Jujutsu Kaisen: What Is Cursed Energy In The World Of JJK; EXPLAINED

JJK's power system is based on cursed energy, reminiscent of Hunter x Hunter or Naruto. Anyone with cursed energy can become a jujutsu sorcerer.

Updated on Apr 19, 2024  |  01:39 AM IST |  193.4K
Know more about Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen (PC: IMDb)

Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen is a popular shonen anime with a unique lore, similar to classic shonen titles like Naruto, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Despite some skepticism, JJK's lore is 100% original, with its unique power system and metrics. The mind-blowing features of sorcery in the Jujutsu world make it a masterpiece, making it a must-watch for anime fans.

Cursed energy makes the basis of the power system in JJK, which may have that nostalgic effect on viewers if the audience has already binged Hunter x Hunter or Naruto. Anyone with cursed energy who uses, manipulates, or even sees it meets the criteria to become a jujutsu sorcerer. JJK's take on the power source of sorcerers obviously stems from something dark and justifies the show's spot as one of the Dark Trio.

What is Cursed Energy in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Satoru Gojo explained that cursed energy, originating from negative emotions like fear, anger, and grief, is dark and manifests through depression, envy, jealousy, suffering, and guilt. These emotions, combined with the accumulation and fermentation of these negative emotions, create cursed spirits, which are born from the leaking out of humans.

That's why cursed spirits primarily reside in highly concentrated cursed energy areas where there's been lots of trauma or memories, or somewhere that's been abandoned. The world is filled with cursed energy, but ordinary people can't see it, nor can they see cursed spirits.

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However, since all human beings experience most of these emotions, they possess cursed energy to some extent, but if the threshold is crossed, it grants them the ability to become jujutsu sorcerers.

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Jujutsu Kaisen (PC: IMDb)

Jujutsu sorcerers are rare, with only a few in high schools and globally. They possess a unique control over their cursed energy, which they can contain and manipulate into a unique power or technique. The connection between cursed energy and sorcerers remains a mystery, with some aspects left to the imagination, such as how they convert their energies into their abilities.

According to Gojo's analogy, cursed energy is volatile, and a jujutsu sorcerer uses it as a form of fuel, but it's extremely hard to control. This was the case with Yuta Okkotsu, who couldn't control his cursed energy and turned Rika into a cursed spirit.

One way to control the surge is to channel it through cursed objects or infuse it with cursed tools or corpses, just like how Gojo instructed both Yuta and Itadori to control their energy.

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Cursed energy, a constantly evolving force, requires skilled sorcerers to find the right balance and technique to harness its limitless powers. The reversed cursed technique, based on two negatives creating a positive, is a challenging aspect of cursed energy. It is not suitable for direct use beyond healing the physical body.

Negative cursed energy is used to create destructive techniques, while reversed techniques offer sorcerers various options. The most common use is to heal the body, but it can also be used to power cursed techniques. Positive energy is complex and risky, even for sorcerers like Gojo. However, Gojo mastered the reversed technique in his third year during his past arc in JJK Season 2.

Satoru, nearly killed by Toji, uses the reverse cursed technique to heal his body and preserve his brain while keeping his Six Eyes active. Positive energy has not been fully explored in the JJK anime-verse except for Sukuna, Gojo, and Yuta. The reverse cursed technique can reverse the effects of original techniques, which would be impressive in Gojo's Limitless, especially during a face-off against Satoru.

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Jujutsu Kaisen (PC: IMDb)

The cursed energy restrictions 

Maki is known for his ability to see and detect cursed spirits and energy. However, he can be a jujutsu sorcerer without cursed energy. Cursed energy is known as Heavenly Restrictions, and sorcerers born with these restrictions have a binding on their body that restricts their flow of cursed energy in exchange for improvements or limitations.

Heavenly Restrictions showcases the abilities of Maki Zenin and Toji Fushiguro, both born with limited cursed energy. Toji, with no cursed energy, successfully killed the Star Plasma vessel and sneaked into high school. Maki, gifted with her body but lacking cursed energy, uses special glasses and cursed tools to fight. However, this leftover energy hinders Maki from reaching her full potential, highlighting the irony of Heavenly Restrictions.

As for limitations from Heavenly Restrictions, Kokichi Muta is currently the only case in JJK at the moment where, in exchange for cursed energy, Kokichi received a defective body. He was born without an arm and skin that's so sensitive that he can't even leave the darkness of the home he spent his life in.

However, for his poor body, he received the ability to store an unimaginable amount of cursed energy. In the ongoing Shibuya Incident arc, it's revealed that Kokichi Muta had over 17 years' worth of cursed energy, which accounts for his impressive power.

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Jujutsu Kaisen's primary power source is negative cursed energy, a complex and mysterious concept. Yuji Itadori, the King of Curses, survived without prior experience in using or detecting cursed energy. Season 2 promises to reveal more about the secrets of this powerful energy, with Season 2 featuring the highly-anticipated arc. No sorcerer has unlimited resources of cursed energy.

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