Who is Tengen in Jujutsu Kaisen? Explained

Jujutsu Kaisen aired the first episode of the second season of the television anime adaptation of the original manga series recently. With this return to the small screen, fans are excitedly discussing author and illustrator Gege Akutami’s story in both its forms on various social media sites.

With the season having just premiered, many fans are understandably taking the time to refresh their memory by either rewatching the first season’s content or reading the manga. This has led to many Jujutsu Kaisen fans catching up on some subtle details from the first season’s events that they hadn’t noticed or paid attention to before.

One such detail concerns the mention of a "Tengen" in episode 18 of the first season, with fans only hearing the name and receiving no further information on this character at the time. However, with Tengen’s very existence set to be a driving force in the events of Gojo’s Past arc, many fans are curious to learn everything they can about him, despite it being spoiler territory.

Disclaimer: Anime spoilers for the series below.

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Jujutsu Kaisen fans curious about one of the most influential background characters in series

Who is Tengen? Explained

Despite rarely appearing in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, Tengen (often called Master Tengen) is a supporting character who plays an important role in the series overall. Known and revered as an immortal sorcerer, Tengen "lives out his life" in the Tombs of the Star Corridor at all times in order to reinforce the barriers that protect both Jujutsu High locations.

Tengen is also often called the Star by some religious groups that worship him as their deity. The figure was once responsible for preaching the foundation of jujutsu sorcerers, which accounts for his fervent religious following. This was during the Nara Period of Japan (710–794), where they spread Japanese Buddhism alongside preaching what would become the foundational teachings for jujutsu sorcerers.

While Tengen did interact with the outside world at this time, the time period in which Jujutsu Kaisen takes place sees him become a recluse. Their role in the world of jujutsu sorcerers forces them to live such a life, given the importance of maintaining the barriers they do. Likewise, as a non-combatant, hiding is their only option to continue playing the part they do.

The immortality that allows Tengen to play this role comes from a Cursed Technique that must be reset once their current body reaches a certain age. This technique automatically attempts to change bodies and will force Tengen to evolve to a higher state if one isn’t available. This could result in the character losing their will and becoming a potential enemy to humanity.

Preventative measures for such an outcome result in Tengen merging with a compatible "star plasma vessel" every 500 years, which refreshes his body and resets the Cursed Technique. This will become a main part of the narrative of the Gojo’s Past arc as Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 progresses through its initial episodes.

Unfortunately, as fans will also find out, this merge in 2006 with Riko Amanai was prevented due to outside interference by the aforementioned religious groups that follow Tengen. Thankfully, Tengen was somehow able to stabilize himself, adopting a non-human appearance as a consequence while also maintaining his sanity and remaining an ally to humanity.

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