Sukuna: Jujutsu Kaisen season 2's storyboard reveals how Sukuna "corrupted" Mahoraga

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 was full of epic showdowns and twists at every turn. From the sealing of Satoru Gojo, the untimely deaths of several beloved characters, to the absolute annihilation of the entire city of Shibuya, the second season of the anime had no shortage of jaw-dropping moments that left viewers speechless.

However, the moment that singlehandedly stands out as the reason behind the arc being named the 'Shibuya Incident' was the otherworldly battle that took place between Ryomen Sukuna and the Divine General Mahoraga.

As per the recently released storyboards of the fight between the two destructive forces of nature, the King of Curses had cunningly devised a meticulous plan to corrupt Mahoraga's 'Divine' status during their fight.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2: How Sukuna managed to corrupt Mahoraga's 'Divine' status

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Weilin Zhang, who worked on the key animation of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, recently shared the storyboards behind the epic showdown between Ryomen Sukuna and Mahoraga in episode 17 of the anime.

The storyboards intricately described each and every aspect of the fight, showcasing just how much thought and planning was put into bringing the battle to life. However, Zhang also mentioned that not a single moment from the storyboards was cannon from the manga, which means that majority of the fight featured anime original content.

However, there was one key aspect of the storyboards that piqued fans' interest. The moment referred to here was Sukuna teaching Mahoraga how to feint, which in a way, ended up corrupting the latter's 'Divine' status.

Mahoraga as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)

Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga, or The Divine General Mahoraga in short, is the strongest shikigami of the Zen'in Clan's renowned Ten Shadows technique.

While its origins haven't exactly been explored in the manga, Mahoraga's designation of 'the Divine General' emphasizes its unrivaled strength, strategic prowess, and divine authority. As such, the title aligns with Mahoraga's formidable power that is capable of challenging the strongest sorcerers of any era.

Mahoraga's abilities allows it to adapt to any and all phenomena. During a fight, when it is injured by a particular attack, the eight-handled wheel will turn, which would allow the shikigami to adapt to that attack.

If its opponent uses the same attack once again, it can effectively counter it, rendering that attack useless from thereon.

Sukuna as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)

However, Mahoraga's fight against Sukuna saw the former adapt to not only the slashing attacks of the King of Curses, but also to the underhanded tactics deployed by the latter.

As per the storyboards of the fight between Mahoraga and Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, the latter decided to feint some of his attacks, in order to trick the former into thinking that he is attacking.

The King of Curses continued to fool Mahoraga and hit it with non-existent attacks that completely took the shikigami off guard. For the majority of their fight, Mahoraga kept falling for Sukuna's feints.

Given that the shikigami had adapted to Sukuna's slashes, it opted to throw its severed body parts at the King of Curses whenever it got slashed. However, Sukuna's feints completely caught Mahoraga off-guard several times, to the point where even the storyboard described its situation as 'pathetic'.

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That said, Sukuna's mind games didn't last for long, as Mahoraga eventually managed to adapt to the former's feinting strategy and used it to turn the tables on the King of Curses. Using the same strategy, Mahoraga feinted a forward advance to bait Sukuna into dodging behind it. As such, the shikigami quickly turned around and finally managed land a direct hit on the King of Curses.

However, the storyboard presented an interesting detail during its closing moments. Apparently, Sukuna was aware of the fact that he had managed to make Mahoraga adapt to feinting his attacks and use it on him, which in a way, corrupted the shikigami's 'Divine Status'.

Given that Mahoraga is a being who relies solely on its brute strength and combat skills it has managed to adapt to over the years, one wouldn't expect someone of its caliber to use a cheap and an underhanded tactic as feinting its attacks to confuse the enemy. As such, the King of Curses not only managed to make a fool of Mahoraga and defeat it, but also tarnished its status as the 'Divine General'.