Warning! Contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 209!
While many fans found the fights of the Culling Game arc too repetitive, Jujutsu Kaisen is starting off its newest arc with an unexpected twist that sets the events to be the manga’s wildest so far. While Jujutsu Kaisen borrows many elements from the major Shonen series that have preceded it, its mangaka Gege Akutami has always injected unique and exciting new concepts to keep it feeling fresh. But nothing in the manga before this compares to the insanity that the series’ latest chapter brings.
In Chapter 209, the American military invades Japan, seeking to extract the cursed energy from the Japanese citizens involved in the Culling Game. They brutally and efficiently take out some of the weaker sorcerers and start a confrontation with Itadori and Fushiguro at the end of the chapter. On top of the new military combatants to fight, Jujutsu Kaisen's big villain Kenjaku also reveals that he has released various powerful cursed spirits in the Culling Game colonies to harvest the energy that these soldiers produce at the moment of their death. So on top of the overwhelming force of the American military, Itadori’s group will also likely have to face off against these new powerful curses as well. And the manga’s buildup to this arc has teased various other chaotic elements that will likely come into play.
Many fans may have criticized the Culling Game’s repetitive nature and focus on new characters, but this was likely all necessary to make this arc as wild as possible. The Shibuya Incident Arc removed so many characters from the story that Gege had to take time to introduce the new cast of characters who would participate in this arc. This has already partially happened in Jujutsu Kaisen, with Yuki Tsukumo, who first entered the main story after the Shibuya Incident, being an integral part of Kenjaku’s attack on Tengen. Given that the military intervention was also foreshadowed before this chapter, this arc will likely feature even more payoffs for characters and plots mentioned previously.
Jujutsu Kaisen's Next Arc Will Likely Be Its Best So Far
If this is the case, then this will likely be Jujutsu Kaisen’s best and wildest arc yet. The Culling Game introduced many awesome characters that would be great to see again. From powerful one-time enemies like Kashimo and Ishigori to new allies like Hikari, the possibilities for character reintroduction is almost endless. And the wide variety of enemies give older characters like Yuta and Maki chances to show the main cast how their fighting styles improved over the course of the previous arc. On top of all this, there are still the potential tensions between Jujutsu Kaisen's Sukuna and the Angel that will likely come into play.
With all these potential directions the series can go and the exciting developments in Chapter 209, this arc of Jujutsu Kaisen may be the best of the series so far. Which makes it a perfect reentry point to the series for fans who dropped it during the culling game. For if Jujutsu Kaisen lives up to the full potential of its setup, this could be one of the best Shonen manga arcs in recent memory, and something fans won't want to miss.
Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 209 is available to read from Viz Media.
