How Sukuna Dominated The Heian Era

Sukuna is the main antagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen, but also one of the most popular characters of the series. Well, people tend to like evil beings when they have some charisma to them, and it seems that is the case with Jujutsu Kaisen.

However, Sukuna is not from our time in the series. He was a powerful — the most powerful — sorcerer in the Heian Era, and no other sorcerer was ever a match for him. So, who exactly was Sukuna during the Heian period?

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Jujutsu Kaisen: Sukuna’s World Splitting Dismantle, Explained

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What Is The Heian Era in Japanese History?

The history of Japan is divided into periods. One of them is the Heian Era, which lasted from 794 to 1185. It is considered a time of peace in Japan (at least in terms of warfare, evidence suggests that crime was high), and started when the capital was moved to Heian-kyo, known today as Kyoto (which means “imperial capital” in Japanese). The Fujiwara clan rose to power during this period.

During the Heian period, the foundation of what is now considered traditional Japanese culture was formed. Thus, this era is considered something like the Golden Age of Classical Japan (it is also the last age of Classical Japan), especially when it comes to art and literature. It was also during this time that the katakana and hiragana syllabaries were created.

The Heian Era in Jujutsu Kaisen

Similar to the cultural image of the Heian period, this era was also the Golden Age of Sorcery in Jujutsu Kaisen, and is one of the most important periods in the series’ timeline. As the quality of life was generally poorer, there was a widespread atmosphere of negativity. Fed by this negativity, Cursed Spirits were stronger, which also forced Jujutsu Sorcerers to be stronger in order to survive.

At that time, the Three Big Families already existed in Japan. These are clans whose members have tremendous sorcery potential, and they have passed down powerful Jujutsu techniques from generation to generation:

• Zenin Clan
• Gojo Clan
• Kamo Clan

Who Was Ryomen Sukuna in JJK?

The main antagonist of the series, Ryomen Sukuna was born to a starving woman in the Heian Era, and lived mostly a lonely life, which made him turn into a sadistic and cruel person. He actually had a twin in his mother’s womb, but he ate him to survive. He became a sorcerer and started killing other sorcerers. Eventually, he split his power into his twenty indestructible fingers and was sealed for centuries.

He was reincarnated when Yuji Itadori ate his finger, but was trapped in Yuji’s body. Sukuna is actually based on a creature of the same name in Japanese mythology, a demon-like being portrayed in Nihon Shoki, one of the oldest books in Japan.

What Sukuna Did During The Heian Era

As previously stated, Sukuna became a sorcerer in the Heian period — he apparently was never after power, though, he just wanted to fight and kill. It got to the point where it was imperative to try to stop him, but he killed sorcerer after sorcerer. He is regarded as the most powerful sorcerer to ever exist, and was only stopped after he split himself into the twenty fingers.

His deeds earned him the title of King of Curses, and he was even worshiped as a god in the Heian period (naturally, people would want to appease someone so strong and seemingly invincible) — it seems that the reason that he decided to seal himself was because he was bored. He later became known as the Imaginary Demon.