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The Ten Shadows Technique is one of the strongest cursed techniques in Jujutsu Kaisen. Discover how the technique works and its Shikigami.
One of the most coveted techniques in the whole Jujutsu Kaisen universe, the Ten Shadows Technique was only available to the people of the Zenin clan and its descendants. The most well-known user of this technique is Megumi Fushiguro.
The Ten Shadows Technique focused on its ability to summon ten different Shikigami to help the user in combat. In the Zenin clan’s history, most users of this technique relied heavily on their Shikigami while they sat back from a safe distance. However, Megumi opted to jump straight into the fight alongside his shadowy creatures.
In any case, Megumi’s Ten Shadows Technique and his combat style proved to earn him some reputation, more than just a Jujutsu sorcerer and his favorite pets. Even the legendary Sukuna was interested in this technique. In this post, we will go over the mechanics of this technique, what kind of Shikigami it could summon, and the users featured in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga and anime.
What Is the Ten Shadows Technique in Jujutsu Kaisen?
First, let’s go over this cursed technique once again. The Ten Shadows Technique is an inherited cursed technique from the Zenin clan. This technique allows the user to call upon Shikigami to help them in combat. This technique is regarded as one of the strongest in the series. Sukuna was interested the moment he met Megumi and noticed his Ten Shadows Technique. Gojo commented that, in the past, a Six Eyes user and a Ten Shadows Technique user once clashed and killed each other. Even before Megumi was fully aware of the power he held himself, his technique already had a reputation.
Obtaining the Shikigami begins at the first instance of the technique’s awakening. On the awakening of their technique, the Divine Dogs Shikigami are always granted to the user. However, it’s not the case with the others. In order to obtain their obedience, the user must undergo an exorcising ritual. Once the Shikigami is exorcised, the user is free to command it. Not all of them are easy to tame. These Shikigami come in various shapes and sizes, after all.
All the Shikigami and How To Tame Them
For the most part, the Shikigami must be tamed first before they’re available to command. In the series, the strength of the Shikigami seems to correlate with the user. So, let’s take a brief look at all the Shikigami the Ten Shadows Technique has to offer.
Divine Dogs
The Divine Dogs are the first Shikigami a Ten Shadows Technique user has at their disposal. They’re a pair of large dogs with white and black fur. These are the first Shikigami to appear in the series. However, in Sukuna’s control, these dogs manifested as a shadowy blob with a lot of dog heads.
Nue
Nue is a flying Shikigami in the form of an owl cloaked with electricity. Megumi used this Shikigami to perform quick escapes via air or to ambush his opponent in a quick combo. This Shikigami might be the one that has the most use by Megumi. Similarly, Sukuna also used Nue as a quick means to leave an area.
Toad
Toad is another toolbox in the Ten Shadows Technique arsenal. Similar to Nue, Toad is for important extraction maneuvers or quickly snatching something important from the enemy’s possession. Megumi primarily utilized Toad to save his friends from dangerous situations by having Toad snatch the person with its tongue. Although Toad isn’t as fast as Nue, it provides more protection for anything it snatches during the battlefield.
Great Serpent
One of the largest Shikigami in the Ten Shadows Technique, the Great Serpent emerges from the shadows to ambush its target. What stands out about this Shikigami in particular is its quick summoning. In one instance, Megumi summoned the Great Serpent to effectively take Sukuna by surprise. Although Sukuna was, of course, too strong for that, the Great Serpent’s quick summoning and the force of its initial punch are great assets of the Ten Shadows Technique.
Max Elephant
The Max Elephant is more than a heavy and intimidating animal in the Ten Shadows Technique lineup. Although the weight of this elephant is one of the most useful aspects of the Shikigami. For example, Megumi weaponized the sheer mass of the Max Elephant by dropping it on Jiro during their fight. Another nifty trick this elephant Shikigami can do is pouring any imaginable amount of water. This serves as area denial or to overwhelm the enemy by surprise.
Rabbit Escape
The Rabbits are one of the most overwhelming Shikigami in the Ten Shadows Technique, not because of their strength, but because their sheer numbers are their true potential. Although individually the rabbits are nothing different from regular rabbits, there’s almost no limit to the amount the user can summon.
Round Deer
While most of the Shikigami’s abilities focus on attacking or overwhelming the enemy, the Round Deer gives a recovery capability for the user. It outputs positive energy from the reverse cursed technique. So, even if the user hasn’t mastered reverse cursed technique sorcery, they can still effectively heal themselves by relying on the Round Deer.
Piercing Ox
There’s nothing more straightforward than this Shikigami. The Piercing Ox poses as a dangerous battering ram for anyone facing the user. What’s terrifying about this ox is that it doesn’t stop charging even if it has hit the target. Not to mention, the longer the distance it covers, the more powerful its charge becomes.
Tiger Funeral
The Tiger Funeral is the least explored Shikigami in Jujutsu Kaisen. Likewise, its ability is unknown. In fact, there’s no instance where this Shikigami is summoned in the series.
Mahoraga
Meanwhile, this particular Shikigami has shown its teeth to Jujutsu Kaisen fans both in the manga and the anime. Its strength alone proved how difficult it is to subjugate Mahoraga, as evident in the event of the Shibuya Incident. Not to mention, Mahoraga’s unique ability to adapt to any attack makes it a formidable entity.
Summoning the Shikigami and the Ten Shadow Technique Users in Jujutsu Kaisen
To summon a Shikigami from the Ten Shadows Technique, there are a few requirements. First, of course, you need to be a descendant of the Zenin clan or control their body in some way. Second, you must go through a subjugation ritual for each Shikigami, except the Divine Dogs, to take them under your control. And when you’ve gone through all that, you can make the corresponding hand sign to summon them.
In Jujutsu Kaisen there are two Ten Shadows Technique users, Megumi and Sukuna. Megumi got it as an inherited technique since he had a lineage with the Zenin clan. However, his relationship with the clan was lukewarm at best. He was a second-grade sorcerer with great potential—even the King of Curses, Sukuna, took an interest in him.
Sukuna was so interested in Megumi and his Ten Shadows Technique that he took over Megumi’s body and obtained his Shikigami. However, Sukuna’s Shikigami appeared to be more chaotic in its form and more intimidating. This is likely due to Sukuna having far more cursed energy. In fact, he’s the only one who managed to fully subjugate Mahoraga, the strongest Shikigami of all.
Conclusion
The Ten Shadows Technique is one of the strongest cursed techniques in Jujutsu Kaisen. Summoning Shikigami with a wide array of combat options provides the user with quite the versatility often needed in a Jujutsu sorcerer fight. Not to mention, this technique also gives access to Mahoraga, a being with one of the most broken abilities in the series.
But, with great power also comes great requirements. First, this technique is exclusive to the Zenin clan and its descendants. Second, nine out of ten Shikigami require the user to do a rigorous, and potentially deadly, subjugation ritual before gaining command of them. Overall, the Ten Shadows Technique is one of the quintessential cursed techniques in the whole Jujutsu Kaisen series, but with a great price attached to it.
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