Summary
- Cursed spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen embody negative emotions, posing threats with unique forms that can terrify viewers.
- Characters like Mahito and Jogo represent specific fears through appearance and abilities, balancing creepiness and intimidation.
- Unique entities like Dagon and Hanami in Jujutsu Kaisen draw inspiration from Lovecraftian and natural elements, adding to their eerie nature.
The mythos of Jujutsu Kaisen is built upon the presence of cursed energy, a powerful yet incredibly dangerous sorcerous force that some can use. However, this energy sometimes manifests uncontrollably in regular people, giving birth to cursed spirits, monstrous beings born out of hate, fear, and other negative emotions, posing immediate threats to those around them.
Jujutsu Kaisen: 16 Best Characters, Ranked
Jujutsu Kaisen is full of colorful characters, and these are among the most memorable of the bunch.
While their abilities and powers are often horrifying, their appearance reinforces the sense of danger. Most cursed spirits look very distinct from humans, and each has a unique form, usually representing a twisted, grotesque version of a particular fear that the cursed spirit represents. Their appearance can terrify viewers and provide a taste of what’s to come due to the representation of their nature and abilities.
7 Mahito (Human)
An Unimposing Embodiment Of Hate
- Anime Debut: Episode 7
- Manga Debut: Chapter 16
Mahito is undoubtedly one of the most prominent cursed spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen. He has dealt the most damage to the main protagonist, Yuji, forcing him to bear scars that can never fully heal. However, his outward appearance is not as immediately terrifying and creepy as some of the other curses.
Mahito is the most human-like cursed spirit. He takes the form of a human man with stitches as the only clue that there is something more to him. This allows him to pretend to be human and use his form to manipulate those around him, as he did with Junpei Yoshino in the Vs. Mahito Arc.
6 Jogo
A Fiery Force Of Nature
- Anime Debut: Episode 5
- Manga Debut: Chapter 10
Like Mahito, Jogo is a member of the disaster curses and represents humanity’s fear of earth disasters such as volcano eruptions and earthquakes. This fear is represented in his fighting style, which heavily relies on destructive natural elements, such as fire and rocks, and also in his appearance.
Jogo is only vaguely humanoid. He has rock-colored skin and a volcano-like object on his head, both of which emphasize his nature as a disaster curse. While those elements can seem quite creepy and intimidating, Jogo's behavior and how he holds back at times prevents him from being truly terrifying.
5 Dagon
A Lovecraftian Curse
- Anime Debut: Episode 5
- Manga Debut: Chapter 10
Despite being a relatively minor antagonist, Dagon made a considerable impression on the audience. He is the disaster curse of sea and water-related calamities and gets his time to shine in a battle against a group of powerful sorcerers, which is also where he evolves into his grown form.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Gojo’s Best Friends, Ranked
Jujutsu Kaisen's Satoru Gojo is one of the strongest sorcerers in the series, and as such, he only has a small group of friends whom he trusts.
Dagon looks like a humanoid octopus, creating an eerie amalgamation of a man and a sea creature. His inspiration can clearly be traced to the Lovecraftian Mythos of Cthulhu and associated creatures, which is a major factor that adds creepiness to Jujutsu Kaisen’s version of Dagon.
4 Finger Bearer
A Twisted Humanoid
- Anime Debut: Episode 4
- Manga Debut: Chapter 6
The Finger Bearers are not prominent and appear towards the beginning of the series, but they still manage to be memorable. They are a powerful opponent and simultaneously serve as a way to show Yuji’s weakness and Sukuna’s enormous power. The curse’s appearance also serves to make them seem rather unnerving.
The appearance is humanoid enough to be recognizable but can also provide a measure of the uncanny valley effect. This is created due to the four small eyes and pale skin, making Finger Bearers look alien and somewhat repulsive. The malicious smile the curse can pull off also adds to the overall creepiness.
3 Hanami
A Grotesque Amalgamation Of Nature
- Anime Debut: Episode 5
- Manga Debut: Chapter 10
Another disaster curse that acts as a major antagonist in the Kyoto Goodwill Arc is Hanami, a curse that represents ‘mother nature’ and all-natural disasters associated with it. This entity is different from many other curses and seems to have values, believing that humans threaten nature and that only cursed spirits can treat it the way it deserves.
Hanami’s looks allude to a nature, but like with many other cursed spirits, his form is a twisted representation of his purpose. Hanami has no eyes; instead, he has large antlers and other elements that remind viewers of his link to nature, namely a red flower. On top of that, Hanami is incredibly creepy to look at, sporting pale skin and an unsettling mouth.
2 Mahito (Transformed)
The True Face Of Hatred
- Anime Debut: Episode 45
- Manga Debut: Chapter 130
At the climax of his battle with Yuji, Mahito transforms and achieves his full potential. He takes on a new form, which is very different from his usual appearance. Mahito's strength, versatility, and resilience increase as he becomes an even tougher opponent, presenting a challenge for Yuji unlike any he has faced before.
Jujutsu Kaisen: 8 Characters With The Highest Stamina
Most characters in Jujutsu Kaisen can hold their own in a fight, but these are the most resilient.
In his true form, Mahito drops any pretense of looking like a human and appears much more like other cursed spirits. He gains animalistic features, like a tail, and completely loses his eyes, creating an image of a faceless creepy monster. All of this is only enhanced by his sadistic, ruthless behavior.
1 Rika
A Malformed Child
- Anime Debut: Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie
- Manga Debut: Chapter 0-1 (Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Jujutsu High)
Rika is a unique cursed spirit. It was born out of the tragic death of a human girl, the image of whom was accidentally transformed by a very powerful young boy, Yuta. Ever since, Rika has followed him in her cursed spirit form, always ready to defend her close friend from any threats, be they bullies or someone far more dangerous.
Despite being a former human, Rika has lost any traces of humanity in her cursed form. She is a being with pale skin, a twisted form reminiscent of an animal's melting silhouette, and an incredibly large mouth with sharp teeth and ravenous eyes, which rightfully earns her the spot as the creepiest cursed spirit in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 3, 2020
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Number of Episodes
- 47
