“Jujutsu Kaisen” has been making waves in the anime community and continues to be one of the most talked-about anime to date. If you’ve started watching the series then you must be curious about the king of curses, Ryomen Sukuna.
Although his character is still a mystery, there is information about this demonic being that will give us clue to what his role is in the entire story and in each of the character’s lives.
Before you continue reading the article, there are some spoilers along the way but we will make sure to give you a heads up so that you can avoid them if you want to.
Let’s get started.
Sukuna Jujutsu Kaisen: Who is He?
Sukuna appears in the first episode of “Jujutsu Kaisen,” similar to his manga debut as he appeared in the first chapter of the series. Viewers already know about Sukuna’s existence, but not his story.
Sukuna Character Background
Sukuna is a powerful sorcerer who died after a group of powerful sorcerers banded together to defeat him. His wealth of cursed energy could not be contained even in death so he transformed into a curse himself.
To prevent the curse from spreading, Sukuna’s 20 fingers were divided and used to seal him away. Since then, Sukuna has been passed down through the generations, growing more and more powerful with each host. In the present day, Sukuna is sealed away inside the body of Yuji Itadori, a student at Jujutsu High.
Yuji is mostly in control of the curse, but there are times when Sukuna takes over and goes on a rampage. When this happens, it’s up to the Jujutsu Sorcerers to stop him.
How old is Sukuna?
Sukuna is believed to be over 1,000 years old at the time of his death. Though not much is known about his past, he’s recognized as the king of curses and known to be very wise and dangerous.
Why Does Sukuna Like Megumi?
Many “Jujutsu Kaisen” fans are wondering why Sukuna likes Fushiguro Megumi despite already having Yuji Itadori’s body?
It’s because Yuji’s body is very hard to control so Sukuna is looking for another strong vessel that he can overtake. He found that Megumi has exactly what he needed.
Megumi Fushiguro is one of the most important secondary characters in the story and is said to be the only person in the whole series that Sukuna doesn’t want to die, and here’s why.
His interest began when Yuji first swallowed Sukuna’s finger and was possessed. Megumi then prepared to activate his secret weapon, the Ten Shadows Technique. In this early stage, the technique hasn’t been perfected yet, but Sukuna already saw the potential in both the technique and Megumi.
Many readers thought that Sukuna wanted to possess Megumi’s body, but that’s not the case. It’s more complicated than that.
His interest in Megumi has something to do with his unique Ten Shadows Technique and the idea of becoming one of Megumi’s Shikigami, a type of familiar that a conjurer can summon using cursed technique to help him fight in battles.
What is Megumi’s Ten Shadow’s Technique: Sukuna as Megumi’s Shikigami
The Ten Shadows Technique is a powerful technique that allows the user to manifest a Shikigami which then serves as his familiar. This can be a dog, an owl, a cat, or any divine creature. As the name implies, Megumi can have up to ten Shikigami each with their own abilities.
Why does Sukuna want to be Megumi’s Shikigami?
(Spoilers ahead)
A Shikigami can be killed, once it’s destroyed, its energy is then devoured by other Shikigami, making them stronger.
Sukuna plans on eliminating all of Megumi’s Shikigami, then escaping his control and finally getting the body that he originally has.
But he needs Megumi to get stronger and perfect the technique for this plan to work.
(End of spoiler)
Sukuna’s True Form
Sukuna’s past form is known to be a demon with two faces and four arms. He also has four eyes, two of which are placed under his normal eyes. He also has two lines on both wrists and upper arms.
He is said to be 5’8 feet tall and usually wears light-colored kimono, a black scarf, and black shoes.
He’s immensely muscular and powerfully built. There’s an aura of death and destruction that just oozes out of him, making even the most experienced jujutsu sorcerers tremble in his presence.
What Deal Did Sukuna and Yuji Make?
The deal that Sukuna made with Yuji is the Binding Vow. Since Sukuna lives inside Yuji’s body and he couldn’t control it, he’s left with no choice but to make a deal with the protagonist.
The Binding Vow is a pact that will allow Yuji to gain Sukuna’s powers for a full minute and in exchange, Sukuna will have full control over Yuji’s body. The vow is activated once Yuji utters a certain word.
Naturally, there will be restrictions. For example, Sukuna agreed to not kill anyone when in control, and Yuji would have no memory of what occured after Sukuna returns his body.
Sukuna’s Powers
Ryomen Sukuna’s list of powers is incredibly extensive. Not only is he able to use his Jujutsu to great effect in combat, but he has a wide variety of techniques at his disposal as well.
Here are just some of the powers that Sukuna has shown in the series so far
Master in Hand-to-Hand Combat: Sukuna is an incredibly skilled hand-to-hand combatant, and is able to take on multiple opponents at once with ease.
Jujutsu: Sukuna is a master of Jujutsu, and is able to use a variety of curses in combat. He has a long list of techniques at his disposal, and is able to use them to significant effect.
Spiritual Awareness: Sukuna is aware of the spiritual world, and is able to influence it to a certain extent. He is also immune to all diseases and toxins.
Immortality: Ryomen is immortal, and cannot be killed by any means. He is also immune to all diseases and toxins.
Speed: Sukuna is incredibly fast that he’s able to move at speeds that exceed the speed of light.
Superhuman Strength: Ryomen is incredibly strong, and is able to lift weights that exceed the human limit.
Invulnerability: Ryomen’s skin is incredibly tough, and is able to resist all forms of damage.
Regeneration: Ryomen is able to regenerate from any wound, no matter how severe.
Tactical Intellect: Ryomen is an excellent strategist, and is able to come up with complex plans that often take his opponents by surprise.
Metamorphosis: Sukuna can make eyes and mouths appear on his host’s body allowing him to see and speak whenever he wants.
Who Was the Inspiration Behind Sukuna?
Ryomen Sukuna is a character based on Japanese legends. According to the Japanese, Sukuna was said to be some sort of spirit who appeared in the Hida Province in ancient times during the reign of Emperor Nintuku, which can be read from the Nihon Shoki, a collection of historical Japanese legends and texts.
Legend states that Sukuna had two faces on the front and back of his head. Historically, Sukuna’s face is a bit similar to those depicted in traditional oni masks instead of the more human depiction in the manga. It also had two pairs of arms and two pairs of legs. For weapons, it had a bow and arrow as well as a sword in its hands.
Aside from superhuman strength, Sukuna was also quick-witted. Note that the corpus referred to Sukuna as an “it” meaning it wasn’t human.
While the Nihon Shoki described Sukuna as a villain and an enemy of the emperor, people in the Hida Province treated him as a hero and benefactor as they continue to worship him.
As for Gege Akutami, the creator of the series, he must have based Ryomen Sukuna on the villain from the Nihon Shoki for his JJK universe. Note that he has yet to say anything on the matter, but if you’re looking for more spoilers, you may find some in the Nihon Shoki book.
Why JJK is a Good Anime
Easily one of the best anime series in the last decade, it’s up in the list with Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and Haikyuu, even winning Crunchyroll’s Anime of the Year Award which was held last February 2022.
If you’re a fan of “Naruto,” “Hunter x Hunter,” or “Bleach” then there’s a high chance that you’ll also appreciate this shounen series. Sukuna will definitely grow on you if you find Hisoka or Orochimaru interesting.
If you’re a long-time anime fan, then you’ll find that “Jujutsu Kaisen” has all the makings of a good Shounen Anime. One that doesn’t only focus on the protagonist but also has a complicated deuteragonist and amazing major characters.
You’re going to find anime tropes used in unique ways. We won’t spoil it for you as these tropes help balance the dark theme of the story. You’ll find that the way the creator, Gege Akutami, made use of overused concepts in anime, is an excellent method to overcome possible creative blocks as well. As an artist, you don’t have to come up with original concepts all the time, you can use your imagination to find a new way to tackle an existing idea.
Since the story is revolving around the use of cursed energy which is derived from negative emotions, and this is a power that the main characters use, there’s the perception that the sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen aren’t the ideal heroes, more like anti-heroes.
This can also be one of the perfect anime series to start with. You’ll find that along with the amazing storyline, the animation is top-notch as well as it was animated by one of the best animation studios in Japan, Studio Mappa. Definitely a good choice for anyone’s first anime series.
So whether you’re new to anime or you’ve been an anime fan since Astro Boy or Speed Racer, it’s definitely worth giving this series a shot.
