How the Ten Shadows Technique user's Cursed Energy reserves affect Mahoraga in Jujutsu Kaisen, explored

The Divine General Mahoraga was undoubtedly one of the biggest game-changers in Jujutsu Kaisen. After all, it provided its user an actual cheat code in battle, albeit it often came at the cost of their life.

For those unaware, Mahoraga is an extremely powerful shikigami (a spirit animal) used by the Zen'in Clan members via their infamous Ten Shadows technique. The shikigami has the ability to adapt to any and all phenomena, making it an insanely powerful trump card that could turn the tide of any battle. However, to properly use it, the user has to subjugate it in battle first - which is practically a suicide move.

As powerful as it may be, Mahoraga is not an independent beast that performs equally no matter who summons it. In other words, at the center of its effectiveness lies the Ten Shadows user's own cursed energy level and control - at least that's what most readers inferred.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Exploring if a Ten Shadows user's cursed energy level affects Mahoraga's effectiveness

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Before diving into the topic, let's clarify one thing - in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, it was never explicitly stated that Mahoraga's strength directly scales with the cursed energy level of a Ten Shadows technique user. So, anything discussed further is mostly speculative in nature.

Apart from its otherworldly strength, Mahoraga's most notable power is its adaptation ability. Essentially, it can adapt to any and all phenomena. After being hit by a particular attack, it can analyze the attack and adapt itself, rendering it completely useless from that point onwards.

So far in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, only two people have managed to summon Mahoraga in battle - Megumi Fushiguro and the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. However, Megumi only summoned Mahoraga as a last-ditch attempt to beat Haruta, since he was himself on the verge of death.

It was an act of desperation - one he was well aware could kill him. Fortunately, Sukuna was around to save his life and defeat Mahoraga all by himself, making the King of Curses the only individual to ever defeat Mahoraga in a fight (apart from Gojo, obviously).

Mahoraga in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)

After Sukuna took over Megumi's body in the Culling Game arc, he gained complete control over the latter's Ten Shadows technique and all its shikigami. In the Shinjuku Showdown arc, Sukuna used the Divine General as a model to adapt to Satoru Gojo's Infinity, which allowed him to devise an attack powerful enough to slash Gojo in half.

Their battle led many to believe that the version of Mahoraga that Sukuna used against Gojo was leagues above the one that Megumi summoned in the Shibuya Incident arc in terms of power. And it's easy to see why many would think that. After all, adapting to Gojo's Infinity and gravely injuring him is arguably a much bigger feat than laying waste to the entire city of Shibuya.

What many inferred from Mahoraga's showdown against Gojo in the Shinjuku Showdown arc is that it was significantly stronger when summoned by Sukuna compared to when Megumi summoned it. However, there's no official confirmation on this.

Sukuna vs. Mahoraga in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)

The version of Mahoraga summoned by Sukuna and the one summoned by Megumi are essentially the same entity - there's no doubt about that. But there's one major thing we should consider while measuring them against each other - the stark difference in Megumi and Sukuna's cursed energy reserves and control.

Every shikigami, including Mahoraga, is fundamentally powered and controlled through the Ten Shadows user's cursed energy. And this matters a lot, since the volume, refinement, and application of cursed energy definitely aren't equal across sorcerers.

For Sukuna and Megumi, the difference in their respective cursed energy levels is like day and night. In fact, Megumi's cursed energy was never really at a level where he could sustain Mahoraga long enough to showcase its true potential.

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When he summoned Mahoraga for the first time, his cursed energy output was limited, and his lack of full control over the Divine General meant that the shikigami's power was more theoretical than practical.

On the other hand, Sukuna's cursed energy reserves are vast, refined, and overwhelmingly malicious in nature. His control is surgical, and his battle IQ is perhaps the highest in the entire series. So, the version of Mahoraga that went up against Gojo in the Shinjuku Showdown was undoubtedly the Divine General in its truest and most terrifying form.

Furthermore, Sukuna was able to effectively utilize and weaponize Mahoraga's adaptability, pushing it to adapt to Gojo's Infinity, coordinating attacks with it mid-battle, and, most importantly, had cursed energy reserves vast enough to fuel Mahoraga through prolonged combat.

Based on these arguments, we can arrive at the conclusive truth - Mahoraga's strength and performance in battle are only as good as the sorcerer backing it. It certainly wasn't a Gojo-level threat on its own. It only got close to that level because a monster like Sukuna was controlling it. So, if Megumi's Mahoraga is as powerful as a missile, Sukuna's Mahoraga is a full-fledged nuclear warhead.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Mahoraga didn't just show how strong and destructive it was in Jujutsu Kaisen - it showcased the true strength of its user. In other words, Mahoraga doesn't make its user formidable; it's the user who makes the Divine General a true force of nature.