Mahito had to die in Jujutsu Kaisen's Shibuya Arc (& Idle Transfiguration's potential is why)

Mahito’s death in Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shibuya Incident arc was crucial, not just for narrative closure but also for maintaining power balance. His Idle Transfiguration allowed him to awaken cursed techniques in non-sorcerers like Junpei, raising a chilling possibility: could a fully realized Mahito strip sorcerers of their abilities?

Such a power would have shattered the series’ balance, making him an insurmountable threat. Gege Akutami had no choice but to remove him before he could reach that potential. His demise prevented a game-breaking escalation, ensuring the Jujutsu world remained both narratively and strategically stable.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Mahito’s true potential: How Idle Transfiguration could have broken Jujutsu Kaisen’s power system

Mahito's Idle Transfiguration operates on the soul's blueprint, allowing him to reshape bodies and, as we've seen, manipulate the very foundations of jujutsu sorcery within humans. The manga explicitly states that "cursed techniques are invariably connected to the brain," establishing both the potential and limitation of Mahito's abilities.

This connection is precisely why Mahito had to be eliminated before the Culling Game arc. Consider what would happen if Mahito continued evolving: a fully matured Idle Transfiguration user could theoretically "turn off" the cursed techniques of any sorcerer encountered, instantly neutralizing threats like Gojo, Yuta, or even special grade curses.

The manga suggests that Mahito was only beginning to understand the applications of his technique. When he transformed Junpei, he was experimenting with cursed energy pathways and brain structure. Given more time and experience, he might have refined this process to work in reverse.

If he could cure Kokichi's Heavenly Restriction, it might be possible he could take away Maki's as well, which highlights another terrifying possibility. Heavenly Restriction is a physical manifestation of jujutsu principles; if Mahito could manipulate this fundamental exchange of power, he could potentially strip characters like Maki or Toji of their physical prowess.

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Idle Transfiguration’s true horror: Why Mahito’s evolution threatened the Jujutsu Kaisen World

What makes this particularly concerning is that, unlike Domain Expansion, which requires significant preparation and cursed energy, Idle Transfiguration needed only a touch. This low-cost, high-reward technique, with potentially permanent effects, would have made Mahito nearly unbeatable in an extended conflict.

Any sorcerer who couldn't instantly defeat him would risk losing their abilities permanently. Even durability-focused fighters would eventually succumb as Mahito refined his technique through battle experience.

The crucial panel stating "the survival rate of the target is low" reveals another important limitation: Mahito's technique, when applied to alter cursed techniques, typically killed the subject. This high mortality rate initially served as a plot restriction, but a fully evolved Mahito might have overcome this limitation, making his power even more threatening to the jujutsu world order.

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Conclusion

Ultimately Mahito's death wasn't just narrative satisfaction, it was a necessary plot development to prevent a single character from wielding too much power over the fundamental rules of the series. His ability to potentially negate any sorcerer's technique with a touch would have rendered many of the carefully established power systems meaningless.

In a world where cursed techniques define a character's combat identity, Mahito posed an existential threat, not just to the characters, but to the balanced power structure of Jujutsu Kaisen itself.

His removal cleared the way for the more complex and varied conflicts of the Culling Game, where technique refinement and strategic application take center stage, rather than the binary threat of technique deletion.

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