Kenjaku (羂索 けんじゃく) is the curse user living for 1,000 years and definitely is the key person of Jujutsu Kaisen. what’s his insane plot about and what has he done from 1,000 years ago?
Who is Kenjaku?
Kenjaku (羂索 けんじゃく) the curse user who lives for at least 1,000 years. With his Jujutsu technique, he can take over one’s body by changing the brain to his. So far, he had taken over the bodies of Noritoshi Kamo (加茂 憲倫 かも のりとし), Suguru Geto (夏油 傑 げとう すぐる) and maybe Yuji Itadori’s mother.
What’s his Jujutsu technique?
The detail is unknown yet, but Kenjaku can take over one’s body by changing the brains to his. When he takes over someone’s body, their memories remain in the body, and he can use their Jujutsu technique as well as his own Jujutsu technique.
The body taken over by Kenjaku has a scar on their forehead. According to the author Gege Akutami sensei in the official fan book, Kenjaku could remove the scar by his reversed Jujtsu technique, but he doesn’t because of the heavenly pact.
What has he done so far?
Timeline
1st attempt to stop Tengen ‘s fusion (about 1,000 years ago?)
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2nd attempt to stop Tengen ‘s fusion (about 500 years ago?)
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Made the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings (about 150 years ago)
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(Another cycle time of Tengen’s fusion came in 2006)
*Intervention by Touji Zenin
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Obtained Prism Realm (2012)
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Obtained Geto’s body (after hyakkiyako in 2017)
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Caused Shibuya incident (Oct. 31, 2018)
Succeeded in sealing Gojo
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Starting the Culling Game (2018～)
Details
Lost to Rikugan twice
Kenjaku tried to stop Tengen’s fusion twice in the past, and both time he lost to the sorcerers with Rikugan (六眼 りくがん).
What’s Rikugan? → See my articlke "Satoru Gojo’s Attraction And Atrength Hidden Under His Eye Mask /Jujutsu Kaisen 【Analysis and Quotes】"
Note: Mater Tengen (天元 てんげん) is the sorcerer who keeps and strengthens the barriers in the Jujutsu world. Since his Jujutsu technique is immortality but his body ages, he needs to fuse with another body called Star plasma vessel or else his technique tries to remake his aged body. As the result, he will evolve into the “higher-level existence”, which means Tengen couldn’t stay as Tengen anymore and it could bring a great danger to the world.
For the second attempt, Kunjaku prepared thoroughly; he had killed both Star plasma vessel and Rikugan when they were the newborn babies. But still, the vessel and Rikugan appeared on the day of fusion, and he lost to the Rikugan again.
Shifting to the plan to sealing Rikugan instead of killing them.
Kenjaku learned it was better to seal Rikugan instead of killing them because 2 or more Rikugan couldn’t exist at the same time. Then he started looking for the special grade cursed tool, Prism Realm (獄門疆 ごくもんきょう).
Unexpected accident happened at the fusion cycle time in 2006.
According to Master Tengen, Tengen, Star plasma and Rikugan are connected to each other by karma of cursed energy. And this is the reason Kenjaku gave up killing Rikugan. But, at this time of Tengen’s fusion, the unexpected accident happened; the intervention by Touji Zenin (禪院甚爾 ぜんいんとうじ). Touji kiiled Star plasma vessel and Master Tengen evolved to the higher-level existence (fortunately, he keeps stable as Tengen himself though).
Obtained Prism Realm in 2012
How he obtained the special grade cursed tool, Prism Realm has not revealed yet in the story.
Obtained Geto’s body after Hyakkiyako in 2017
Suguru Geto (夏油傑 げとう すぐる) was the student in Tokyo Jujutsu Tech with Jujutsu technique of Cursed Spirit Manipulation. Though he was a talented sorcerer, he chose to be a curse user and caused the incident called Hyakkiyako to attack non-sorcerers in Tokyo and Kyoto.
For more details ↓
In the incident, Suguru was killed by Gojo but Gojo didn’t let Jujutsu Tech’s doctor Shoko Ieiri (家入硝子 いえいり しょうこ) handle Geto’s body because she used to be Geto’s classmate. As the result, Kenjaku took over Geto’s body and became “fake Geto”.
Caused Shibuya incident in 2018
Kenjaku caused Shibuya incident in 2018 to seal Gojo. He trapped hundreds of non-sorcerers in the invisible cursed curtain, “Tobari” to lure Gojo to Shibuya. By his devious plot, not only he succeeded in sealing Gojo into the Prison Realm, but he also brought chaos to Tokyo.
- All 23 wards in Tokyo have been almost destructed.
- All acting prime ministers including Chief Cabinet Secretary are missing.
- At least 5 million citizens of Tokyo need to evacuate.
- Over 10 million cursed spirts have been released.
Starting the Culling Game (死滅回遊 しめつかいゆう Shimtstu Kaiyu)
The Culling Game has just started, so we don’t know what it’s going to be yet. But, considering its rule, we can imagine many casualties.
What’s his purpose?
Kenjaku’s ultimate goal is the “optimization of cursed power”. In his word, “non-sorcerers”, “sorcerers” and “cursed spirits”, they are all “potential” of human as “cursed energy” and he has been seeking the greater “potential” for about 1,000 years.
He once tried to create the “potential” by his own, by he said it never went over the range of “his potential”. This is about the “Cursed Womb: Death Paintings (受胎九相図 じゅたいくそうず).
Why did he want to stop Master Tengen’s fusion?
To have Tengen fuse with all human beings (in Japan) for the “optimization of cursed power”. He believes that what he has been seeking for will be created from chaos.
Tengen only could fuse with the Star Plasma vessel, but, as the higher-level existence he is now, he could fuse with other existences, too,
Why did he take over Geto’s body?
To take in Master Tengen. As Tengen has evolved to the higher-level existence, his existence is now more like a cured spirit than human being. It means Master Tengen could be the target of Geto’s Jujutsu technique, Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
About Geto’s Jujutsu technique, see my article→ What’s The Relationship With Gojo? Analysis of Suguro Geto From Jujutsu Kaisen
What’s the purpose of the Culling Game?
For the warming-up of the fusion with Tengen and human beings. Even though Tengen could fuse with all human beings, it wouldn’t be that easy. So, Kenjaku prepared 1000 non-sorcerers as the players of the Culling Game.