diff --git a/src/components/App/SideBar/Relevance/Episode/index.tsx b/src/components/App/SideBar/Relevance/Episode/index.tsx
index 5f30844a6..e11201624 100644
--- a/src/components/App/SideBar/Relevance/Episode/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/App/SideBar/Relevance/Episode/index.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { Flex } from '~/components/common/Flex'
 import { highlightSearchTerm } from '~/components/common/Highlight/Highlight'
 import { Text } from '~/components/common/Text'
 import { useAppStore } from '~/stores/useAppStore'
+import { useGraphStore } from '~/stores/useGraphStore'
 import { NodeExtended } from '~/types'
 import { colors } from '~/utils/colors'
 import { Default } from './Default'
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ export const Episode = ({
   node,
 }: Props) => {
   const searchTerm = useAppStore((s) => s.currentSearch)
+  const { setHoveredNode } = useGraphStore((s) => s)
   const text = highlightSearchTerm(String(newText), searchTerm) as string
   const name = highlightSearchTerm(String(newName), searchTerm) as string
   const subtitleSource = type === 'show' ? '' : showTitle
@@ -78,7 +80,16 @@ export const Episode = ({
   const defaultViewTypes = ['Tweet', 'person', 'guest', 'topic', 'document']
 
   return (
-    <EpisodeWrapper className={className} onClick={onClick}>
+    <EpisodeWrapper
+      className={className}
+      onClick={onClick}
+      onMouseLeave={() => {
+        setHoveredNode(null)
+      }}
+      onMouseOver={() => {
+        setHoveredNode(node)
+      }}
+    >
       {!defaultViewTypes.includes(type) && (
         <Default
           boostCount={boostCount}
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/hooks/useMaterial/index.ts b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/hooks/useMaterial/index.ts
index 8bfaba24f..3d634eef1 100644
--- a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/hooks/useMaterial/index.ts
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/hooks/useMaterial/index.ts
@@ -66,5 +66,5 @@ export const useMaterial = (url: string, transparent: boolean) => {
     [texture, material],
   )
 
-  return material
+  return { material, texture }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/index.tsx b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/index.tsx
index 09cbd48ad..e7306671e 100644
--- a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Cube/index.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export const Cube = memo(({ node, hide, animated }: Props) => {
   const selectedNode = useSelectedNode()
   const { showSelectionGraph } = useGraphStore((s) => s)
   const isSelected = !!selectedNode && node.ref_id === selectedNode.ref_id
-  const material = useMaterial(node.image_url || 'noimage.jpeg', false)
+  const { material } = useMaterial(node.image_url || 'noimage.jpeg', false)
 
   useFrame((_, delta) => {
     if (animated && ref.current) {
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/NodePoints/Point/index.tsx b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/NodePoints/Point/index.tsx
index 49e592427..c0984dcdd 100644
--- a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/NodePoints/Point/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/NodePoints/Point/index.tsx
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ type Props = {
 }
 
 export const Point = ({ color, scale }: Props) => (
-  <>
-    <Billboard follow lockX={false} lockY={false} lockZ={false}>
-      <Instance color={color} scale={scale} />
-    </Billboard>
-  </>
+  <Billboard follow lockX={false} lockY={false} lockZ={false}>
+    <Instance color={color} scale={scale} />
+  </Billboard>
 )
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/hooks/useTexture/constants.ts b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/hooks/useTexture/constants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..59583c162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/hooks/useTexture/constants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { MeshStandardMaterial, TextureLoader } from 'three'
+import { smoothness } from '../../../Cube/constants'
+
+export const loader = new TextureLoader()
+
+export const noImageTexture = loader.load('noimage.jpeg')
+
+export const noImageMaterial = new MeshStandardMaterial({
+  ...smoothness,
+  map: noImageTexture,
+})
+
+export const transparentValue = 0.4
+
+export const noImageTransparentMaterial = new MeshStandardMaterial({
+  ...smoothness,
+  map: noImageTexture,
+  transparent: true,
+  opacity: transparentValue,
+})
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/hooks/useTexture/index.ts b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/hooks/useTexture/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..896732e3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/hooks/useTexture/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { Texture } from 'three'
+import { loader } from './constants'
+
+type materialRecord = {
+  texture: THREE.Texture
+  material: THREE.MeshStandardMaterial
+}
+
+const cachedMaterials: Record<string, materialRecord> = {}
+
+export const useTexture = (url: string) => {
+  const [texture, setTexture] = useState<Texture | null>(null)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!url) {
+      setTexture(null)
+
+      return
+    }
+
+    const cashPath = url
+
+    if (cachedMaterials[cashPath]) {
+      setTexture(cachedMaterials[cashPath].texture)
+
+      return
+    }
+
+    loader.load(
+      url,
+      (loadedTexture) => {
+        setTexture(loadedTexture)
+      },
+      undefined,
+      () => {
+        setTexture(null)
+      },
+    )
+  }, [url])
+
+  useEffect(
+    () =>
+      function cleanup() {
+        if (texture) {
+          texture.dispose()
+        }
+      },
+    [texture],
+  )
+
+  return { texture }
+}
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/index.tsx b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/index.tsx
index 8b1e6c005..21a6d7775 100644
--- a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/Text/index.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Billboard, Svg, Text } from '@react-three/drei'
+import { Billboard, Plane, Svg, Text } from '@react-three/drei'
 import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
 import { memo, useMemo, useRef } from 'react'
 import { Mesh, MeshBasicMaterial, Vector3 } from 'three'
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { colors } from '~/utils/colors'
 import { removeEmojis } from '~/utils/removeEmojisFromText'
 import { truncateText } from '~/utils/truncateText'
 import { fontProps } from './constants'
+import { useTexture } from './hooks/useTexture'
 
 const COLORS_MAP = [
   '#fff',
@@ -69,17 +70,20 @@ function splitStringIntoThreeParts(text: string): string {
 export const TextNode = memo(({ node, hide, isHovered }: Props) => {
   const svgRef = useRef<Mesh | null>(null)
   const ringRef = useRef<Mesh | null>(null)
+  const circleRef = useRef<Mesh | null>(null)
   const selectedNode = useSelectedNode()
 
   const nodePositionRef = useRef(new Vector3())
 
+  const { texture } = useTexture(node.properties?.image_url || '')
+
   const selectedNodeRelativeIds = useSelectedNodeRelativeIds()
   const isRelative = selectedNodeRelativeIds.includes(node?.ref_id || '')
   const isSelected = !!selectedNode && selectedNode?.ref_id === node.ref_id
   const showSelectionGraph = useGraphStore((s) => s.showSelectionGraph)
   const { normalizedSchemasByType } = useSchemaStore((s) => s)
 
-  useFrame(({ camera }) => {
+  useFrame(({ camera, clock }) => {
     const checkDistance = () => {
       const nodePosition = nodePositionRef.current.setFromMatrixPosition(ringRef.current!.matrixWorld)
 
@@ -90,6 +94,20 @@ export const TextNode = memo(({ node, hide, isHovered }: Props) => {
       // Set visibility based on distance
     }
 
+    if (isHovered) {
+      if (ringRef.current) {
+        ringRef.current.visible = true
+      }
+
+      const scale = 1 + 0.2 * Math.sin(clock.getElapsedTime() * 2) // Adjust frequency and amplitude
+
+      if (circleRef.current) {
+        circleRef.current.scale.set(scale, scale, scale)
+      }
+
+      return
+    }
+
     checkDistance()
   })
 
@@ -134,27 +152,68 @@ export const TextNode = memo(({ node, hide, isHovered }: Props) => {
   const iconName = Icon ? primaryIcon : 'NodesIcon'
   const sanitizedNodeName = removeEmojis(String(node.name))
 
+  const uniforms = {
+    u_texture: { value: texture },
+    u_radius: { value: 0.5 }, // Radius of the circular mask
+  }
+
   return (
     <Billboard follow lockX={false} lockY={false} lockZ={false} name="billboard" userData={node}>
       <mesh ref={ringRef} name={node.id} userData={node} visible={!hide}>
-        <Svg
-          ref={svgRef}
-          name="svg"
-          onUpdate={(svg) => {
-            svg.traverse((child) => {
-              if (child instanceof Mesh) {
-                // Apply dynamic color to meshes
-                // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
-                child.material = new MeshBasicMaterial({ color })
-              }
-            })
-          }}
-          position={[-15, 15, 0]}
-          scale={2}
-          src={`svg-icons/${iconName}.svg`}
-          strokeMaterial={{ color: 'yellow' }}
-          userData={node}
-        />
+        {isHovered ? (
+          <mesh ref={circleRef} position={[0, 0, -2]}>
+            <circleGeometry args={[30, 32]} />
+            <meshBasicMaterial color={color} opacity={0.5} transparent />
+          </mesh>
+        ) : null}
+        {node.properties?.image_url && node.node_type === 'Person' && texture ? (
+          <Plane args={[10 * 2, 10 * 2]} scale={2}>
+            <shaderMaterial
+              fragmentShader={`
+          uniform sampler2D u_texture;
+          uniform float u_radius;
+          varying vec2 vUv;
+
+          void main() {
+            vec2 center = vec2(0.5, 0.5); // Center of the circle
+            float dist = distance(vUv, center);
+            if (dist < u_radius) {
+              gl_FragColor = texture2D(u_texture, vUv);
+            } else {
+              discard; // Discard pixels outside the circle
+            }
+          }
+        `}
+              uniforms={uniforms}
+              vertexShader={`
+          varying vec2 vUv;
+          void main() {
+            vUv = uv;
+            gl_Position = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(position, 1.0);
+          }
+        `}
+            />
+          </Plane>
+        ) : (
+          <Svg
+            ref={svgRef}
+            name="svg"
+            onUpdate={(svg) => {
+              svg.traverse((child) => {
+                if (child instanceof Mesh) {
+                  // Apply dynamic color to meshes
+                  // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
+                  child.material = new MeshBasicMaterial({ color })
+                }
+              })
+            }}
+            position={[-15, 15, 0]}
+            scale={2}
+            src={`svg-icons/${iconName}.svg`}
+            strokeMaterial={{ color: 'yellow' }}
+            userData={node}
+          />
+        )}
 
         {node.name && (
           <Text
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/index.tsx b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/index.tsx
index 73dfb9295..b9474f7e6 100644
--- a/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/Cubes/index.tsx
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export const Cubes = memo(() => {
               <TextNode
                 key={node.ref_id || node.id}
                 hide={hideUniverse || hide}
-                isHovered={!!hoveredNode && hoveredNode.id === node.ref_id}
+                isHovered={!!hoveredNode && hoveredNode.ref_id === node.ref_id}
                 node={node}
               />
             </mesh>
diff --git a/src/components/Universe/Graph/index.tsx b/src/components/Universe/Graph/index.tsx
index 8f1025002..55e057f36 100644
--- a/src/components/Universe/Graph/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Universe/Graph/index.tsx
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ export const Graph = () => {
 
               material.color = new Color(lineColor)
               material.transparent = true
-              material.opacity = 0.5
+              material.opacity = 0.3
             }
           })
         }