Jujutsu Kaisen's Shinjuku Showdown arc may have redefined how Reverse Cursed Technique works, and nobody noticed

Modified Sep 04, 2024 19:02 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen: Shinjuku Showdown arc explains how Reverse Cursed Technique actually works (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen's overall power system and various techniques, along with their user-based applications, have been a topic of intrigue within the fandom since the series' debut. Although the actual nature of cursed techniques has been explored in the series, not all specifications related to it have been fully addressed.

The Reverse Cursed Technique is one such aspect that has remained mysterious until recent chapters of the manga. While many fans previously believed that Reverse Cursed Technique simply regenerates a sorcerer's flesh and body using energy, some dialogues from Yuta suggest that this technique targets the soul instead of the body.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Reverse Cursed Technique targets the soul

Sukuna as shown in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Cursed techniques and Reverse Cursed Techniques have been among the most mysterious aspects of the Jujutsu Kaisen power system. Although the series states that cursed energy is negative energy, and the Reverse Cursed Technique is used by combining negative energies to generate positive energy and heal wounds, the specifics are still complex.

Mahito as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

This "positive energy" can regenerate flesh, bones, and even entire missing organs from scratch. However, wounds directly inflicted on the soul, which alter the actual soul like Mahito's Idle Transfiguration, cannot be healed. This is due to the body's nature of molding itself to the soul's shape, a concept Mahito previously emphasized.

Yuta's dialogue in Chapter 267 revealed that Rika needs to ingest a person's body part to use their cursed technique. However, if this body part is regenerated using the Reverse Cursed Technique, Rika will no longer be able to copy the cursed technique from the ingested body part.

Yuta as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

This is the primary reason why Yuta can't simply create an entire arsenal of overpowered cursed techniques without any consequences. It implies that the Reverse Cursed Technique regards a "wound" as a "curse" and uses positive energy to reverse this "curse." The technique then recalls the soul contained in severed limbs or parts and molds the user's body into the healed soul's "shape."

Any severed body parts contain the soul of the body part as well, which allows Rika to read the cursed technique and facilitate the copy technique. This revelation also aligns with the inability of the Reverse Cursed Technique to heal "soul damage" and explains the overwhelming resistance to damage that characters with Heavenly Restriction have.

Kenjaku as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Kenjaku's dialogue, stating that the soul and body are the same entity, also supports the theory behind the Reverse Cursed Technique. It further explains how individuals with Heavenly Restriction have abnormal resistance to damage due to their honed bodies, which result in honed souls.

Final Thoughts

Chapter 268 was released on September 1, 2024, concluding Sukuna's fight against the sorcerers with Sukuna's death. The story is expected to end in Chapter 271, which is set to be released in late September 2024. However, some mysteries, such as Kenjaku's words and the situation with Yuta being stuck in Gojo's body, are yet to be resolved.

These may still be addressed in the next three chapters. The series' overwhelming popularity and numerous unexplained mysteries have led many to believe that the series will receive a continuation, but no such announcement has been made. Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 269 will be released on September 15, 2024