he was in many instances.
25. Princess Diana

Princess Diana’s sanpaku eyes were quite subtle, but they created that mysterious and endearing sleepiness that I’ve mentioned before. Her eyes were big and soft, and the yin sanpaku element gave them an even more supple and charming appearance.