Jujutsu Kaisen is known for its intense battles, supernatural creatures and complex characters. However, beyond its action-packed storyline, the popular anime and manga series has a fascinating connection to Japanese mythology, Buddhist traditions, Shinto beliefs and folklore.
Created by Gege Akutami, the series builds its fictional world around curses born from negative human emotions. Several characters, supernatural abilities and storylines draw inspiration from real historical figures and traditional legends, although the series often reinterprets these references to suit its own narrative. Here are some of the characters and events in Jujutsu Kaisen that are inspired by Japanese mythology.
Ryomen Sukuna is the powerful curse that inhabits Yuji Itadori. The name comes from the Nihon Shoki, a Japanese historical chronicle compiled in 720 CE. It describes a mysterious figure with two faces, four arms and four legs. Unlike the anime's antagonist, the historical figure was portrayed as a rebel who challenged imperial authority.
The connection between Satoru Gojo and Yuta Okkotsu is rooted in Japanese history. In Jujutsu Kaisen 0, they are revealed to be distant descendants of Sugawara no Michizane, a ninth-century scholar and politician. After his death, Michizane became associated with supernatural disasters and was worshipped as Tenjin, the Shinto deity of learning.
Megumi Fushiguro's powerful shikigami, Mahoraga, takes its name from supernatural beings found in Buddhist traditions. Mahoragas are associated with serpents and are traditionally depicted as divine or semi-divine creatures.
The series' concept of negative emotions producing cursed energy has similarities to kegare, a Shinto concept associated with spiritual impurity. While the anime's system is fictional, its treatment of negative forces, purification and supernatural manifestations draws on ideas found in traditional Japanese religious practices.
The events of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 draw inspiration from Hyakki Yagyō, a Japanese folklore tradition describing a nighttime procession of supernatural creatures known as yokai. The film reimagines this legend through Suguru Geto's release of thousands of cursed spirits across Tokyo and Kyoto.
Kuchisake-onna, or, the slit-mouthed woman, is a familiar figure in Japanese urban legends. In the series, a cursed spirit bearing this name appears during Toji Fushiguro's encounter with Suguru Geto, bringing a modern horror legend into the supernatural world of the anime.
By combining historical figures, religious imagery and traditional ghost stories, Jujutsu Kaisen creates a supernatural universe that feels connected to Japan's cultural past while remaining distinctly contemporary.
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