Does Jujutsu Kaisen have a vestige world? Sukuna and Mahito's final meeting place, explained

One of the aspects that made Jujutsu Kaisen stand out was its antagonists. They were not run-of-the-mill villains who wanted to destroy the world or take over society. Rather, they were darker entities with ulterior motives, or simply downright evil who found joy in wreaking havoc.

As such, creator Gege Akutami managed to set up things in a way that these villains interacted with each other. Among the most intriguing of these interactions was the final encounter between the Curse Mahito and the Demon King Ryomen Sukuna.

In the final bit, Sukuna and Mahito confront each other in what seems like a vestige world. But the former quickly clarifies that it was instead a passageway for the circulation of souls. So, Jujutsu Kaisen does not have a vestige world, but rather a soul world of sorts where souls pass through before going into the afterlife.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen.

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Jujutsu Kaisen: Sukuna and Mahito's meeting place, explained

Mahito and Sukuna meeting in a dark place (Image via Shueisha)

Chapter 271 was the final installment of the Jujutsu Kaisen series, following a long-drawn and intense conclusive battle between the King of Curses and Team Jujutsu High. The student sorcerers were victorious, managing to save Megumi Fushiguro and defeat Sukuna once and for all. He was reduced back to the finger that began the series which was returned to its original location.

But the intriguing bit came when the chapter showcased Sukuna and Mahito meeting in a kind of spiritual plane. The former was amused to see Mahito there and was quick to explain the situation – what Mahito was seeing was the residue of his Cursed Technique (CT) since it affected the soul. Essentially, as the Demon King states, they were in the “passageway for the circulation of souls”.

This can possibly be likened to what Gojo Satoru encountered when he passed. Death at the hands of Sukuna took him to a place resembling an airport where he met Suguru Geto, Kento Nanami, Yu Haibara, and a number of others from his past. There, as fans remember, he was given the North-South choice. Similarly, Sukuna says that it would be nice to walk a different this time around, considering that he had lost.

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How is it different from a Vestige World?

Midoriya in the Vestige Realm (Image via Studio Bones)

The vestige world from My Hero Academia can be cited as an example. There, in both the anime and the manga, it is seen as a smoky void where Deku and the previous users of One For All interact. Initially, he struggled to control it but later was able to easily contact Quirk's users there. All this took place in Deku's subconscious as the Quirk connected him to the vestiges of the previous users.

In Jujutsu Kaisen, Sukuna and Mahito do not meet either's subconscious. As per the chapter, it appears as a black void with nothing in sight apart from the two Curses. This “passageway for the circulation of souls” seems to be the midpoint between death and the afterlife. For Gojo, it was the airport sequence and for Sukuna it is as shown. Thus, it being an actual place that the soul passes through after death, not in anyone's subconscious, makes it different from a vestige world.

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In conclusion

Ryomen Sukuna (Image via MAPPA)

Akutami likely wanted to push the idea that souls are unique - Sukuna's soul incarnated into Yuji after he swallowed the Demon King's finger, Mahito's Idle Transfiguration could reshape the soul, Sukuna invaded Megumi's body and suppressed his soul and Yuji's strikes targeted the space between Sukuna and Megumi's souls.

In a sense, it can be looked at as a "soul world" where the souls of the deceased need to make a choice, like in Gojo's case, before passing into the afterlife. For Sukuna, he admits defeat and to the fact that he could've lived differently had he made the choice. Further, if he could do it over again, he would prefer to walk a different path. So, it can be akin to him choosing to go North and become someone new.

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Related links:

• Jujutsu Kaisen anime reveals Mahito's true nature in a way the manga never could
• Mahito's true form in Jujutsu Kaisen may be the true form for all Cursed Spirits
• Jujutsu Kaisen: Mahito is the embodiment of Sukuna's ideology (and the plot proves it)