Highlights
- The Shibuya Incident Arc of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 revolutionized the series with its frenetic pace, high stakes, and jaw-dropping animation.
- Major character deaths and the sealing of Gojo Satoru turned the story upside down, showing that no one is safe and anything is possible.
- The Shibuya Incident Arc marked the start of a new era in Jujutsu Sorcery, with the initiation of the Culling Game and the introduction of new players.
Needless to say, the Shibuya Incident Arc of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 was one of the biggest anime spectacles of 2023. Where the arc's original run in Gege Akutami's manga had already revolutionized the landscape of contemporary battle shonen, the anime retelling produced by MAPPA Studio completely changed the game. However, aside from its frenetic pace, high stakes, immersive stylized fight sequences, and jaw-dropping animation, the Shibuya Incident Arc is also a critical turning point in Jujutsu Kaisen's story.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Yuki Tsukumo’s Star Rage, Explained
Yuki's status as a Special Grade Sorcerer stems from her Innate Technique, which allows her to assign imaginary mass to herself and her shikigami.
From the sealing of Gojo Satoru to major character deaths, and finally, the start of a new era in Jujutsu Sorcery, the events that constitute the Shibuya Incident flipped the script of the series. In effect, the arc's unpredictability and extremely dark tone showed that no one is safe, anything is possible, and situations can turn on their head at a moment's notice. Even though virtually every major battle or occurrence in this arc has considerable ramifications in the series, here are the major ways in which the Shibuya Incident forever changed Jujutsu Kaisen.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
1 The Deaths Of The Disaster Curses
Concluding The Stories Of The Original Antagonists
While most fans of the series may still be reeling from the loss of some of their favorite members of the main cast, the Shibuya Incident also brought the curtain down on the story's original group of antagonists. The Disaster Curses were an ever-present threat throughout Season 1, with the Vs. Mahito Arc having left a major impact on the darker tone the series has taken since then.
Hanami met their end when pinned against a wall by Gojo Satoru's Limitless Technique on the platform of Shibuya Station, whereas Jogo was bested by Sukuna in a test of firepower after the latter took over Yuji's body. Dagon was exorcised by a reincarnated Toji Fushiguro, and Mahito himself was nearly killed by Yuji until Kenjaku absorbed him. Although they will all likely be reborn with different identities, the anime will miss the influence of this quartet, as they make space for new players to enter the mix.
2 Nobara's Uncertain Fate
Left In A Near Death State By Mahito's Idle Transfiguration
After her battle in the streets of Shibuya against Mahito's clone continued underground to where Yuji was fighting the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Nobara Kugisaki was struck in the face with Idle Transfiguration by the real Mahito. This came at a time when she had just scored a major hit against the Cursed Spirit with her Straw Doll Technique. Given only a few moments to collect her thoughts, Nobara collapsed after relaying her final words to Yuji.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Nobara's Straw Doll Technique, Explained
How does Nobara's Straw Doll technique work?
Later, Arata Nitta's intervention with his Cursed Technique may have given her a slim chance of survival, but the odds are currently stacked against Nobara. Despite being the series' tritagonist, she was not spared from the harsh judgment handed out to each character involved in the Shibuya Incident, and her apparent death nearly broke Yuji's resolve entirely. It may be some time before there is any confirmation regarding her current condition, but Nobara's departure left a void in the main cast that will be hard to fill.
3 Kento Nanami's Last Stand
Died Entrusting His Mission To Yuji
Even though his pragmatic, no-nonsense outlook contrasted heavily with Yuji's excitable and exuberant personality, Kento Nanami was a sort of guardian for Yuji, who helped him navigate the harsh reality of being an adult in the Jujutsu world. The pair quickly grew to trust and depend on one another, which is why his death by Mahito's hand struck a chord of despair within Yuji's heart. Fighting through hordes of victims of Mahito's Idle Transfiguration, Nanami was struggling after having part of his body and face charred completely by Jogo's flame powers earlier in the Shibuya Incident Arc.
When finally cornered by Mahito, Nanami spotted Yuji in the corner of his vision and bade him farewell, putting all his faith in his protégé. Nanami's death was a major blow to Yuji's mental fortitude, which was already suffering from the fallout of Sukuna's actions during the time he took over his body. Having been a fan-favorite character in Jujutsu Kaisen, Nanami will be sorely missed, and the build-up to his final moments featured a juxtaposition between some of the most beautiful and the most gut-wrenching visuals in the entire series.
4 The Sealing Of Gojo Satoru
Completely Changed The Status Quo Of The Jujutsu World
Kenjaku's initial objective for the Shibuya Incident was to seal Gojo Satoru with the aid of the Disaster Curses. Realizing that a head-on battle against the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer of modern times would not work in his favor, Kenjaku chose a more roundabout means to eliminate the greatest threat to the success of his grand plan. Subsequently, he chose to ambush Gojo and seal him within the Special Grade Cursed Object Prison Realm.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Gojo's Limitless, Explained
Bringing the concept of "Infinity" into reality, the Limitless is an inherited technique that is at the core of why Satoru Gojo is so powerful.
Gojo's absence for the remainder of the Shibuya Incident Arc is the main reason behind the many losses sustained by the Jujutsu Sorcerers from Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High, along with the eventual success of Kenjaku's final plan to trigger the Culling Game. His imprisonment effectively disrupted the entire power balance of the Jujutsu world, leaving virtually all of his allies at the mercy of his enemies.
Additionally, this event, coupled with Sukuna's rampage in Shibuya, led to Yuji being condemned to be executed by Yuta Okkotsu since his mentor was no longer around to protect him. Alongside him, Masamichi Yaga and Pseudo-Geto (Kenjaku) were also sentenced to death.
5 The Start Of The Culling Game
Kenjaku's Grand Plan To Evolve Humanity Commences
By absorbing Mahito and his Idle Transfiguration Technique, Kenjaku was able to affect thousands of individuals that he had marked over the years, causing some Jujutsu Sorcerers to incarnate while giving some normal humans the ability to use Cursed Energy. This singular act caused the entirety of Tokyo to be overrun with Cursed Spirits in the following days. As a result, many civilians perished and the city was abandoned altogether.
Kenjaku's goal with this act of Jujutsu terrorism was to force Sorcerers and Cursed Spirits to engage in combat with one another, as a means to expand their comprehension of Cursed Energy. Even after committing all these crimes, he was able to escape the Prison Realm, meaning that all of his objectives were met during the Shibuya Incident. Thus began the Culling Game, a vicious battle royale testing the Sorcerers of yesteryear against those of the present day.
