Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen anime and manga.
The Shibuya arc of theJujutsu Kaisenanime series has been nothing short of intense. With various battles and unexpected deaths, only manga readers of the series know what would happen next. As the Shibuya arc in theJujutsu Kaisenanime series comes to an end, fans of the show witness how Itadori and other characters will never be the same after the arc ends.
Whether it bethe death of Kento Nanamior the death of major cursed spirits portrayed in the first season of the show, various events that will change the course of the series have occurred. Even Itadori is not spared, as he has his resolve broken after witnessing the death of Kento Nanami and the presumed death of Nobara Kugisaki. Losing two trusted aides is sure to sting, but what about the other characters in the show? How has the Shibuya incident arc impacted them?
New Character Developments
The abilities of various characters were shown in the Shibuya incident arc, and other characters even evolved in strength and technique. Without a doubt, the characters that saw the most evolution in terms of their abilities were Mahito and Itadori, two long-standing rivals. In Shibuya alone,Mahito learned to activate a domain for 0.2 seconds, discovered the true essence of his soul, and landed a black flash, drawing out 120% of his potential. While Itadori didn’t get any fancy new moves in Shibuya, he became able to temporarily use a black flash at will, something no sorcerer is capable of. Moreover, he greatly evolved in terms of his resolve and his ideals.
Battling Mahito allowed Itadori to realize many things, and his resolve was once again put to the test. After Mahito and Itadori’s battle, a saddening development isthe loss of Aoi Todo’s Boogie Woogie technique. While Todo showed through Mahito that he can activate his technique by clapping someone else’s hands with his own, Todo will be unable to activate his technique himself as he has now lost a hand.
The Mark Of Shibuya, For Better Or Worse?
The Shibuya incident arc definitely left its mark on various characters, as even the strongest sorcerer of the modern world, Satoru Gojo, was sealed. However, did the arc leave Jujutsu sorcerers for better or worse? With the death of Kento Nanami, the presumed death of Nobara Kugisaki, the loss of Aoi Todo’s arm, the loss of Naobito Zenin, the destruction of Shibuya, and the deaths of over a thousand non-sorcerers, very few would state that Shibuya had a positive effect onJujutsu sorcerers.
However, fans must not forget thatfour major cursed spirits were killedduring the arc, and each one was strong enough to be considered a national disaster by itself. Moreover, although at a steep cost, Shibuya allowed Itadori to renew his resolve and get his ideals together without being held back by naiveté. The destruction of Shibuya is also one of the things that characters will never forget, as at least 10 million curses were released with Shibuya’s destruction, and Tokyo became a no-man’s land and a haven for curses after the battle. If anything, Shibuya began the actual war between Jujutsu sorcerers and curses, but without the cursed spirits that started the war. After the cursed spirits' deaths, major villains such as Kenjaku andRyomen Sukunabegan to come into the limelight.
Antagonist Dynamics In The Shibuya Arc
Although the antagonists of the Shibuya incident arc differed, the primary antagonists of the arc were Mahito and his group of special-grade cursed spirits. Kenjaku (pseudo-Geto) was one of their allies; however, at the end of the arc, it was revealed that Kenjaku only used Mahito and his group to fulfill his wants.
Before Kenjaku’s schemes were revealed, the first cursed spirit to rampage was Dagon. Hanami was killed early on by Gojo, so he did not get to cause much mayhem. After Dagon was killed, Jogo awakened Sukuna, and in Sukuna’s battle against Jogo, much of Shibuya was destroyed. After Jogo was killed,Sukuna faced Mahoraga, and although Mahoraga was summoned by Megumi, the shikigami seemed more of an antagonist than an ally as Sukuna battled him to keep Megumi alive. From the major cursed spirits to Sukuna, Mahoraga, and even Kenjaku, each villain brought with them a sense of uniqueness in ability and ideals. Fighting various villains with various schemes, the jujutsu sorcerers were at a disadvantage right from the onset of the battle.
Aftermath And Future Implications for the Jujutsu Kaisen Universe
The end of the Shibuya incident arc sent waves and ripples throughout Jujutsu society and even Tokyo. Because of the various events that occurred during the arc, over 10 million cursed spirits were released, and all 23 wards of Tokyo became a haven for cursed spirits. Moreover, with the sealing of Satoru Gojo, Itadori’s postponed execution was reinstated, and Okkotsu Yuta was declared his executor.
Moreover, as the head (former) of the Zenin clan met his end, a new successor was chosen: Megumi. However, as various members of the Zenin clan disagreed with the decision, Megumi became targeted and was to be eliminated. All in all, Shibuya will forever remain one of the primary arcs of theJujutsu Kaisenseries, and its impact on characters and the series in its entirety is sure to be long-lasting.
