What Are Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Curses dominate the world of Jujutsu Kaisen. Discover the meaning of a Curse and the different kinds of Curses.

Curses as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)
Curses as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)

If you enjoy the supernatural side of anime and love seeing diverse powers in action, the Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen are sure to thrill you. These entities are reflections of our own feelings and add layers of complexity to every episode. It is no wonder they spark so much curiosity while making you want to dive deeper into what makes them so intriguing.

Curses are born out of negative emotions and human fears in Jujutsu Kaisen. They are not visible to humans but are born out of the Cursed Energy leaking from them. 

Along with creating panic and havoc in society, Curses act as the embodiment of the darker side of human emotions. In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, these Curses serve as the main antagonists and targets of the Jujutsu sorcerers.

The Origin of Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen

As mentioned above, a Curse is born from negative human emotions gathered in one location. In particular, they are a product of the accumulated Cursed Energy that leaks out of non-sorcerers such as humans.

Emotions such as hate, fear, and anger towards a particular entity seep out as Cursed Energy and collect over time. This leads to the creation of a Curse. 

Specific areas, such as schools and hospitals, are central locations for Curses. This is because large groups of people often harbor strong feelings towards these locations. Additionally, common fears shared by the masses also increase the strength held by each Curse.

A Curse being exorcised by Megumi as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)
A Curse being exorcised by Megumi as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)

Most Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen also stay around their origin point while cursing humans. As they consist of Cursed Energy, they must be attacked with Cursed Energy or the cores inside their bodies must be destroyed to defeat them.

Different Types of Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen

All Curses are created in a similar manner, but there are several ways to classify them. Jujutsu Sorcerers rank them based on grades. Sorcerers match up based on their assessed power, with Grade 4 being the weakest Curse and Special Grade being the most dangerous.

On the other hand, Curses themselves have certain characteristics that allow us to differentiate them.

The different types of Curses found in Jujutsu Kaisen are as follows:

1) Vengeful Cursed Spirit

Vengeful Curses are created when humans turn into Curses after death. The most common example is Rika Orimoto, who became a Curse due to Yuta’s inability to accept her death.

Another kind of Vengeful Curse is the Imaginary Vengeful Curse. These are created out of a common fear of a large group of humans, regardless of their actual existence. These are mostly popular ghosts and yokai found in urban legends.

2) Disease Cursed Spirit

As the name indicates, the concept of diseases creates these Curses. For instance, humanity’s fear of smallpox created the Smallpox Deity.

3) Cursed Womb

A Cursed Womb is the incomplete stage of a Curse from which they evolve into a full-fledged Cursed Spirit. Cursed Womb: Death Paintings are Cursed Wombs which are both human and Cursed spirit.

The most popular among these were Choso, Eso, and Kechizu, who were eventually even able to become Special Grade Curses.

Finger Bearers are another kind of Cursed Womb who become extremely strong spirits due to possessing one of Sukuna’s fingers. 

4) Shikigami

Dagon summoning his Shikigami as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)

Resembling monsters, Shikigami are familiars made up of their user’s Cursed Energy. They typically serve Jujutsu users and assist them during the heat of battle. 

Hence, rather than a Curse, it would be more appropriate to call them a Cursed Technique.

5) Cursed Corpse

Curses possess inanimate objects to form Cursed corpses. Sorcerers typically create them artificially to use as puppets. Principal Yaga used this technique to control puppets in Jujutsu Kaisen. 

6) Other Curses 

Apart from those already mentioned, many other Curses do not come under a specific category. This is because they are either weak Curses who don’t pose a significant threat or were left unnamed in Jujutsu Kaisen. 

The Four Disaster Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen

The Four Disaster Curses were supremely powerful curses who assisted Kenjaku in causing destruction. They were unregistered Special Grade Curses representing natural disasters and were feared by an abundance of people. 

The Four Disaster Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen were:

1) Jogo

Jogo as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)

Jogo was born from humanity’s fear of fire-related disasters. Resembling a volcano, he had been unlucky with his opponents, having to face both Sukuna and Gojo.

However, this does not mean that he is weak. On the contrary, he is among the strongest in Jujutsu Kaisen and can prove to be an even match for almost anyone.

2) Hanami

Hanami originated from human fears stemming from land- and earth-based natural disasters. Unlike the Curses who wanted to replace humans, Hanami resented them for their mistreatment of nature.

3) Dagon

Dagon represented humanity’s fears of the sea and all its creatures. He was an initially shy Curse who sprung to action after hearing of Hanami’s death. He wished for Curses to replace humans and become the dominant species in the world.

4) Mahito

As the strongest and most dangerous Disaster Curse, Mahito was created out of the hatred humans felt for each other. He gave no value to human life and wished to turn all humans into Cursed spirits. 

Why Mahito is a Unique Curse in Jujutsu Kaisen

Mahito and Junpei as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)
Mahito and Junpei as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)

A major reason why Mahito was so dangerous in Jujutsu Kaisen was that he was different from all other Curses. He looked the most human and was the manifestation of people’s fear of themselves. 

One could also say that he was closest to a human being’s soul and their worst version. Consistent with this, his ability was known as Idle Transfiguration. Using this, he could manipulate human souls and reshape their bodies. 

Rather than wanting to destroy humans, Mahito was fascinated with them and their emotions. By using Yuji Itadori as his test subject and tormenting him, he wished to understand him more while blurring the lines between a human and a Curse.

Due to the reason for his origin as well as goals that did not align with other Curses, Mahito was the most unique Curse in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Conclusion

The Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen were far from mindless monsters and were the physical depiction of human malice. They explored the darkest and most intricate sides of humanity but also had identities and objectives of their own.

As antagonists, they have their own set of powers and frequent ideological clashes with the protagonists. Having been created by humans and then harming humans themselves, these Curses served a pivotal role in acting as the opposing force to the Jujutsu Sorcerers. 


Looking For More?

Thank you for reading the article. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *