Why do the culling games happen

Overview

The Culling Games are a central plot device in Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen manga, introduced following the catastrophic Shibuya Incident arc. These deadly games were orchestrated by the ancient curse user Kenjaku (possessing the body of Suguru Geto) as part of a centuries-long plan to merge all of humanity with the immortal cursed spirit Tengen. The games officially began in December 2018 within the series' timeline, immediately after Kenjaku's manipulation of Jujutsu society and his use of the Idle Transfiguration technique to awaken cursed energy in ordinary humans across Japan. This transformation created thousands of new sorcerers who were then forced to participate in the deadly competition. The historical context reveals this as Kenjaku's culmination of planning that dates back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE), with previous attempts at similar mergers having failed. The games represent the largest-scale conflict in the series, involving both veteran jujutsu sorcerers and newly awakened participants across multiple locations simultaneously.

How It Works

The Culling Games operate through a complex system of rules and mechanics enforced by Tengen's barrier techniques. The games are divided into 19 designated colonies across Japan, each with its own unique environment and participant pool. Participants, both willing and unwilling, are marked with a cursed technique and must collect points by eliminating other players - with different point values assigned based on the strength and status of targets. The primary mechanism requires players to accumulate exactly 100 points, at which point they can choose to either add a new rule to the games or exit entirely. Points can be transferred between players, creating strategic alliances and betrayals. The barrier system prevents players from leaving their designated colonies until they meet specific conditions, and death is a constant threat as killing is the primary means of point acquisition. Kenjaku maintains oversight through his connection to Tengen, while players like Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji Itadori work to understand and potentially dismantle the game system from within.

Why It Matters

The Culling Games represent a pivotal turning point in Jujutsu Kaisen with significant consequences for both the narrative and character development. These games directly impact the power dynamics of the jujutsu world by suddenly introducing thousands of new sorcerers, fundamentally altering the balance between cursed spirits and human practitioners. The real-world significance within the series includes the potential extinction of non-sorcerer humanity if Kenjaku's merger succeeds, making the stakes literally existential. The games force characters to confront moral dilemmas about killing and survival, while advancing key plot points like the development of domain expansions and cursed techniques. Practically, the games serve as a crucible that accelerates character growth and reveals hidden aspects of the jujutsu world's history and mechanics, setting the stage for the series' final conflicts.