Gege Reveals How He Invented Black Flash

This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen’s Final Arc.

Summary

• Black Flash amplifies output with a powerful blow through cursed energy in 1 millionth of a second.
• Yuji Itadori is the best Black Flash user in JJK, hitting multiple consecutively in the final battles.
• Gege invented the concept of Black Flash as Yuji’s finishing move to make him more unique with an improving ability.

Jujutsu Kaisen is a phenomenal story that has quite easily some of the very best battles that fans have seen across all manga. With the series having wrapped up its final arc recently, fans were served up some incredible fights, and, as expected, the protagonist of the series, Yuji Itadori, was at the center of them. Naturally, the final fights of JJK saw techniques of the highest order being utilized, and of course, the all-powerful Black Flash was one of them as well.

JJK might not have the best storytelling or the most compelling villains, but one thing that it certainly did serve was incredible fights and some amazing choreography. When it comes to the protagonist of the series, Yuji Itadori, who got some of the most intense battles that fans witnessed in the story, the Black Flash was one of his most important moves throughout the series. In fact, the Black Flash isn’t restricted to just the protagonist, even though he uses it quite often. This is a technique that anyone can utilize in JJK, although it is quite hard to pull off. The author has now revealed the exact idea he had when creating the Black Flash and how it came into existence.

What Is A Black Flash?

• A Powerful Blow That Amplifies The Output
• A Technique Capable Of Destroying The Enemy

A Black Flash is a phenomenon that occurs when cursed energy is applied in 1 millionth of a second to a blow. This causes a distortion in space and amplifies the output to the power of 2.5 and makes it so that the damage dealt is tremendous. Fans saw Black Flash being introduced in the story quite early, and it was none other than Aoi Todo who taught Yuji how to utilize Black Flashes. Only a handful of individuals in JJK have utilized a Black Flash, and surprisingly, despite it being quite difficult to utilize, Yuji actually managed to tap into it quite early. In the battle against Hanami, Yuji utilized the power of a Black Flash and did tremendous damage to them.

That is the power of Black Flash! – Aoi Todo

Normally, Yuji learning Black Flash this early into the story would be disastrous for the power progression of the character. However, Gege balances this out by introducing a very interesting caveat. Essentially, hitting Black Flashes consecutively isn’t easy. This isn’t like any other technique that Yuji or other characters can tap into and utilize whenever they want. Black Flashes are very hard to hit and only when one is truly in the zone can they pull off more than one Black Flash in succession. In fact, in the entirety of JJK, there is absolutely no character who can hit Black Flashes on a whim. Even sorcerers who are on the level of Gojo and Sukuna cannot pull this off, which just goes to show how difficult this technique is to master.

That said, Yuji has hit multiple Black Flashes in succession and holds the current record for the most Black Flashes being launched consecutively in the story. In the battle against Sukuna, Yuji managed to launch a bunch of Black Flashes and reduced the King of Curses’ overall power output dramatically. Clearly, the Black Flash became a signature move for Yuji that he pulled off in the midst of heated battles and showcased to everyone that his true level of power is incredibly high.

How Gege Created The Concept Of Black Flash

Black Flash Was Meant To Be Yuji’s Signature Move

Gege did not have the concept of Black Flashes already planned out. Of course, as fans know, authors often decide things on the go and incorporate exciting elements into their stories. For Gege, introducing Black Flash into the story came in a somewhat similar way. Initially, he did not think that he would be required to give the protagonist the power to hit Black Flashes. But, with the growing need for Yuji to be more unique, eventually Gege decided to come up with a power that suited him the best. Here is what he had to say about the Black Flash:

Q: How was Black Flash born?

A: From Mr. Katayama, the editor at the time, I was told, “I want Itadori’s finishing move,” but nothing quite clicked. Eventually, Divergent Fist and then Black Flash were born in that order. I also liked the idea of not limiting it to just Itadori’s technique and the concept that its ability improves upon success. While it has an accidental element, it can be used consecutively, making it a turning point. Also, making it a technique usable by enemies adds tension to battles.

Beneath the sparks of black, Yuji Itadori awakens! – Narrator

Simply put, Gege couldn’t make Yuji as interesting as he would have liked at the beginning, and when his editor asked him to produce a powerful finishing move for Yuji, the Black Flash is what he came up with after Divergent Fist. This makes sense because fans know that Yuji first learned Divergent Fist, and then, after training with Todo, he managed to tap into the power of Black Flash.

As Gege explains himself, the idea of Black Flash is exciting in more ways than one and it serves the plot very well since it is not limited to Yuji. In fact, some of the villains, such as Mahito, and of course, the likes of Sukuna, are incredibly well versed in Black Flashes and can pull them off in the midst of battle. In a way, this makes this even more exciting as the intensity of the fight goes up dramatically because of these powerful blows. Its overpowered nature is curbed by the fact that it cannot be utilized at will by anyone, and that’s what makes it incredibly special.

Who Is The Best Black Flash User In JJK?

Yuji Itadori Is The Best Black Flash User In JJK

There are many powerful Black Flash users in JJK, but the protagonist, Yuji Itadori, is the best of them all. This does not surprise the fans at all, given that Yuji is the character whom Gege designed the Black Flash for. Of course, there are characters such as Nanami who has hit multiple Black Flashes in a row, and Sukuna, who utilized this power to perfection. Gojo himself ended up hitting multiple Black Flashes in a row in the battle against Sukuna, almost knocking him out in the process as well. But, Yuji clocked up to nine Black Flashes consecutively in the final battle against Sukuna, and more than 10 overall.

In fact, Yuji’s final finish to Sukuna was a Black Flash inside his domain, which just goes to show that this move was truly designed for him alone. Of course, in some ways, it can be said that this move is somewhat underwhelming in a series full of complex cursed techniques, but, it is its simplicity and brute nature that make it the perfect fit for Yuji Itadori. The Black Flash is one of the very best abilities that fans have seen in JJK and it’s certainly elevated some of the most exciting arcs to sky High levels.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s last chapter, JJK 271, was finally released on September 29, 2024. Fans can read the series on the Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.