Jujutsu Kaisen fans have often wondered about the mother of the Death Paintings since it was stated by Choso that he had a mother. Most people assumed that it was a regular human woman who was abused by several Curses.
But the franchise's official fanbook features the author Gege Akutami stating that these beings don't have reproductive organs, with X user @kostivedae suggesting that she was the previous life of Suguru Geto.
The basis of this theory is that Geto's past life in Jujutsu Kaisen had the necessary Cursed Technique for Kenjaku's Death Paintings experiments and could also explain how the latter came up with the Merger plan since he would have known that ability was available.
Furthermore, some elements of Geto's character were associated with the concept of maternity, and this idea would fit quite well with that as well.
Disclaimer: This article is speculative and contains spoilers for the series.
Explaining the theory of Suguru Geto being the original mother of the Death Paintings in Jujutsu Kaisen
It is important to highlight that the series established that there is reincarnation in the story, with Ryomen Sukuna's twin brother eventually returning as Jin Itadori, Yuji's father, and was retconned into Wasuke, the protagonist's grandfather.
This justifies a scenario where Choso's mother (and that of the rest of the Death Paintings) could have been the past life of Suguru Geto because of his Cursed Technique, Cursed Spirit Manipulation. The theory highlights how Kenjaku's plan for the Merger, as per Tengen's own statements in the series, hinges on the variables that are Toji Fushiguro, Geto, and the Prison Realm.
When considering how vital Suguru is for the plans of the centuries-old sorcerer, it would be very fortunate for the villain to just run into someone with that ability, so it wouldn't be exaggerated to think that he met someone with that skill in the past and planned for her rebirth.
When adding author Gege Akutami's comments in the fanbook regarding how Curses don't have reproductive organs, this means that they couldn't birth a child with a human. Therefore, someone who can manipulate Curses, such as Geto, would fit quite well, which is also associated with how one of the spirits he used called him "mommy", thus making a small connection with the maternal element of this theory.
Other details regarding this theory

The theory also highlights that Geto's own existence in Jujutsu Kaisen, much like the Jin and Wasuke situation, could have been created by Kenjaku. That is, the villain managed to get a hold of the woman's soul a long time ago and created him by storing him in a young boy vessel named Suguru Geto, much like it happened with Choso, although the latter was with an adult body.
If that proved to be the case, then that means that Geto couldn't remember anything of his past because a child cannot hold that many memories.
Furthermore, when fighting in the Hidden Inventory arc to protect Riko Amanai, it is highlighted that he is not the sole Cursed Spirit Manipulation user, meaning that there were more in the past, and Kenjaku probably knew that, hence why he built his plan around that.
It also helps this theory that Choso and his brothers didn't have any memories of their mother in Jujutsu Kaisen, so they couldn't have recognized him in any shape or form. The only caveat is why Kenjaku didn't take the woman's body for her Cursed Technique in the past, but perhaps something happened to her, much like the issues that he had with other Six Eyes users before dealing with Satoru Gojo.
Final thoughts
The idea of Suguru Geto originally being the mother of the Death Paintings in Jujutsu Kaisen is quite shocking and plays quite well with the established lore of the series. While far-fetched, it does provide context for Kenjaku's actions and the mechanics of his plan in the story.
Related articles:
- Angel's Cursed Technique is one of Jujutsu Kaisen's biggest plotholes (& it's obvious why)
- Megumi's Potential Man allegations return after viral Jujutsu Kaisen x Invincible War fanart
- Is Yuta still alive in Jujutsu Kaisen? His fate at the series' end, explained
- Did Sukuna need Mahoraga to attain the World-Cutting Slash in Jujutsu Kaisen? Explored