In Jujutsu Kaisen, Ryomen Sukuna and Itadori Yuji represent two opposing sides of the same coin. While one finds joy in aiding others, the other takes pleasure in taunting their vulnerabilities. Furthermore, one admires those who are more powerful, while the other sees no one as superior to themselves.
In the final panel of Chapter 256 of Jujutsu Kaisen, Itadori Yuji finally unlocked his cursed technique, making him potentially humanity’s last hope against the King of Curses. However, it raises the question of why it took him 25 chapters to awaken his cursed energy after the series’ first chapter.
Yuji and Sukuna could be seen as symbolic representations of Buddha and a demon. Just like Buddha was constantly impeded by the demon Mara on his path to enlightenment, Sukuna served as a major obstacle for Yuji in his journey. However, in the end, it can be argued that both Mara and Sukuna played crucial roles in their respective counterparts’ enlightenment and awakening.
Please note: This article includes possible spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series and reflects the author’s personal opinions.
The Symbolic Connection Between Itadori and Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen
According to chapter 246, Sukuna’s defeat was inevitable as he was outnumbered by the sorcerers. Although Sukuna successfully landed a Black Flash on Maki and Choso, using their attacks to activate his cursed energy, he was ultimately countered by Itadori’s Black Flash. This resulted in Sukuna awakening his cursed energy.
In the first episode of the series, Itadori became the vessel for the King of Curses after consuming one of his fingers. From then on, Sukuna relentlessly attempted to overpower Itadori and seize control of his body. When Junpei was killed by Mahito, Itadori pleaded for Sukuna’s aid, but the latter scornfully rejected his request.
During the Death Painting arc, Megumi attempted to give Itadori one of Sukuna’s fingers. However, Sukuna intentionally consumed the finger in order to gain more control over Itadori’s body. In the Shibuya arc, Sukuna not only caused extensive damage to the Shibuya station during his battle with Mahoraga, but also used his domain expansion to harm innocent civilians and took pleasure in watching Itadori struggle with feelings of guilt.
Ever since Sukuna took over as his host, Megumi had been constantly mocking Itadori for his lack of a cursed technique. As powerful adversaries began to target Itadori, he found himself constantly relying on Sukuna’s strength and was seen as a foolish and entitled individual by the King of Curses. This led fans to believe that Sukuna was a hindrance to Itadori’s progress until he eventually unlocked his own cursed energy.
This is reminiscent of the journey towards enlightenment of Buddha, a well-known historical figure, and the attempts of Mara, a demon, to divert him from achieving it.
Born into a royal family, Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, was troubled by the oppression of the weak. In search of answers, he embarked on a spiritual journey. Despite facing challenges and being unable to find the answers he sought, he persisted and meditated under the Bodhi tree until he reached enlightenment. During this time, a demon attempted to disrupt his focus, but he remained steadfast in his pursuit.
The name of this demon was Mara. His goal was to prevent Buddha from attaining enlightenment. He did this by mocking him, sending women to tempt him, and using various other tactics to stir up worldly desires within him. However, despite Mara’s efforts, Buddha remained resolute and rejected all of his temptations. In the end, Buddha successfully achieved enlightenment.
Similarly to Buddha’s journey towards enlightenment and the presence of Mara as a trial for him, Itadori’s journey towards harnessing his cursed energy can be likened to a test, with Sukuna playing the role of a challenge. Without Sukuna’s interference and taunting, Yuji may have never been able to awaken his cursed energy.
Despite Sukuna’s attempts, he was unable to possess Yuji’s body due to the strength and purity of his will, similar to that of Buddha. Additionally, Mara, also known as “The Evil One,”shared a similar connotation with Sukuna’s title of “The Disgraced One.”
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