Jujutsu Kaisen: Sukuna's Domain Expansion hand sign and its mythological meaning, explained

One of the most iconic Domain Expansions in Jujutsu Kaisen is that of Ryomen Sukuna, known as Malevolent Shrine. An extremely powerful technique that could practically give the King of Curses victory in every battle, there is also a mythological background behind Sukuna's Domain Expansion hand sign in Jujutsu Kaisen. This shows how Akutami gets inspiration from a lot of sources when it comes to this series.

Jujutsu Kaisen has a lot of traits that have become iconic throughout the series, but Domain Expansions are probably one of the signature elements of Gege Akutami's manga. Domain Expansion is the series' equivalent to Bleach's Bankai or Dragon Ball's Super Saiyan, becoming forever connected with one another. This is something that has given the manga a much more distinctive feel.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series.

What does Sukuna's Domain hand sign mean in Jujutsu Kaisen?

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It has been recently revealed on Twitter that there is a meaning behind Sukuna's Domain Expansion hand sign in Jujutsu Kaisen, which is rooted in Japanese myths and is a usual source for Gege Akutami in this manga. After all, elements such as the Heian era, Sukuna himself, name-dropping Yamata no Orochi, and many more were all aspects for which Akutami took inspiration from real-life myths and history.

Sukuna's Domain Expansion is called Malevolent Shrine, with the hand sign being representative of Buddism. It has an interesting meaning. While every Domain Expansion has its hand sign with its own explanation connected to Buddhism, in the case of Sukuna, this one refers to Enma Ten-In, who is known as the king of hell, and its origin comes from Yama, known as the king of the Dead Land.

It is also worth pointing out that, in these myths, Yama was originally a human, much like Sukuna, who went on to become a Curse in Jujutsu Kaisen. It makes a lot of sense then why Akutami decided to give the King of Curses this hand sign because it fits with his character and is also a very good representation of who he is and the myths that inspired his creation and development.

Are hand signs needed for domain expansion?

Gojo using Hollow Purple with minimal hand signs (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen features a diverse range of characters who hold different levels of mastery over Jujutsu techniques. However, an easy way to identify a sorcerer's caliber is by judging the use of hand signs. The more powerful one is, the more they will subtract from the steps required to activate a Cursed Technique. We have seen the King of Curses use Cleave or Dismantle without using elaborate hand signs. Even Gojo could use Hollow Purple against Hanami with a simple flick of fingers.

However, Domain Expansions are the most complex techniques to exist. No sorcerer except Gojo and Sukuna could activate their Domain more than once a day. Even Hakari's invincible Domain became useless when he lost his arm in the fight against Kashimo. Thus, for Domain Expansions at least, hand signs are always necessary.

The appeal of Ryomen Sukuna

Part of the reason Jujutsu Kaisen has been so successful in recent years is because of the character of Ryomen Sukuna and the way he operates across the series. Author Gege Akutami has been praised for writing very compelling villains like Suguru Geto, Mahito, or Kenjaku, but there is no denying that the King of Curses has had a greater impact.

A logical explanation of Sukuna's appeal is that he manages to subvert people's expectations by not following the typical inner demon trope of shonen anime and never befriends Yuji Itadori, but rather focuses on ruining his life and tormenting him. This shows Sukuna as a purely evil individual, who lives life by his own rules. This was proven every time he took over Yuji's body, with the destruction of Shibuya being the most prominent example.

Furthermore, his role in the manga has become a lot more important, with him being arguably the final boss of the series and having taken the lives of several beloved characters. This makes him an antagonist who has feats across the series, something that is often difficult to see in Shonen because a lot of authors are not willing to take the lives of several characters.

Also read: Why did Sukuna use a Fire Arrow?

Final thoughts

Sukuna's Domain Expansion hand sign in Jujutsu Kaisen takes inspiration from Buddhism, with this one referring to the king of hell in that culture. It is a very usual tactic from Gege Akutami as several points of the series are inspired by several Japanese myths.

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