Every Sukuna Binding Vow, Explained

Binding vows (or blood oaths, blood pacts, unbreakable vows, etc.) are a familiar concept in supernatural and fantasy stories—magical contracts that trade restrictions for power. But Jujutsu Kaisen takes this idea further by allowing sorcerers to make these vows not just with others but also with themselves. This self-imposed gamble lets them enhance their abilities at a cost, but breaking a vow means losing everything it granted.

No one exploits this system better than Ryomen Sukuna. Unlike most sorcerers who cautiously enter binding vows, Sukuna crafts them with precision, using them to bypass limitations, power-up techniques, and manipulate fights in ways few can predict. Understanding his binding vows is key to grasping how he remains one of the most dangerous forces in Jujutsu Kaisen.

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Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2018 and has since skyrocketed in popularity. With an anime adaptation by MAPPA, the prequel film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 breaking box office records, and another movie dropping later this year, the series continues to dominate the shonen landscape.

Binding Vows in Jujutsu Kaisen

A binding vow is a contract made using cursed energy, enforcing strict rules in exchange for a benefit. These vows follow a give-and-take system—if a sorcerer imposes a limitation on themselves, they gain increased power or ability in return. However, the penalty for breaking a vow is severe. If the contract is self-imposed, the user immediately loses whatever advantage was gained. If it was made with another person, the consequences are unknown but always dire.

Binding vows come in two types: self-imposed restrictions and agreements between individuals. Each has its own rules and consequences.

• Self-Binding Vow: A self-binding vow is like making a bet with your own cursed energy. The idea is simple: give something up to gain something in return. The more severe the restriction, the greater the power boost. A sorcerer might choose to weaken themselves for a time to gain an explosive burst of cursed energy later. But there’s a catch—break the vow, and everything gained from it disappears instantly.
• Normal Binding Vows: Vows made with others are trickier. These agreements require both parties to consent, and the consequences for breaking them are far worse than for self-imposed vows. Since these vows take the individual’s interpretation into account, the same deal could have different conditions depending on who’s involved. If someone breaks a vow made with another person, the punishment is unknown but always severe.

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Every Sukuna Binding Vow and Its Impact

Sukuna doesn’t just use binding vows—he weaponizes them. Every vow he makes is a calculated move to strengthen himself or trap his enemies. Let’s break down each vow, when he made it, and how it changed the game.

Supercharging World-Dismantling Slashes

Sukuna’s signature slashes, Dismantle and Cleave, usually follow strict activation rules. To override those conditions against Satoru Gojo, he made a binding vow that forced him to chant incantations and manually direct the attacks in the future. This one-time trade let him bypass the standard activation just when he needed it most.

Extending Domain Expansion Without Losing Power

Ordinarily, maintaining a domain expansion weakens its range or output over time. Sukuna found a workaround. By altering his hand sign and using an undamaged part of his brain to handle cursed and barrier techniques, he created an improvised binding vow that let him maintain Malevolent Shrine at full power for 99 seconds.

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Upgrading Divine Flame

Sukuna’s Divine Flame technique got a major buff through another binding vow. The restriction? He can’t use it against multiple opponents—unless inside his domain. The reward? His domain’s reach expands, and every particle within it turns into a thermobaric explosive, detonating on contact with cursed energy.

The “Enchain” Agreement with Yuji

Sukuna’s most infamous binding vow came when Yuji Itadori temporarily died. Sukuna made him an offer: he’d bring Yuji back to life in exchange for the ability to take control of his body for one minute whenever he said the word “Enchain.” He even promised not to kill anyone during that time—but only under the condition that Yuji would forget about the deal. Yuji refused at first, but Sukuna forced him into a deathmatch and won, sealing the vow.

This vow came back to haunt Yuji when Sukuna used “Enchain” to hijack his body, rip off his own finger, turn it into a cursed object, and force-feed it to Megumi Fushiguro. This maneuver let Sukuna abandon Yuji’s body and take over Megumi’s instead.

Sukuna’s mastery of binding vows is one of the many reasons he remains one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s most terrifying characters. Where others hesitate, he embraces the risks, crafting conditions that let him overpower even the strongest opponents. Every vow he makes is about controlling the battlefield, bending the rules of jujutsu to his will, and ensuring that no one, not even once-in-a-lifetime sorcerers like Gojo, can keep up with him.