First used by Suguru Geto in his battle against Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto at the climax of Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Maximum: Uzumaki has been depicted as one of his most powerful abilities. Serving as the Maximum Technique of his Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Suguru Geto employed this move to create blasts of condensed Cursed Energy, by harnessing the power contained within the Cursed Spirits he consumed. The underlying mechanics of this process were shown in great detail during the flashback seen in the Hidden Inventory/ Premature Death Arc of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2.

Until the very end of the Shibuya Incident Arc, this was presumed to be the sole purpose of the technique, until Kenjaku in Suguru Geto's body, was able to find a new application for it. Through his unique interpretation of the technique's capability, Kenjaku was able to harness Maximum: Uzumaki differently, which was crucial for his activation of the Culling Game in Jujutsu Kaisen. Hence, Gege Akutami's choice to rewrite the rule books regarding this technique has exerted a fairly sizable impact on the ongoing story, and here's why.

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How Did Suguru Geto Use Maximum: Uzumaki?

Suguru Geto's only known application of Maximum: Uzumaki was a measure to end his battle against Yuta and Rika with one devastating blow, and this would have succeeded if not for the duo's nigh on immeasurable Cursed Energy reserves. In essence, Maximum: Uzumaki combined all the Cursed Spirits absorbed by Geto with his Cursed Spirit Manipulation Technique, into a single ball of condensed Cursed Energy.

How Many Curses Were Contained In Geto's Maximum: Uzumaki?

During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Geto had released a significantly large number of the Cursed Spirits in his possession to attack the cities of Kyoto and Shinjuku. As a result, the version of Maximum: Uzumaki he used, contained a total of 4,461 Cursed Spirits, which formed a massive rotating sphere of Cursed Energy which spiraled above him.

Unfortunately for Geto, the attack was neutralized and overpowered by the blast of Cursed Energy unleashed by Yuta and Rika's Binding Vow, and the force of the ensuing explosion left him on the verge of death. Once Satoru Gojo arrived on the scene, he was quick to finish off Geto after the pair exchanged a few last words, and this would be the last time the technique was put on display until the fateful night of the Shibuya Incident.

Unraveling The Ramifications Of Kenjaku's Discovery

In the approximately 10-month-long interval between the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons and the Shibuya Incident, the ancient Sorcerer Kenjaku came into possession of Suguru Geto's remains, and transferred his consciousness into the Curse User's body. As a result, he also managed to inherit Cursed Spirit Manipulation — Geto's Innate Technique. Upon allying himself with the group of Disaster Curses led by Mahito, Kenjaku collected an array of Cursed Spirits to augment his arsenal, which soon allowed him to discover the true potential of Maximum: Uzumaki.

At first glance, Maximum: Uzumaki seemed to eliminate the real benefits of Cursed Spirit Manipulation, which granted the user access to the wide variety of Cursed Techniques possessed by the Cursed Spirits they absorbed. Instead, all their Cursed Energy was condensed into an amorphous mass to release a massive explosion. While this application was useful in some situations, it had little utility against opponents who possess adequate countermeasures. Subsequently, Kenjaku viewed the technique as a means to recycle weaker Cursed Spirits.

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A New Level Of Cursed Spirit Manipulation

Later, he stumbled upon its true potential, which allowed him to extract the Cursed Techniques of Cursed Spirits of Semi-Grade 1 or higher rank. Where it was otherwise difficult to absorb Cursed Spirits of such caliber with Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Kenjaku could now harness the technique of even Special Grade Cursed Spirits, which he did to terrifying effect at the very end of the Shibuya Incident. Confronted by a weakened Mahito who had been defeated by Yuji Itadori, Kenjaku easily absorbed him and extracted his Idle Transfiguration Technique, which he used to set his grand plan in motion.

The Power To Extract Potent Cursed Techniques

By casting Idle Transfiguration remotely, Kenjaku was able to affect the souls of the innumerable people he had marked over the years, signaling the start of the Culling Game. In an unprecedented act of Jujutsu terrorism, Kenjaku set up a battle royale between Jujutsu Sorcerers and Curse Users from the past and present while also releasing swarms of Cursed Spirits within Shibuya and the larger metropolis of Tokyo.

This led to the entire city being abandoned by evacuating civilians, becoming a battleground for the conflict that Kenjaku envisioned. Kenjaku's use of Maximum: Uzumaki was a drastic departure from Geto's original interpretation of the technique, and its implications are far more terrifying than initial appearances may have conveyed. This new application essentially permits Kenjaku to extract and absorb the Cursed Techniques of high level Cursed Spirits.

Moreover, he also discovered a new implementation of the technique on a smaller scale during his fight against Yuki Tsukumo and Choso near the Tombs of the Star, where he used a barrage of mini-Uzumakis to tear through Yuki's defenses and defeat her. This highlighted how Kenjaku's mastery of the technique had far surpassed Geto's own at the time of his death, making his possession of it a horrific scenario for all those involved in the Culling Game in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available to stream on Prime Video.

Action

Supernatural

Release Date

October 3, 2020

Creator

Gege Akutami

Studio

MAPPA

Number of Episodes

47

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

See at Amazon

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