Sukuna's nickname in Jujutsu Kaisen hints at who his true master was

Modified Apr 30, 2024 14:30 GMT

Sukuna as seen in the anime (image via MAPPA)

In the Jujutsu Kaisen series, Ryomen Sukuna has been feared as the Undisputed King of Curses throughout history, and for good reason. During the Heian Era, he obliterated many sorcerers who stood in his way and imposed a reign of terror on the world.

Even in the current storyline of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Sukuna has gone up against and dominated almost the entire cast of characters with his overwhelming power, cunning tactics, and vast knowledge of Jujutsu sorcery.

That said, a recent fan theory on social media seemingly suggested that, in contrast to his current portrayal, the King of Curses may not be the strongest character in the series after all.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Fan theory suggests the existence of Sukuna's true master

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So far in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, Ryomen Sukuna has proven his strength as the King of Curses. However, a recent fan theory on X seemed to suggest otherwise, as it brought together the world of Gege Akutami's magnum opus and Christianity, to prove the connection between Ryomen Sukuna and Anjiro, who might have been the first and only master of the King of Curses.

On the popular social media platform X, user @TheYonahS2 started off their theory by claiming that the names of certain Jujutsu Kaisen characters like Ryomen Sukuna, Tengen, Uraume, and Kenjaku are actually titles, rather than their actual names.

Furthermore, the user claimed that Sukuna's title of "The Fallen" is nothing more than an apostate title, which alludes to him once being an "angel," a title presumably reserved for Christian sorcerers in the Heian Era. However, this direction gives birth to several glaring questions, with the most important one being about Sukuna's ties to Christianity itself.

Ryomen Sukuna as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)

To answer this question, the user suggested that it could be related to the first Japanese Christian, Anjiro, and expanded on the latter's origins in order to provide a better base for their theory. As per @TheYonahS2, Anjiro was the first Japanese "angel" in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen. He once acted as an interpreter for Francis Xavier, the translator of the concept of God and sacred texts, who was also involved in missionary activities in western Japan.

The user emphasized a lot on Anjiro's life before and after he converted to Christianity, highlighting his journey from a samurai once framed for murder, to Xavier's trusted disciple. However, the X user then claimed that sometime after Anjiro's failed mission in Japan and before his death, he could have taken Ryomen Sukuna under his wing.

According to the netizen, Sukuna may have sought guidance at some point in his life, probably due to his guilt over killing his twin brother or due to the rejection and disdain he faced as a result of his curse.

While this aspect of the theory presents a completely different side of his personality, the user speculated that Sukuna may have initially rejected his dark side and sought assistance from Anjiro. Seeing as to how the latter was a former assassin himself, he may have chosen to make Sukuna his disciple, so that he could train and guide the King of Curses in becoming a stronger and better person.

However, their relationship may not have lasted for long, as Sukuna may have eventually succumbed to his dark side and turned against Anjiro's teachings. After he strayed away from his morals, it's easy to imagine Sukuna going up against his master himself and eventually surpassing Anjiro's power. It might have been that only after Sukuna defeated Anjiro did he become recognized for his unrivaled strength.

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From thereon, Sukuna stopped resisting against his inner desires and fully embraced his monstrosity, thereby becoming a "Fallen Angel". While he may have tried becoming a better person under Anjiro's guidance by following his teachings about the peaceful beliefs of Christianity, Sukuna's true demonic nature could only be repressed for so long.

With no one left to oppose him, Sukuna became known as the King of Curses, as his rampage knew no end. After abandoning his former beliefs, Sukuna lived according to his own desires and trampled over the lives of those he deemed insignificant. His overwhelming power and knowledge of Jujutsu sorcery made him an unstoppable force of nature who later became revered as a natural calamity for the world.

While the chances of this particular theory holding true in the current world of Jujutsu Kaisen are certainly slim, it did present an interesting character arc for Ryomen Sukuna, whose origins remain a mystery to this day.