The first season of Jujutsu Kaisen ends with everyone’s beloved Gojo Satoru getting sealed. What happened? How did Gojo get sealed? Who sealed him? Can he ever be unsealed? Let’s find out.
How Did Gojo Get Sealed?
Gojo is sealed in the Shibuya Incident Arc inside the Prison Realm. It is a meticulous plan devised by Kenjaku. Gojo is inside four barriers, the inner and outermost barrier traps Gojo Satoru inside, the second inner barrier that traps ordinary humans inside, and the third inner barrier that keeps the sorcerers from entering. Inside, he is fighting against three Special Grade Cursed Spirits amidst the Fukutoshin Line Platform along with the trapped civilians.
Despite his unstoppable strength, Gojo pursues his ideals in a righteous way. He refuses to outright kill normal humans which is hindering him but doesn’t desperately save those beyond saving. Even in a such disadvantageous situation, Gojo still manages to exorcise one Cursed Spirit but with the appearance of Kenjaku in the body of Geto Suguru, Gojo’s best friend, Gojo got momentarily distracted in his thoughts. In the end, Gojo is sealed within the Prison Realm by the band of Special Grade Cursed Spirits led by the ancient curse user, Kenjaku.
Who Sealed Gojo Satoru?
Who is Kenjaku?
Kenjaku is the main antagonist in the series. He is a curse user from ancient times. His Jujutsu Technique allows him to transplant his brain into someone else’s body gaining control over it including the body’s Jujutsu Technique. He had been inhabiting different bodies assuming their identities throughout the years. The body he possesses is characterized by the horizontal stitches along the forehead.
In the past, he possesses the body of Noritoshi Kamo, who is known as the evilest sorcerer in history in pursuit of the woman who ran off to the temple that can give birth to a human-cursed spirit hybrid. He took the women prisoner where he performs numerous inhumane experiments that resulted in nine pregnancies and nine abortions that gave birth to the nine Cursed Womb: Cursed Painting.
He is also seen to possess the body of Kaori, Yuji Itadori’s mother which he used to conceive Itadori. The nine Cursed Womb: Cursed Painting has three parents; the mother who can conceive a human-cursed spirit hybrid, the Cursed Spirit that impregnates her, and the Noritoshi Kamo (possessed by Kenjaku) who mixed his blood with them. This explains why Choso felt Itadori’s death, therefore, making him their brother. Currently, he possesses the body of Suguru Geto, a Special Grade Curse User with the ability to control Cursed Spirits.
What is Prison Realm?
Prison Realm is a living barrier capable of sealing anything inside of it for an indefinite amount of time. It is a living barrier that is the final remains of the Buddhist monk Genshin from ancient times. It looks like a small box with numerous eyes around it wrapped around in a talisman. To open the Prison Realm, the holder should enchant “Gate Open”. When used, the box will quadrisect vertically in four directions stretching the lump of meat inside it revealing a large bleeding eye whose eyelid is stitched towards the direction of the quadrisected box that will stare at the target.
As a Cursed Tool with extraordinary ability, conditions are needed to seal someone inside; the target shall be inside a four-meter radius around the Prison Realm for one minute’s worth of time inside the target’s brain. After this condition is met, the eye will melt and the grotesque lump of meat will bind the target prohibiting movement and use of Cursed Energy. Enchanting “Gate Close” will complete the sealing process.
Inside the Prison Realm is an ominous pocket dimension where the occupant will stay restricted and surrounded by skeletons in a stopped time. It allowed only one occupant at a time and won’t open unless the occupant inside takes their own life.
Why Does Gojo Get Sealed?
Gojo Satoru is a nonstandard character in Jujutsu Kaisen. He is so strong that he can fight multiple Special Grade Cursed Spirits in a disadvantageous situation. It is not like any other Cursed Spirit but a Cursed Spirits born from the negative emotions that humans feel towards natural disasters which makes them uncomparably stronger. In spite of all these, they still can’t defeat Gojo so they proceed to seal him instead.
The Six Eyes Sorcerer and Star Plasma Vessel is connected by fate. In the past, Kenjaku was defeated twice by the bearer of Six Eyes so he took no chance and kill the next bearer of Six Eyes less than one month after they were born, along with the Star Plasma Vessel. Nevertheless, another bearer of Six Eyes and Star Plasma Vessel reappeared on the day of the merging. It is as if they were bound to exist at the same time.
Six Eyes is the natural enemy of Kenjaku, since Six Eyes can recognize him inside the possessed body exposing his covert operation. So, he switched his plan from killing to sealing the Six Eyes Sorcerer so that no new Six Eyes Sorcerer will be born (two bearers of Six Eyes cannot exist at the same time) and began searching for the Prison Realm.
Kenjaku plans to seal the bearer of Six Eyes way back even before Gojo Satoru was born. It took him so long – 505 years to be exact – to find the Prison Realm to the point that the current wielder of Six Eyes – coincidentally also wields Limitless – is so strong beyond his capability adds more reason to seal it.
How Can Gojo Get Out of the Seal?
Gojo Satoru is sealed inside the Prison Realm. The prison is composed of two gates, the front, and the rear. The rear gate of the Prison Realm is in the possession of Master Tengen while the front is what Kenjaku used to seal Gojo. Both gates are connected to the same pocket dimension in which Gojo is currently sealed but the authority to open the rear gate solely lies on the bearer of the front. On the contrary, it can be forced open with the Inverted Spear of Heaven and Black Robe or through the Cursed Technique of “The Angel”.
What is the Inverted Spear of Heaven?
The inverted Spear of Heaven is a dagger Cursed Tool with a zigzagged double-edge blade with a protruding blade. It has the ability to nullify Cursed Technique. It is used by Toji Fushiguro to bypass Gojo’s Infinity ultimately stabbing him in the neck. Its ability to nullify Cursed Technique can potentially force open the rear gate of Prison Realm but after killing Toji, Gojo felt threatened by the Cursed Tool so it is currently unknown whether Gojo sealed it eleven years ago or destroyed it.
What is Black Rope?
The Black Rope is a mysterious Cursed Tool in a form of a black rope that has the ability to disrupt or cancel the effects of the Cursed Technique. It can potentially force open the rear gate of the Prison Realm by canceling the effect of the Cursed Tool. It is made by the tribes in Africa by weaving it together while imbuing it with Cursed Energy. It is used by Miguel during the Night Parade of Hundred Demon to stall time against Gojo.
Using the Black Rope, Miguel can nullify Gojo’s Infinity to land an effective hit against Gojo but unfortunately, Gojo is also adept at hand-to-hand combat. Every time Black Rope nullifies a Cursed Technique, it burns itself due to the usage of its Cursed Energy making it shorter in every use. Miguel complains that it took decades for his people to weave the Black Rope but it will be burned out in just a few minutes of combat against Gojo.
After stalling for enough time, Miguel escapes and Gojo got rid of the Black Rope. After changing sides and traveling across Africa to train Yuta Okkotsu, they attempt to search for the remaining Black Rope but to their dismay, it was a fruitless effort.
Who is “The Angel”?
“The Angel” is an ancient sorcerer who signed a binding vow with Kenjaku to be a Cursed Object after death. It has a Cursed Technique that can nullify any Cursed Techniques, seals and barrier techniques are no exception. After the forced evolution of humans in Japan, the Cursed Sorcerer-turned-Cursed Objects incarnated themselves through a suitable vessel to join in the “Culling Game”.
The goal of “The Angel” in the Culling Game is to purge all the incarnated players because most of them suppressed the consciousness of their vessel when incarnating, be it intentionally or subconsciously. He believed it to be against the laws of god (just a name given to his creed for simplicity’s sake). He chose to coexist with his vessel – a young woman named Hana Kurusu. He appears as a mouth that seemingly appears out of the blue in Hana’s body just like what Sukuna is doing in Itadori. The only difference is that Itadori has control of the body over Sukuna while “The Angel” can choose to dominate the body but decided to coexist.
“The Angel” reassures them of his cooperation in undoing the seal of the Rear Gate of Prison Realm in exchange for helping him kill “The Fallen” who is also a participant in the Culling Game.