Spoilers Warning: This article includes major spoilers for the climax of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga by Gege Akutami. Proceed with caution.
As the Jujutsu Kaisen manga reached its conclusion with Chapter 271, Gege Akutami wrapped up the long-standing fight between the sorcerers and Sukuna. The outcome of this fierce battle is not something the fandom predicted to happen at all. The King of Curses was defeated by our beloved protagonist Yuji Itadori in the end. However, if you are curious whether Sukuna is dead or alive in the series, keep reading to find out.
King of the Curses vs Jujutsu Sorcerers
While Gojo was stuck inside the Prison Realm, Sukuna sneakily obtained Megumi’s body and made him his new vessel. After Gojo was finally freed by Hana Kurusu and the other sorcerers, the much-awaited showdown between Gojo and Sukuna began.
It was an enthralling battle that kept us on the edge of our seats. However, Gojo was defeated by the King of Curses (since he isn’t the MC of JJK, lol).
As soon as Gojo was killed, numerous other sorcerers entered the arena to overwhelm the King of Curses. However, little did they know Sukuna would go on to achieve his prime form. The sorcerers were defeated one by one, including Yuta and Higurama, who entered after Kashimo’s defeat. The final fight between the sorcerers and Sukuna pretty much went this way, and one thing that didn’t change was that Sukuna was able to easily overpower them all without breaking a sweat.
The Final Battle Between Uncle and Nephew
Nevertheless, Sukuna wasn’t the only one getting stronger as our protagonist Yuji was also silently honing his CT skills. While everyone started to succumb to King Sukuna’s powers, Yuji started to thrive under the pressure. With the help of his fellow sorcerers, Yuji started turning the tides of the battle.
Yuji boasted a multitude of abilities, such as the Reverse Cursed Technique, Blood Manipulation, and more importantly, he mastered the art of Black Flash. As he continued to rain blows on Sukuna, Yuji began to see a ray of hope to get his friend back.
By executing his Domain expansion, Yuji was able to put an end to the curse that was haunting Japan once and for all.
Sukuna Dies at the Hands of Yuji Itadori
Even though Sukuna was able to hold his ground against the gang of sorcerers, it was evident that he was getting slowly weakened. On the other hand, Yuji was getting powerful in the face of danger and wouldn’t budge at all.
Moreover, Yuji’s best friends, Megumi and Nobara, also came to the rescue, where Nobara used her resonance technique to injure Sukuna’s soul by hitting the last finger. Lastly, Megumi overcame Sukuna’s control by using a shadow to keep his body from moving.
With the help of his friends, Yuji struck a thunderous black flash blow to Sukuna, which even shattered his domain and sent the King of Curses flying. With this blow, Megumi was finally freed from Sukuna’s clutches, and Sukuna was shown as a tiny blob curse.
While Yuji tried to reconcile with his uncle, Sukuna was the same as ever and vanished from reality by remarking that he was a curse after all. So, yes, Sukuna is dead in the Jujutsu Kaisen after getting vanquished by Itadori Yuji.
Can Sukuna Come Back from the Dead in Jujutsu Kaisen?
In chapter 247, shortly before his death, Higuruma remarked that the curses get stronger after death. This quote sparked debate about how there is no end to curses at all. When this chapter was released, Kenjaku was dead and people speculated him to make a comeback in the series. However, once Sukuna was dead, the theorists speculated this would be the way Sukuna would return in JJK.
However, after Sukuna’s defeat, when Yuji wanted to give him another chance by asking him to stay in his body but without being his evil self, Sukuna tells the boy not to underestimate him as he is a curse. Well, what does that mean? Was Sukuna hinting that he could return? Well, no.
After getting separated from Megumi’s body, Sukuna simply accepted his defeat. However, he didn’t accept his death. If he was truly dead, he wouldn’t have challenged Yuji in the most vulnerable state. Maybe somewhere deep down, Sukuna knew that he could return. But, until the end of Chapter 271, Sukuna did not make a comeback.
So, in a sense, we can say that Yuji Itadori never lost faith in good, and he wanted to see a glimmer of goodness within Sukuna as well. However, Sukuna challenging Yuji confirms that some people are just pure evil, and they can’t change. That is why Sukuna is a perfect villain.
That said, do you think Gege has penned the greatest adversary in Jujutsu Kaisen? Let us know in the comments below.