Kenjaku’s sophisticated preparation and execution of the Culling Game have been hinted at for some time now thanks to hints left by Jujutsu Kaisen. In Chapter 202, the Ancient Sorcerer has a talk with Choso, revealing his true motivations for wishing to hasten the evolution of Japanese non-sorcerers while also confirming that November 16 marked the successful conclusion of the Culling Game’s true mission. Spoilers for Chapter 209 take readers back to November 14, providing a rundown of what happens between the new player invasion and Kenjaku’s search for Tengen in the Star Corridor. This article considers Reggie Star’s prophecy as well as Kenjaku’s exchange with Uraume in an effort to piece together the puzzle that is the Culling Game and its implications for the future of the Jujutsu Kaisen series. This article contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 209. Kenjaku’s confession on why he lured foreign militaries into the Culling Game
What Reggie thinks will happen in the Culling Game
Megumi and Reggie Star’s showdown in Chapter 167 of Jujutsu Kaisen was the first to hint at the Culling Game taking an unexpected turn. Having decided that the Ten-Shadows user was strong enough to make him an ally, the reborn sorcerer was interested in learning more about the Culling Game from his newfound friend. Megumi reiterated what Tengen had said to them regarding Kenjaku’s aim to make non-sorcerers evolve against their will, but Reggie said that this was, at best, a secondary or even tertiary result. After more powerful players like Kashimo and Yuta eliminated less capable opponents, the reincarnated sorcerer predicted that all colonies would soon reach a stalemate, halting the increase of cursed energy within their own boundaries.
Reggie pointed out that prolonged, heated battles between players would be ideal if Kenjaku wanted to harness the cursed energy of the gamers. He was sure that Kenjaku had a far bigger plan, and that the actual goal of the Culling Game would be revealed when only the strongest players were left standing and a bomb was dropped.
In Chapter 209, Kenjaku and Uraume Conspire Against the Hero
Kenjaku told Choso in chapter 202 of Jujutsu Kaisen that the Culling Game had accomplished its goal, and then went on to explain why he intended to unite Japan’s non-sorcerers. Even if the body-hopping sorcerer were certain that he could destroy the Death Painting, he would not tell his opponent this, because he has repeatedly shown himself to be incredibly cunning and secretive throughout the series. The “bomb” that Reggie had predicted is revealed in Jutsu Kaisen chapter 209 spoilers, when Kenjaku and Uraume reveal that the villain will betray the countries he rallied into invading Japan with their military forces, using the soldiers as fodder to raise the cursed energy levels within the barriers.
Kenjaku’s case to the United States for abducting Japanese sorcerers and studying cursed energy was based on the fact that cursed spirits and sorcerers are uncommon outside of Japan, a point that has been hammered home several times throughout the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. Everyone has a certain amount of cursed energy, the result of their bad emotions, even if their minds are not hardwired for jujutsu. Even non-sorcerers can get the capacity to detect curses owing to a rise in their cursed energy when a person is near death, especially when the reason is a cursed spirit. There are no exceptions to this rule for the world’s non-sorcerous populations.
To get such a reaction from the invading warriors and generate enough cursed energy within the barrier, Kenjaku admits in the spoilers that he unleashed cursed spirits during the Culling Game. The body-hopping sorcerer’s enjoyment in chapter 208 at observing the parallels between Sukuna and Tengen’s looks provides more evidence for the hypothesis that the genuine ceremony Kenjaku and Uraume are preparing for is linked to Sukuna’s return, as revealed in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 209 spoilers.
What impact will this have on the show’s plot?
With each new arc, Kenjaku demonstrates why he is one of the most nuanced villains in Jujutsu Kaisen: he is methodical, careful, and extremely patient. In the manga’s chapter titled “The Shibuya Incident,” Sukuna’s interactions with Uraume demonstrated his undying devotion to the King of Curses. Sukuna implied that he was familiar with the body-hopping sorcerer’s plot when he instructed Uraume not to ignore the “preparations” and promised that his subordinate would soon be free.
Since the body-hopping sorcerer had obviously interacted with Sukuna and Tengen in the distant past, maybe during the Heian era, this would also explain Uraume’s involvement with Kenjaku. The King of Curses’ apparent fixation with Megumi suggests that he believes she has the key to resurrecting Sukuna if the real goal of the Culling Game is to perform a ritual to do so. For obvious reasons, Sukuna’s release again would be a global disaster, and the Angel seemed frantic to eliminate him before that time came.