The mythology behind Ryomen Sukuna explained

Summary

  • Jujutsu Kaisen weaves real-world mythology and folklore into its narrative, adding depth and nuance.

  • The character Ryomen Sukuna is inspired by Japan's Nihon Shoki and bears symbols from Buddhism.

  • Sukuna's connection to Buddhism is evident in its techniques, scope, and historical significance in Japan.

His world Jujutsu Kaisen it is laced with hidden nuances and references that can be traced to various mythologies, which adds a touch of depth to the entire narrative. While some references are more obvious and overt, others are a little more subtle and harder to pin down. Ryomen Sukuna, arguably one of the most iconic anime villains of all time, is another example of how author Gege drew his influence from real-world myths and folklore.

While Ryomen Sukuna is a demon from the Heian era in Jujutsu Kaisen universe, its real influence in the real world is drawn from an entirely different place. While there are several theories relating to Sukuna's true inspiration, some are more concrete than others, painting the true picture of Ryomen Sukuna's real-world mythology.

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How Jujutsu Kaisen uses real-world mythology

The series incorporates various myths

Jujutsu Kaisen has a subtle way of weaving real-world mythology and folklore into its narrative, adding all kinds of nuance and depth. However, most of these references are quite subtle and difficult to decipher. Some obvious examples of Kaisen's Jujutsu using folklore and mythology is the hordes of cursed spirits that roam the world Jujutsu Kaisen. From low-level cursed spirits to high-level entities, most of these cursed spirits are based on Yokai, which are spirits and demons in traditional Japanese folklore.

Another example of Kaisen's Jujutsu Using mythology is the Maharaga, one of the most powerful entities in the series, second only to Sukuna himself. Maharaga draws on various concepts from Buddhism and Hinduism, which align with his Dharma wheel and coping techniques. Except for the creatures and demons running around inside Jujutsu Kaisenseveral other elements were also taken from oriental mythology.

The hand signs and symbols used even before casting curse techniques and domain extensions are also noted to be influenced by Buddhist Mudras, which are a type of hand sign that are used to focus energy throughout the body. Sukuna falls into a similar category in this show, as his mythological roots lie somewhere in Japanese folklore and history.

The mythological roots of Ryomen Sukuna

The mythology of Sukuna can be traced back to the Nihon Shoki

Ryomen-Sukuna-True-Form

Interestingly, Ryomen Sukuna is considered a mythological being in his world Jujutsu Kaisen itself, as it is known as a demon that ruled over Japan in the Heian era. However, this depiction of Sukuna's mythology is entirely fictional and limited to Kaisen's Jujutsu universe. While Sukuna may seem like an entirely fictional character, the King of Curses actually has a real-world connection that can be traced back to the Nihon Shoki, or Chronicles of Japan, a collection of stories, folklore, and myths documented since the beginning of the year. ages of Japan.

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According to the Nihon Shoki, a being resembling Sukuna existed a long time ago. It was noted that he had two arms and two faces. Furthermore, the entity was known to rebel against tyrannical rulers, leaving a trail of blood and death wherever it went. This documentation is quite similar to Sukuna's role in Jujutsu Kaisenas it assumes a malevolent role and leaves death and destruction in its path. Furthermore, he was noted to fight against the Jujutsu Wizard's superiors, who are known to be tyrannical and corrupt. Ryomen Sukuna's name is a hint for the character in Nihon Shoki. Ryomen directly translates to two-faced or two-faced, suggesting Sukuna's additional appendages and two faces.

Ryomen Sukuna is a fierce imaginary god with four arms and two faces, but he once existed as a real human being. Although, it was over a thousand years ago.

The symbolism behind Ryomen Sukuna

Sukuna's techniques and character represent some parts of Buddhism

Malevolent Shrine of Sukuna

The symbolism behind Sukuna does not end with its initial description in the Nihon Shoki, as not all records claim that this entity has malevolent intentions. Some records state that the being known as Sukuna spread Buddhism to some of the regions of Japan and was also a benevolent being who brought prosperity to the people. The Hida region of Japan, in particular, became one of the oldest centers of Buddhism thanks to the “Sukuna”. However, this conflicted status of Nihon Shoki's character makes Sukuna's true influence rather obscure in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Sukuna has also been seen using a Buddhist Mudra, the Enma Palm Sign, to use her domain extension, the Malevolent Shrine. The Enma palm sign is a two-handed mudra that refers to the god of death in Buddhism. Moreover, the shrine witnessed in Sukuna's domain clearly resembles the Tamamushi shrine of Horyuji Temple in Nara. The shrine is of great importance to Buddhism in Japan as it is a holy place for followers of the religion. This directly links Sukuna's existence to the Buddhist religion, which aligns with the role of his counterpart in the Nihon Shoki, or Chronicles of Japan.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available for streaming Crunchyroll.

Anime Jujutsu Kaisen Poster

Jujutsu Kaisen

Studio

MAP

Based on

charcoal

Creative

Gege Akutami

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