Animeranku

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Jujutsu Kaisen: Who Was Noritoshi Kamo?

Highlights

  • Noritoshi Kamo, the most evil sorcerer in history, defied norms and caused harm to civilians to gain power and knowledge of Cursed Energy.
  • Noritoshi’s infamy stems from his experiments with human-spirit hybrids, which resulted in the creation of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings.
  • It is unclear if Noritoshi was truly evil or if his actions were influenced by the ancient Curse User, Kenjaku, who possessed his body, leaving a permanent stain on the Kamo Family name.


The dark and troubled history of the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, is laden with stories of individuals who defied the norms associated with being a Jujutsu Sorcerer in ways that were less than pleasant. Some openly flouted conventions in the Jujutsu world, and intentionally caused harm to normal civilians, as a means of attaining greater power and knowledge regarding the realm of Cursed Energy and Cursed Spirits.

One such individual that has gained unparalleled infamy in the years since his death is Noritoshi Kamo, who is now seen as “the most evil sorcerer in history.” Tales of his misdeeds — such as the creation of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings — have been passed on throughout the ages, even until the present when the main story of Jujutsu Kaisen takes place. Despite all this, there is certainly more than meets the eye when it comes to his life and legacy, which is not yet common knowledge.

The Most Evil Sorcerer In History

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Having lived over 150 years prior to the start of Jujutsu Kaisen, quite a few details regarding Noritoshi Kamo’s life are still unclear, especially concerning his personality and Innate Cursed Technique. While it is natural to assume that he would have inherited the Kamo Family’s Blood Manipulation ability, there is little to no available evidence about this theory. Furthermore, even though he has been described as a truly evil individual, his behavior towards civilians, sorcerers, and other members of his clan is also unknown.

Noritoshi’s depictions in the series so far have shown him to be a middle-aged man with dark, slicked back hair, and a mustache, along with a stitched scar running across his forehead. This last feature of his appearance is especially important, given the fact that he was one of the many vessels inhabited by the evil Curse User Kenjaku, who has persisted throughout the centuries by consistently switching bodies. Images of Noritoshi have also featured him in a dark yukata with an umbrella over his head.

Noritoshi’s Experiments & The Cursed Womb: Death Paintings

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The main reason for Noritoshi’s infamy revolves around his experiments with human-spirit hybrids. Noritoshi apparently ran a temple in the Meiji Era, where a woman capable of giving birth to human-spirit hybrids had sought refuge. Having seen this as an opportunity to continue his experiments, Noritoshi is said to have taken the woman captive. Subsequently, as part of his vile studies, the woman fell pregnant nine times and was made to terminate each one, which yielded the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings.

Essentially, each one of these is a Cursed Object, created by mixing the blood of a human and a Cursed Spirit. According to Choso — one of the Death Painting Wombs who was given a new body by Mahito and Kenjaku — Noritoshi mixed his own blood into each experiment, which is why Choso can harness the Kamo Family’s Inherited Technique of Blood Manipulation.

Death Painting Wombs resemble misshapen human fetuses, and are generally shown to be stored in glass canisters. Incarnation can be triggered by forcing a living human to consume them. Each fully incarnated version of the Death Painting Wombs is on the level of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. In the years since their creation, the Death Painting Wombs, along with other Cursed Spirits, have grown to despise Noritoshi. All records surrounding the creation of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings were also erased from history in the years after Noritoshi’s death.

A Name Tarnished By Kenjaku

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What is interesting to note here, is the fact that Noritoshi may not have been the one to blame for any of his misdeeds, as his body was taken over by none other than Kenjaku — an ancient Curse User who has switched bodies for thousands of years. As such, most of Noritoshi’s vile actions could be the result of his body being possessed by Kenjaku rather than the product of his own desires.

Throughout the course of history, Kenjaku has made a habit of taking over the bodies of others to cover up for his own crimes against humans and sorcerers, and Noritoshi may have only been a pawn in his grander schemes. In contemporary times, Noritoshi’s name is seen as a stain on the history of the Kamo Family, and his deeds have earned the disgust of Jujutsu Sorcerers, Curse Users, and Cursed Spirits alike.

Currently, Kenjaku’s intentions in taking over Noritoshi Kamo’s body have not been revealed in their entirety in Jujutsu Kaisen, and the only real outcome of this act is the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings. It is likely that this was all part of his plan to ascertain the true potential of Cursed Energy, but his abandonment of this endeavor is equally puzzling. Hence, as it stands, Kenjaku’s possession of Noritoshi left a permanent blot on the Kamo Family name, which has persisted even till the present day.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available to stream on Prime Video.

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