Jujutsu Kaisen finally reveals why Sukuna didn't use flames against Gojo

Modified May 10, 2024 00:00 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen: Sukuna's fire arrow couldn't have defeated Gojo (Image via Studio MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 259 spoilers delivered the death of a fan-favorite character, Choso, along with the return of one of its most iconic characters, Aoi Todo. Chapter 259 mainly focused on the past interactions between Choso and Yuji while revealing that Yuji had soul-swapped with Yuta during their training.

Chapter 259 fed into the fan theories about Sukuna having a cooking motive for his techniques and revealed the secret behind his fire arrow technique. The chapter went into detail about how Sukuna needs to complete the incantations of both cleave and dismantle to access the fire arrow, which serves as the stove for his techniques.

Another additional condition is the fact that the current output and range of Sukuna's domain governs the output of the fire arrow. Sukuna had to repeatedly alter the conditions of his domain during his fight against Gojo, which made the fire arrow an inviable option.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Sukuna's flames couldn't have defeated Gojo

Sukuna's fire arrow as shown in the anime (Image via Studio MAPPA)

The Gojo vs Sukuna fight ended in chapter 235 almost a year ago, yet it has remained the focal point of discussion for many fans up to the release of chapter 259. Many fans have theorized about how Sukuna didn't use his full power, arguing that Sukuna himself didn't use his fire arrow against Gojo.

Although the general consensus around the topic is that Gojo's infinity would have neutralized the effects of the arrow, the fact remains that Sukuna defeated Gojo without using his strongest attack.

Jujutsu Kaisen fans previously expressed confusion about the conditions tied to Sukuna's fire arrow. Many thought it was a simple technique stored inside his shrine. Fans also compared theories about Sukuna's techniques to different stages of cooking, given his dialogue and analogies with fishes and chopping boards.

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The infamous translation of his domain expansion to "Malevolent Kitchen" instead of "Malevolent Shrine" raised questions. Chapter 259 confirmed fans' theories about Sukuna's techniques having a chef/kitchen motif. The fire arrow represents the stove where targets are burned and "finished" after Sukuna completes the "cutting process" by chanting cleave and dismantle.

The flames' output depends on Sukuna's current domain specifications. During his fight with Gojo, Sukuna kept changing his domain's power output and range, affecting the fire arrow's power and conditions. Notably, during the battle, Sukuna could have used the fire arrow, but he didn't, as its output wouldn't have beaten Gojo after the changes to his domain.

Aoi Todo and Yuji as shown in the anime (Image via Studio MAPPA)

So, Sukuna sealed away the fire arrow and later used the world-cutting slash to defeat Gojo. Even though Gojo's infinity was more or less neutralized in his fight against Sukuna, it's been established as one of the most formidable techniques ever. The infinity barrier has repeatedly shown the ability to block projectiles and beam-like attacks.

Furthermore, infinity isn't a physical or psychic barrier; it's a technique that infinitely creates distance between the user and a target. This essentially puts the target in stasis because they can't reach the user of infinity due to the constant distance between them. No matter the output of Sukuna's fire arrow, it couldn't have broken through infinity, unlike the world-cutting slash that marked the death of Satoru Gojo.

Final Thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 259 will be officially released on May 12, 2024, and will be available for reading on Shueisha's MANGAPlus platform. Although chapter 259 delivered the death of Choso, it also marked the return of Aoi Todo. The next chapter will focus on Todo and Yuji's beatdown against a burnt-out Sukuna. Jujutsu Kaisen has already been renewed for season 3, which will adapt the Culling Games arc.