With the Jujutsu Kaisen manga nearing its conclusion, Akutami has finally penned the conclusion to the drawn out battle between Sukuna and the Jujutsu Sorcerers, drawing the curtains on the high-octane Shinjuku Showdown.
Yuji Itadori, once again rose to the occasion, and delivered the final blow which defeated Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 268.
This defeat also marked the end of the King of Curses as he was separated from his host, Megumi.
JJK 268 presents Sukuna’s underwhelming final moments:
Itadori and Sukuna were duking it out inside the former’s domain expansion. And it had been painfully evident for some time that Sukuna was fighting a losing battle.
As the fight drew on, Itadori presence kept growing, as Sukuna’s influence and his terror inducing aura waned.
Itadori’s cold admission in chapter 265 was proof that Sukuna’s end was near. However, Sukuna’s tall proclamations, including his threats to harm those close to Itadori, gave his fans a glimmer of hope that he might still have a trick up his sleeve.
But these threats proved to be nothing more than empty words. Itadori’s Black Flash knocked Sukuna out and separated him from Megumi.
Sukuna was regarded a King. A natural disaster. But, his downfall was nowhere close to justifying his legendary status. In the end, he too was afraid of his impending death.
And in that moment of desperation, he tried one last time to break Megumi’s soul, pointing out the futility of the young sorcerer’s continued existence.. However, his tricks no longer worked. Yuji’s words in the previous chapter seems to have won him over.
By the time Itadori was done with him, Sukuna was reduced to nothing just an ugly looking ball of curse. In many ways, this reflected his true nature too.
Sukuna was the antagonist of the story, so his defeat at the end of the arc was a foregone conclusion. But, despite that, there was some visible disgruntlement regarding how Sukuna met his fate.
Not the end everyone expected:
Sukuna was presented as this larger than life, regal character from the heian era. But, in his final moments, he chose to goad a depressed Megumi into giving up control of his body rather than use the trump card he possessed – the merger.
Sukuna was the only one who was capable of pulling off the merger now that Kenjaku was dead. However, instead of leaving a behemoth of a cursed spirit to haunt his nemesis even after his death, Sukuna chose to be a beggar.
I mean, this would have been a perfect callback to Gojo’s dialogue – if he had activated the merger, Sukuna would have won even though he died.
Let’s take Kusakabe’s words for instance, he felt living in Japan with the cursed spirit born out of Tengen’s merger would be worse than having Sukuna roaming around freely.
So, if Sukuna indeed was hellbent on giving Itadori and his companions the worst possible time ever, if he really did want to leave them with a bad taste in their mouths, he should have activated the merger and then called it quits.
This missed opportunity for a final chaotic act before bidding farewell made his final words seem lame.
When Itadori gave him a chance to continue living life by valuing those around him, Sukuna rejected the offer declaring himself a curse. While redemption was likely not his goal, his actions did not align with his words.
That said, it’s undeniable that Sukuna tormented our characters for nearly 50 chapters. He was a formidable opponent, a force to be reckoned with, and a terror to everyday sorcerers (Kusakabe, I’m looking at you).
So, watching him die a terrible death was undoubtedly satisfying.
My only gripe is that his defeat, while predictable, should have remained consistent with his character. Akutami was known for subverting expectations, but in this case, he chose to subvert fan expectations in favor of a more shōnen-like ending.
With three more chapters remaining, there’s still hope among fans that Akutami might surprise us with a bleak twist instead of a heartwarming conclusion.
What about the final finger:
One positive aspect of this chapter was the clarification regarding Sukuna’s final finger. The final finger does exist, but it does not provide a way back for the King of Curses.
As Megumi pointed out, Sukuna was roughly 19 fingers strong (18 fingers + the mummy’s head). If he died at this point, the final finger would not have enough essence to revive him.
Sukuna’s soul was divided into 20 parts. If the majority of them disappear, the last one will be nothing but a ball of cursed energy. While it can still attract curses and cause harm, Sukuna’s return is out of the question.
Akutami has successfully addressed this point.
What are your thoughts on JJK chapter 268 and Sukuna’s defeat at Itadori’s hands? Let me know in the comments below!