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Preparing for Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution and the following Culling Games Arc requires recalling the key losses, betrayals, and shifts in power that have changed the playing field for our favorite characters.
10) The Stay on Yuji’s Execution is Revoked
The deal that Satoru Gojo made with the Jujutsu Higher-Ups to postpone Yuji Itadori’s execution until he consumed all of Sukuna’s 20 fingers became null and void the moment Gojo was sealed. Gojo himself was the only true obstacle keeping Yuji alive, as he weilds the most power in Jujutsu society, and not even the most prominent members can challenge him. After the carnage in Shibuya, the Higher-Ups view Yuji as an immediate, unacceptable risk.
The reversal of Yuji’s stay of execution means that he is now a wanted criminal in the eyes of the entire Jujutsu society, forcing him to operate outside the law and completely on the run. Luckily, he is not alone. Though the sorcerers are his friends and allies are now placed in a dangerous position, as helping him is considered treason, they continue to stay loyal to Yuji and his inherent goodness.
9) Jujutsu High Principal Masamichi Yaga is Sentenced to Death
In their aggressive push to dismantle any opposition, the Jujutsu Higher-Ups decreed that Principal Masamichi Yaga must be executed. His crime is stated as inciting the Shibuya Incident, even though he actually had nothing to do with it. The true motive of the death warrant is that Yaga is and always has been one of Gojo’s fiercest allies, and the fact that he alone has the secret technique for creating creatures like Panda, a unique sentient cursed corpse.
The Higher-Ups are on a mission to suppress the knowledge of the cursed corpse creation technique, which only Yaga is known to have mastered. His elimination is a strategic move to prevent any future sorcerer from creating another powerful, autonomous, cursed corpse like Panda that could be used against the establishment. The Higher-Ups are not just targeting threats, but also valuable knowledge.
8) Gojo Was Sealed in the Prison Realm By Kenjaku
During the climax of the Shibuya Incident, Satoru Gojo was successfully trapped and sealed away by Kenjaku, an ancient sorcerer who possesses the body of Gojo’s former best friend, Suguru Geto. Gojo was sealed away in the Prison Realm, a powerful cursed object that serves as an impassable and unbreakable barrier.
Gojo’s removal was of the highest importance ot Kenjaku and his coming plans, as Gojo’s overwhelming strength and influence make it impossible for anyone to stand against him. Gojo’s sealing marked the turning point of the Shibuya Incident, throwing the sorcerer world into total disarray and starting the avalanche to come, including the Higher-Ups’ decrees and the start of the Culling Game.
7) Releasing Gojo From the Prison Realm is Decreed a Crime by the Jujutsu Higher-Ups
Fearing the inevitable retaliation and possible total takeover that Satoru Gojo would cause if freed from the Prison Realm, the Jujutsu Higher-Ups decreed that any attempt to release him would be a crime worthy of a death sentence. This law solidified their control in Gojo’s absence and ensured that anyone who might still be loyal to him could not act without risking their own lives.
This ruling forces all sorcerers who plan to free Gojo to become fugitives themselves. It dramatically complicates the lives of all of Gojo’s allies and central characters, such as Yuji, Megumi, Yuki, Yuta, Maki, Toge, and many more. Those loyal to Gojo must now prioritize finding a way to break into the seemingly unbreakable Prison Realm while also staying out of the public eye.
6) Yuta Okkotsu Returns and is Named as Yuji’s Executioner
In a shocking development, Yuta Okkotsu, a special-grade sorcerer and the main character of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film, has returned to Japan from his time overseas in Africa. With power that rivals even Gojo’s, Yuta was assigned by the Jujutsu Higher-Ups to serve as Yuji’s new and official executioner. This is an interesting twist, as Yuta is not only a kind sorcerer dedicated to doing good, but also one of Gojo’s most cherished students.
In the closing moments of the Shibuya Incident, Yuta publicly declared that he intended to carry out the execution as retribution for Yuji (Sukuna) harming his classmate and close friend, Toge Inumaki. This immediately sets up the confrontation about to unfold in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, as Yuta is second only to Gojo in power and is now bound by an official mission to kill his junior classmate.
5) Nanami Dies at Mahito’s Hands
The beloved grade 1 sorcerer Kento Nanami met a gruesome and heartbreaking end during the chaos of the Shibuya Incident. Already severely injured and burned after a merciless fight against a special grade curse, he was confronted by Mahito, who used his Idle Transfiguration technique to touch and instantly destroy Nanami’s body right in front of Yuji Itadori.
