Jujutsu Kaisen: The Dark and Deadly Consequences of the Shibuya Incident

In a world of immense power and deadly curses, Jujutsu Kaisen is renowned for its dark themes. The story follows Itadori Yuji, a high school student who becomes entangled in the world of curses and jujutsu sorcery after consuming a cursed object - a finger of Ryomen Sukuna.

Alongside his friends and mentors, he navigates a perilous supernatural realm, confronting formidable enemies and uncovering mysteries surrounding cursed spirits. JJK's latest arc, The Shibuya Incident, is considered the series' darkest, witnessing numerous deaths and pivotal shifts in character dynamics. Examining the aftermath for each character, one wonders how these events will shape the trajectory of the story moving forward into the third season's Culling Game Arc and what consequences await.

Non-Sorcerers Were Among the Biggest Casualties

With many being turned into curses and some being killed at the hands of Sukuna, which weight heavily on Itadori, the Shibuya Incident highlighted the true chaos caused by Psudeo-Geto, who was revealed to be Kenjaku - an ancient and powerful jujutsu sorcerer who has lived for over a thousand years. Countless civilians found themselves caught in the crossfire, facing the threat of being turned into Cursed Spirits or killed by the rampaging supernatural forces.

The inclusion of non-sorcerers in the consequences of the Shibuya Incident not only heightened the stakes, as this was part of the plan to be able to trap and seal Gojo in the Prison Realm. At the end of the Shibuya Arc, the government discusses revealing the existence of curses and sorcerers to the public.

All of the Disaster Curses were Exorcised...

Some formidable curses saw defeat as well, most notably all of the Disaster Curses. Hanami, the curse born of the fear of land-based natural disasters and they desired to rid the earth of humanity because of their mistreatment of nature. Hanami is defeated by Gojo early on during a fight. Jogo, born of humanity's fear of volcanoes and other fire-related natural disasters, manages to escape the fight with Gojo, however, his fate is sealed by the King of Curses - Sukuna. After feeding an unconscious Itadori ten fingers, Jogo tries to persuade Sukuna to join force Yuji into a Binding Vow - a pact. Sukuna has his own plans, so he refuses, but agrees to work with Jogo if he can land one hit on him. Though Jogo fights intensely, he is no match for Sukuna and is killed.

Dagon, born out of fear of water-based natural disasters,was a very formidable foe. His final battle saw him facing off against four sorcerers - Maki, Naobito, Nanami, and Megumi. Dagon is able to trap them in his domain and there he is able to show just how strong and powerful he is. Megumi is able to break through his domain and when everyone is about to escape, Toji, who was brought back using the Seance technique, entered and quickly killed Dagon.

...But Mahito's Death Set Off a Terrible Series of Events

The most significant blow, however, came with the death of Mahito. After an intense battle with Itadori, Mahito, on the brink of death, attempted to flee but was saved by Pseudo-Geto. Realizing the imminent danger, Mahito tried to attack Pseudo-Geto, who, using Cursed Spirit Manipulation, captured and controlled Mahito. Pseudo-Geto then consumed Mahito and unleashed Maximum: Uzumaki. Mahito's defeat by Itadori allowed Pseudo-Geto to achieve a secondary objective: stealing Mahito's technique.

Pseudo-Geto's overall plan, without diving into spoilers, aims to advance humanity's evolution by optimizing cursed energy, similar to the original Geto's vision. His intention, as hinted in his conversation with Yuki Tsukumo, aligns with creating a world exclusively for Jujutsu Sorcerers. To further this goal, he remotely activated Mahito's technique on non-sorcerers he had marked, including individuals who absorbed cursed objects like Yuji and those with cursed techniques but non-sorcerer brain structures. This sets the stage for The Culling Game.

Some Jujutsu Sorcerers Are Left With Severe Injuries…

After Dagon’s defeat, a saddened Jogo attacks Nanami, Maki Zenin, and Naobito Zenin, burning them. While Nanami is seen later, with serious burn injuries, the fates of Maki and Naobito remain unknown in the anime. During the confrontation with Mahito, Todo Aoi found himself touched by Mahito's Idle Transfiguration. To prevent the transfiguration from spreading, Todo made the decisive and drastic choice of swiftly chopping off his own hand. Despite bluffing to Mahito and creating an opening for Itadori to strike, the loss of his hand meant Todo could no longer activate Boogie Woogie, his Innate Technique. Boogie Woogie, a technique that has proven invaluable in battles against special-grade curses, was not only a detriment to Todo individually but also to the broader field of jujutsu.

In the case of Inumaki Toge, his injury was not explicitly shown on screen. In Season 2, Episode 13, Toge is last seen attempting to aid civilians. However, he disappears from the narrative until the final episode. Yuta Okkotsu, who makes a return after being absent since Jujutsu Kaisen 0, provides crucial information to the higher-ups. He discloses that Toge lost his arm during an attack by Sukuna. This revelation becomes significant as Yuta declares his intention to be Itadori's executioner. With Itadori's suspended sentence now lifted, he has once again been sentenced to death. This development sets the stage for a pivotal role that Yuta will play in the upcoming Culling Game Arc.

…While Many Others Lost Their Lives

Kokichi Muta, who uses the cursed corpse Mechamaru, was one of the first characters to die while fighting Mahito. Mahito also is responsible for the deaths of two other characters - Kugisaki Nobara and Kento Nanami. After being burnt and almost killed by Jogo, along with Naobito Zenin and Maki, Nanami emerges later, severely burnt. He fights off the horde of curses, but is soon approached from behind by Mahito, who uses Idle Transfiguration, killing him in front of Itadori, in order to try to break him emotionally.

Nobara suffers a similar fate. Mahito, who split his body into two, fights her outside of the station. Because he underestimated her strength and because his second body is not as strong as his primary, she gets the better of him, as Nobara was able to activate an offshoot of Straw Doll, called Resonance, which has the ability to damage Mahito's soul directly. He runs down into the station to his other body, which then uses Idle Transfiguration and touches her face. Once again, in front of Itadori, who was fighting the main Mahito body. Although Arata Nitta, a sorcerer with healing powers, says that Nobara is not completely dead and there is a very small chance of her survival, chances are indeed slim that she is alive after her face being essentially blown open. This is seemingly the final straw for Itadori, as he no longer seems to have to will to fight, Mahito begins to pummel him. However, he is saved by Todo.

Gojo Got Sealed and Is Considered a Criminal In The Eyes of The Jujutsu Higher-Ups

The sealing of Gojo Satoru in Jujutsu Kaisen has arguably led to some of the most impactful consequences, especially evident in the unfolding events of the Shibuya Incident. Pseudo-Geto's plan hinged on Gojo's absence, orchestrating a series of events that resulted in chaos and vulnerability for the jujutsu community and the world. Without "the strongest" sorcerer, the jujutsu world faces a void that exposes it to emerging threats, and the absence of Gojo's unmatched abilities becomes increasingly apparent.

The consequences of Gojo's sealing are not only limited to his criminalization by the higher-ups but extend to anyone attempting to free him, marking them as criminals as well. These ramifications set the stage for potentially deadly impacts in the upcoming Culling Game Arc, as the jujutsu community grapples with the absence of its most powerful defender and the challenges that arise in his wake.

Itadori Has Changed and the World is No Longer the Same

Ultimately, Pseudo-Geto’s plan succeeds, and with the consumption of Mahito, he ushers in a new age aimed at advancing humanity's evolution by optimizing cursed energy. He remotely activates Mahito's technique on non-sorcerers marked by him, including those who absorbed cursed objects like Yuji and individuals with cursed techniques but non-sorcerer brain structures. Pseudo-Geto strengthens some as vessels for ancient sorcerers, such as Sukuna, and endows others with a sorcerer's brain structure, intending to make them fight to the death. The plan is suspected to involve Tengen, the being controlling Japan's protective barriers. Tsumiki Fushiguro, Megumi Fushiguro's sister, is revealed to be activated.

Additionally, after the events of the Shibuya incident, Itadori undergoes a profound transformation. Previously, he believed he was killing curses for a greater purpose, always seeking reasoning in his actions. However, following the sealing of Gojo, Sukuna's use of his body for mass murder, and witnessing the deaths of Nanami and Nobara at the hands of Mahito, Itadori experiences a shift. He no longer requires a reason; he simply wants to kill. Facing Mahito, he declares, "I am you," revealing an emotionless, desolate look in his eyes that instills fear in Mahito. This marks a new, bloodthirsty Itadori entering the Culling Game Arc — one with the skill to fight and the willingness to kill. The Culling Game promises to be a bloodbath, and the consequences of the Shibuya incident will undoubtedly have far-reaching and dire repercussions.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available for streaming on Prime Video.