Jujutsu Kaisen’s Ending: Kenjaku’s Fate Hangs in the Balance

As Jujutsu Kaisen nears its possible climax, the likelihood of the Great Merger, orchestrated by the villainous Kenjaku, actually occurring is slim. With the author needing to wrap up the story, the series’ antagonist is in a peculiar position where their actions could either succeed or fail.

For the past 1000 years, the antagonist has been determined to witness the evolution of humanity through the merger of Tengen and humans. Surprisingly, their sinister goal was solely driven by their curiosity. While their plan may seem masterful, it could all be for nothing if Ryomen Sukuna fails to activate the merger before meeting his end.

Note: This article contains spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series.

Jujutsu Kaisen: The Importance of Kenjaku’s Grand Plan

Kenjaku as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Kenjaku, a character in Jujutsu Kaisen, is known as one of the primary villains. He possesses a unique cursed technique that has allowed him to cheat death for over 1000 years by transferring his brain into a new body. Some of his previous hosts include Kamo Noritoshi, a notorious sorcerer, and Kaori Itadori, the mother of Yuji.

Geto Suguru, the special-grade sorcerer from Jujutsu High, was the protagonist’s most recent vessel. Despite his disdain for humans and his association with powerful cursed spirits like Jogo and Hanami, his intentions remained a mystery. However, his true plan was ultimately unveiled during the Shibuya arc.

Mahito as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

During the peak of the Shibuya arc, Kenjaku utilized Geto’s cursed technique to corner Itadori and absorb Mahito before using Idle Transfiguration on Japan itself. This caused the awakening of cursed energy within as many people as possible and activated the pacts made with past sorcerers who would be reincarnated into Japanese individuals.

The villain disclosed his plan to advance humanity to a higher level through the use of cursed energy. He intended to merge Lord Tengen with humanity by harnessing the power of cursed energy, referring to this process as the Great Merger. This merging would be upheld by Lord Tengen’s immortality, resulting in the emergence of a powerful cursed spirit that would mark the evolution of humanity.

Kenjaku's demise as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha) — Kenjaku’s demise as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

After the intense fight against Yuki and Choso, he managed to capture Tengen. Additionally, he amassed sufficient cursed energy by participating in the Culling Games, meeting all the necessary criteria for his scheme. Sadly, in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 249, it appeared that the antagonist met his demise at the hands of Takaba. Nevertheless, he transferred the right to initiate the merger to Fushigoro Megumi (Sukuna).

Despite taking thousands of years to prepare, the antagonist’s plan was ultimately driven by his burning curiosity to witness the true form of the Great Merger spirit. However, as revealed in chapter 267, Ryomen Sukuna’s fate hangs in the balance as he was recently struck by Nobara’s Resonance and Itadori’s Black Flash, potentially on the brink of death.

If Sukuna fails to merge before being killed by the child he has been taunting since the beginning of the series, Kenjaku’s plans could be jeopardized.

Sukuna's state as seen in the latest chapter (Image via Shueisha) — Sukuna’s state as seen in the latest chapter (Image via Shueisha)

Despite Sukuna possibly initiating the merger during his final moments, the event is likely to occur in the upcoming chapter (chapter 268) as the author must allow enough time for the sorcerers to properly handle the Great Merger spirit.

If the Great Merger were to occur, it could potentially serve as a climax to the series. In this scenario, Kenjaku would emerge as a cunning and formidable antagonist. However, if the Great Merger were to falter, Kenjaku’s reputation would be tarnished as one of the biggest failures in anime.