Jujutsu Kaisen is an anime (and manga) that brilliantly depicts the clash of ideals between extremists and reformists. Jujutsu sorcerers seek to protect humanity and eliminate curses using cursed techniques, while curse users and curses aim to eradicate humanity.
Curses, or cursed spirits, are born from the negative emotions of humans. This series excels in illustrating the consequences of unchecked human emotions, which, like the curses, are far more complex than they seem on the surface.
Jujutsu sorcerers often encounter cursed spirits that pose minimal threats, akin to dragonflies. However, there are exceptions, such as Jogo, Mahito, Dagon, and Rika, whose catastrophic and frightening abilities can claim the lives of both sorcerers and non-sorcerers. Among these figures of terror is the Divine General Mahoraga.
Mahoraga’s Debut and the Ten Shadows Technique: Megumi Fushiguro’s Power Unleashed in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Mahoraga was officially introduced in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Episode 17, when Megumi Fushiguro faced what seemed to be a one-sided battle against Haruta Shigemo. The tide turned when Megumi used his Ten Shadows Technique to summon Mahoraga, gaining a critical advantage in what would have been an otherwise hopeless situation.
Every jujutsu sorcerer has a unique ability, but there are three major clans known for their superior abilities. The most powerful clans are the Gojo, Kamo, and Zenin clans, each possessing unique abilities that set them apart from others. Similar to a Kekkei Genkai, these abilities are inherited through the bloodline of each clan. However, not everyone born into these clans inherits their bloodline ability.
Megumi has survived multiple near-death experiences using the Ten Shadows Technique he inherited. This technique allows him to summon up to ten different shikigami by using shadows as his medium. Throughout Jujutsu Kaisen, Megumi can be seen employing his fierce roster of shikigami in innovative ways.
Megumi can combine the abilities of his shikigami to create new and powerful extensions of the Ten Shadows Technique. For instance, he merged the abilities of Nue and his toads to create The Well’s Unknown Abyss. With such a versatile ability, it’s no surprise that the Zenin clan is highly regarded among jujutsu sorcerers.
However, these shikigami are not easily granted to the Ten Shadows user. While successors are gifted two Divine Dogs upon inheriting the ability, the Ten Shadows sorcerer must subdue the other shikigami through a process known as the Subjugation Ritual to control them.
Mahoraga’s Dual Nature: Megumi Fushiguro’s Dangerous Summoning and Sukuna’s Timely Intervention in Jujutsu Kaisen
Mahoraga, although classified as a shikigami, resembles a cursed spirit in terms of appearance and abilities. The difference between a cursed spirit and a shikigami is that a cursed spirit acts on its own will, while a shikigami follows the command of the sorcerer who summoned it.
An untamed shikigami is the exception to this rule, as they are inclined to attack anyone within their range, including the sorcerer who summons them. This is demonstrated in the fight between Megumi and Shigemo.
In the aforementioned fight, Megumi summoned Divine General Mahoraga through the Subjugation Ritual as a last resort while being targeted by Shigemo and roped him into the ritual.
Immediately after being conjured, Mahoraga literally and figuratively knocked Megumi into a state of suspended animation, then moved to eliminate Shigemo, which would have ended the ritual and Megumi’s life. Despite the cursed circumstances, Sukuna intervened just in time to save Megumi.
Mastering the Subjugation Ritual: Ten Shadows Sorcerer’s Battle for Control and Mahoraga’s Role in Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shibuya Arc
The Subjugation Ritual is a procedure that a Ten Shadows sorcerer must individually undergo to gain control over each of the shikigami they can summon. To successfully complete the ritual, the sorcerer must engage in a one-on-one battle with the summoned shikigami and exorcise it.
Failure to do so means they cannot obtain the shikigami. However, the sorcerer can summon the shikigami an unlimited number of times in order to tame it, which is one of the ritual’s advantages.
The Ten Shadows sorcerer is allowed to perform the ritual with more than one person. However, conducting the subjugation with others nullifies it afterward. Despite this drawback, a sorcerer might choose to perform the ritual with others to destroy a superior opponent, which can work in the sorcerer’s favor but also poses significant risks.
During the Shibuya Arc, Satoru Gojo revealed to Megumi via flashback that the former heads of the Gojo and Zenin clans engaged in a fight that ended in mutual destruction. It can be implied that the former Ten Shadows user initiated the Subjugation Ritual, summoning a powerful shikigami to turn the tide of the battle against the previous Six Eyes wielder, leading to both of their deaths.
The shikigami with enough strength to overwhelm someone who possesses the Six Eyes is none other than the Divine General Mahoraga.
Mahoraga: The Unstoppable Shikigami of Jujutsu Kaisen Known for Overwhelming Strength and Catastrophic Power
Mahoraga is infamous for being the shikigami that no previous Ten Shadows sorcerer could tame, and this is not without good reason. Mahoraga has bested many skilled opponents, including a Six Eyes wielder. His overwhelming strength, combined with his ability to adapt to any situation, makes him virtually unstoppable. There are few known sorcerers or curses who could stand against Mahoraga and survive.
Mahoraga is strikingly different from Megumi’s other shikigami in appearance, resembling some of the special grade curses in Jujutsu Kaisen, while the other shikigami look like animals. The attributes that set Mahoraga apart from Megumi’s other shikigami are not limited to his physical appearance; his abilities are distinct as well.
Mahoraga’s walking can leave footprints on concrete, and the force from one of his hits can kill upon impact. It takes little effort for this shikigami to send his victims flying, and the damage he inflicts is catastrophic.
In the Shibuya Arc, Mahoraga struck Sukuna with his blade, and although it seemed to have no effect on Sukuna, the ground beneath them shattered, along with all the glass on the surrounding buildings.
If that wasn’t a testament to Mahoraga’s strength, he doesn’t even have to touch his target to make an impact. During Mahoraga and Sukuna’s battle in Shibuya, they both swung at the air between them, which sent them crashing into the buildings behind them.
Mahoraga can also use his air attack in different ways. When fighting Sukuna, he inhaled and exhaled a mighty gust of wind that sent Sukuna crashing through buildings. Picking up cars and tossing them like bean bags is another demonstration of his strength.
The Shikigami with the Sword of Extermination and the Eight-Handled Wheel, A True Force of Destruction and Adaptability
With the immense brute force Mahoraga already possesses, one might not expect him to have an additional weapon, but he does. Mahoraga wields the Sword of Extermination, and true to its name, it lives up to its purpose.
The sword is imbued with the same positive energy created by using a reversed curse technique. If Mahoraga strikes a cursed spirit with this sword, the spirit would be eradicated on contact.
Mahoraga’s final, and arguably most valuable, ability is the Eight-Handled Wheel on his head. This wheel symbolizes perfect cycles and harmony. In numerology, the number eight represents balance and is linked to the infinity symbol. As the wheel rotates, it allows Mahoraga to perceive the techniques used against him and retaliate with cursed energy, enabling him to adapt to any situation.
The wheel also grants Mahoraga regenerative capabilities, which proved crucial in his battle against the King of Curses. During this catastrophic fight that devastated an entire city, Sukuna employed his domain, Malevolent Shrine, and subsequently used Fuga before Mahoraga could fully regenerate to defeat him.
Mahoraga’s adaptability, raw strength, and deadly sword make him a formidable opponent. His presence in Jujutsu Kaisen suggests the possibility of a sorcerer capable of challenging Satoru Gojo, the strongest sorcerer in the world.
