If Gojo is the strongest sorcerer in Jujutsu Kaisen, how did he even get sealed in the Prison Realm? What is Gojo doing inside the Prison Realm? What does the inside of the Prison Realm look like? What is Gojo Doing in the Prison Realm? We’re going to answer these in this blog.
Gojo Satoru has been out of the picture since Chapter 91 of Jujutsu Kaisen was released in January 2020. Since then, Gojo has been sealed in the Prison Realm the whole time while his allies try to find a way to get him out of it. According to the author’s interview with Mando Kobayashi in 2021, he sealed Gojo because he is too strong and it hinders the plot development.
What is the Prison Realm?
The Prison Realm is a special grade cursed object containing a barrier technique that is capable of sealing anything or anyone inside a pocket dimension with no possible way out. It is a living barrier made out of the final remains of the Buddhist monk Genshin. The Prison Realm is so powerful and dangerous that it is referred to as a “taboo object”.
The Prison Realm comes in the form of a small cube surrounded by talismans. To activate, the user must utter “gate open” to which the cube will open, revealing a mass of flesh spread out on four corners with a giant bleeding eye in the middle.
In order to use the Prison Realm, the target must be kept within a four-meter radius from the cube long enough for its power to take place. In Gojo’s case, he was kept within the required radius for a minute’s worth of time inside his brain.
After confirming the target, the mass of flesh will seize them and render the target immobile. Once the target is ensnared, their chances to escape will be instantly reduced to zero as they won’t be able to access their cursed energy. The sealing process will be completed using the command “gate close” to which the Prison Realm will revert to its cube form, sealing the target inside.
Who Sealed Gojo in the Prison Realm?
Kenjaku was the one who sealed Gojo in the Prison Realm. He is an ancient sorcerer whose goal is to unlock the limits of human potential and cursed energy. He wants to optimize cursed energy to “evolve” humanity. In order to do so, he must first get rid of Gojo—the strongest sorcerer who is more than capable of putting an end to his great plan.
Kenjaku is currently inhabiting Geto Suguru’s body, Gojo’s best friend whom he also killed. As such, Gojo was utterly shocked when he saw his best friend, the one that he killed with his own hands, during the Shibuya Incident. Little did he know that Kenjaku was only using Geto’s body to distract him and catch him off-guard, and before Gojo realized what was happening, he was already ensnared by the Prison Realm.
What is It Like Inside the Prison Realm?
The Prison Realm has been the center of discourse ever since Gojo was trapped inside. Many fans have been wondering what it looks like from the inside or what was Gojo even doing to kill time. What we know for sure is that time doesn’t pass inside the Prison Realm and an ominous vibe lingers in the atmosphere. Gojo also appears to be surrounded by sinister skeletons.
【呪術廻戦／アニメ２期 ‟渋谷事変” 2023年放送予定】─特級呪物 獄門疆─【公式／作業用BGM～五条悟と1時間～】
To give us an idea of what the Prison Realm experience looks like, a lo-fi background music video was released by the official JUMP COMICS Youtube channel in 2021. Despite the unsettling music, the video shows that Gojo remains calm and collected, even falling asleep at some point. It was also shown in the video the various people and things that Gojo thinks about while in the Prison Realm. This includes Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, Nanami, and even the snacks that he wants to eat.
Is There a Way to Escape the Prison Realm?
There is no way to escape from the inside unless the bearer, Kenjaku, willingly opens it. Fortunately, there are other ways to free Gojo from the Prison Realm and that is by forcefully opening it from the outside. His allies can use tools that can nullify cursed techniques such as the Inverted Spear of Heaven and the Black Rope. Unfortunately, there is a huge possibility that these tools that can help Gojo escape from imprisonment were already destroyed a long time ago—by Gojo himself.
The good news is not all hope is lost. Gojo can still get out of the Prison Realm if his allies manage to get the help of Hana Kurusu, a player who is also participating in the Culling Game. Hana’s cursed technique can extinguish other cursed techniques. It is possible that she can also nullify the power of the Prison Realm and hopefully release Gojo. However, Hana’s cursed technique is a threat to all sorcerers, and therefore, Yuji and his allies must be cautious when approaching Hana especially since they don’t know yet whether she is an ally or an enemy.