Ten Shadows: Mahoraga has always been the reason for Sukuna losing Ten Shadows in Jujutsu Kaisen

Mahoraga has always been the reason for Sukuna losing Ten Shadows in Jujutsu Kaisen

Modified Feb 04, 2025 20:00 GMT

Mahoraga was why Sukuna lost the Ten Shadows (Image via Sportskeeda)

Jujutsu Kaisen's incredible roster of characters was one of its defining features. Each one unique and powerful in their own regard. Standing above them all were Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna, whose face-off can only be called legendary. The "Battle of the Strongest" was immensely anticipated, and credit to Gege Akutami's genius, it did not disappoint.

Now in Megumi Fushiguro's body, Sukuna has received a major power boost thanks to his host's Ten Shadows Technique. He used this to best the Six Eyes user in a destructive and long-drawn bout. He called upon Mahoraga and Agito (merged beast) to clinch victory. However, that was the last time that fans got to witness the Ten Shadows in use.

Many speculated the reason for Sukuna not using Ten Shadows, since it would have been easier to fight off Team Jujutsu High. But he simply didn't use it because he couldn't, and Mahoraga is the reason. Here's a closer look.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Mahoraga was why Sukuna lost the Ten Shadows

To begin with, Sukuna fought Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen using the Ten Shadows. Having not achieved his true form yet, it wouldn't be wrong to say that there was a slight power gap. Hence, with the tools at his disposal, Sukuna resorted to using the technique as he viewed it as the simplest way to take down the white-haired sorcerer and later, everyone else.

It is general understanding that the Sukuna who fought Gojo and the Sukuna who battled Team Jujutsu High are different, i.e., two distinct forms of him. The belief was that Sukuna couldn't access Ten Shadows due to him transforming. But it simply isn't the case. Reincarnation is solely physical; it has nothing to do with one's soul.

Akutami clarifies that Sukuna's transformation, after the Gojo fight, was a narrative necessity, i.e., to prepare him for a Round 2 with the other Jujutsu sorcerers. As Akutami explains, incarnated sorcerers could transform into their original bodies once they were manifested. However, halting the process would complete it, and it wouldn't repeat. But Sukuna restarted it because he was just so adept at Jujutsu.

Expand Tweet

Now comes the point with Mahoraga. During the Shinjuku Showdown Arc, Sukuna does try to activate the Ten Shadows. But it doesn't happen, and he is quick to realize it—the Ten Shadows stopped working after Mahoraga was destroyed. To put it plainly, Mahoraga tanking Gojo's Hollow Purple somehow affected the entire technique and made it inaccessible to the Demon King.

This is again another great Jujutsu Kaisen as to why such a thing would happen. A popular theory suggests that Mahoraga is likely the leader or some kind of protector to the Shikigami, hence "Divine General." Upon witnessing their leader/protector get defeated, the other Shikigami might have made themselves unusable to the wielder, who at the time was Sukuna.

Again, there was also talk that Sukuna received a copy of Megumi's Ten Shadows when he took over. But his use of it against Gojo and the Shikigami getting destroyed, mainly Mahoraga, caused the technique to stop functioning. In essence, there looks to be some sort of relation between Mahoraga and the technique itself.

But to reiterate, Mahoraga's defeat caused Sukuna to lose access to the Ten Shadows technique.

Final Thoughts

Among the many Jujutsu Kaisen mysteries, this one stands as one of the most intriguing. It is yet unclear how Mahoraga biting the dust affected the technique in such a way that Sukuna couldn't at all use it later. In a sense, if Mahoraga hadn't been hit with Hollow Purple, Sukuna would have had access to Ten Shadows, and the task for Team Jujutsu High would have been tougher still.

Presently, unless Akutami himself chooses to clarify this, only fascinating reasons can be formulated. However, like Sukuna's reincarnation, him losing Ten Shadows could have been narrative necessity - it would become an impossible battle for Yuji and company to face both Sukuna and Mahoraga. But if that happened, the story would likely have gone another route and explored other exciting possibilities.