Ryomen Sukuna is the main villain in Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen, but his trademark power, his cursed technique, remains a mystery in the series, except for a small but fundamental hint that was given only in the anime. In the Shibuya Incident Arc, the King of Curses exposes a key detail, inciting speculation on the origins of his cursed technique. However, the reigning strongest cursed spirit in history’s technique remains shrouded in mystery.
Sukuna’s cursed technique has yet to be fully explained. However, the bulk of Sukuna’s cursed energy is largely witnessed through his cursed techniques, Dismantle and Cleave. Both consist of slashing attacks; the former is a long-range attack normally used for objects (but also effective against living things), while the second is a close-range attack that adapts to the target it touches, slashing it into pieces.
Sukuna’s Domain Expansion – Malevolent Shrine has a guaranteed hit area of nearly 200 meters, meaning anyone who is caught in it is likely dead for good. However, Sukuna also displayed a mysterious fire manipulation technique during the Shibuya Incident, which overcame even the fire-based cursed spirit Jogo, meaning that the King of Curses’ actual cursed technique remains a mystery.
Jujutsu Kaisen Teases A Massive Twist In Upcoming Chapters
Jujutsu Kaisen’s editor teases plenty of shocking twists in the upcoming chapters, leading to frenzied speculation among fans.
Sukuna’s Cursed Technique Was Hinted At In The Anime
During that fight against Jogo, a prominent detail was censored in chapter #115 of Jujutsu Kaisen to keep this mystery alive: the word uttered by Sukuna before unleashing his fire attack. The truth, however, was partially teased is hinted at in the corresponding episode of the anime, episode #16 of season 2. While the chapter uses two speech bubbles, one censored, the other saying, “open”, before Sukuna unleashes his fire technique, the anime shows the King of Curses mouthing what was censored in the manga. Fans of course tried to read Sukuna’s lips to understand the mystery behind his cursed technique.
According to a post on X by Jujutsu Kaisen superfan @Giusydev96, some Japanese fans believe the word uttered by Sukuna is “Ark” or “hako”, which translates to “box” in Japanese. This could refer to the Ark of the Covenant from the Old Testament, a gilded box containing sacred religious objects: a golden jar of manna, the rod of Aaron, and stone tablets of the covenant. The rod of Aaron may be represented through Sukuna’s cursed tool, the spear Hiten. Another theory linking the Ark to Sukuna is the electrical output thought to come from the Ark, which also manifests in Sukuna’s other cursed tool, Kamutoke.
The King of Curses and The Ark
Interestingly, Sukuna was called “The Fallen” or “The Disgraced One” in chapter #199, leading to a further connection with religion through the figure of Satan or Lucifer. Another theory that fans are proposing is that Sukuna’s cursed technique consists in having a “box” (hako) where he stores the tools and cursed techniques he acquired or stole from his opponents during the centuries of his existence, and that he can draw out at will.
Where the manga censored the speech, the anime provides a clearer image of what that word may present through the King of Curses lip movements in the Shibuya Incident Arc. This indication provides a path towards religion, with the belief that Sukuna’s fallen status sets him up as Lucifer. With links between his black box and the Ark, along with the representation of the cursed tools and Sukuna’s claim as a fallen angel, the Jujutsu Kaisen anime has presented a case for an explanation of the origin and power of Sukuna‘s still mysterious cursed technique.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available on Crunchyroll.
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