During the Shibuya Incident arc, Ryomen Sukuna transforms from a dormant passenger inside Yuji Itadori into an active, terrifying force of absolute destruction. His actions during this chaotic night aren't random acts of violence. Instead, every major move Sukuna makes is calculated to serve a specific purpose: asserting his dominance, manipulating the battlefield, and setting the stage for Megumi Fushiguro's ultimate corruption.
If you want to understand how Sukuna dismantles the Jujutsu society's power structure in a matter of hours, you need to look past the smoke and fire. Here is the breakdown of what Sukuna actually does during the Shibuya Arc and why his moves change the trajectory of the entire series.
Breaking Free Through Jogo's Fingers
Sukuna first enters the fray after Jogo forces a massive stash of cursed fingers down Yuji's throat while Yuji is unconscious and broken from previous fights. By feeding Yuji multiple fingers at once, Jogo forces Sukuna's temporary awakening with a massive surge of cursed energy.
Instead of thanking the Disaster Curses, Sukuna immediately establishes his authority. He toys with Jogo, makes him realize the sheer insurmountable gap in their power, and challenges him to a fiery duel across the burning streets of Shibuya. Sukuna's victory isn't just about raw strength; it's a calculated demonstration that even the strongest cursed spirits are nothing more than insects to the King of Curses.
The Devastation of Malevolent Shrine
After dispatching Jogo, Sukuna senses a fly in the ointment: Haruta Shigemo bullying an unconscious Megumi Fushiguro. Megumi had been pushed to the absolute brink and was preparing to summon the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga as a mutual destruction tactic.
Realizing that Megumi's death would ruin his long-term plans, Sukuna instantly changes targets. He arrives at the scene and realizes he must defeat Mahoraga to stop the ritual. To do this, Sukuna unleashes his signature Domain Expansion, Malevolent Shrine, right in the heart of Shibuya.
The resulting collateral damage is catastrophic. Malevolent Shrine doesn't just slice Mahoraga; it levels blocks of the city, wipes out thousands of innocent civilians trapped in the barrier, and leaves a smoking crater of debris. This calculated act of mass slaughter permanently breaks Yuji's spirit once he regains control, forcing him to bear the psychological weight of every life Sukuna took using his body.
Defeating Mahoraga and Saving Megumi
Fighting Mahoraga requires a high level of tactical precision because of the shikigami's ability to adapt to any and all phenomena. Sukuna spends the initial phase of the fight testing Mahoraga's limits with standard Dismantle and Cleave attacks.
Once he figures out how the adaptation wheel works, Sukuna alters his strategy. He drags the battle across the skyline of Shibuya, lures Mahoraga into a trap, and unleashes a hidden technique within his Shrine: Fuga (Divine Flame). By trapping Mahoraga in a closed-barrier firestorm, Sukuna completely incinerates the untamable shikigami, successfully hijacking and concluding Megumi's exorcism ritual.
This victory does two things. First, it proves that Sukuna can bypass the adaptation mechanic through overwhelming, instantaneous thermal destruction. Second, it leaves a heavily injured Megumi alive, paving the way for Sukuna's eventual possession of the Ten Shadows user later in the narrative.
Psychological Warfare Against Yuji Itadori
Sukuna's final major move in Shibuya is entirely psychological. When Yuji finally wakes up and regains control of his body, he is greeted by a literal wasteland. The surrounding district is leveled, thousands are dead, and fellow sorcerers like Kento Nanami and Nobara Kugisaki have fallen victim to the night's horrors.
Sukuna doesn't gloat with words; he lets the silent devastation speak for itself. By forcing Yuji to witness the carnage he caused while suppressed, Sukuna breaks his vessel's resolve, isolating him emotionally and driving him into a deep, inescapable despair that shapes his character for the rest of the manga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn't Sukuna kill everyone in Shibuya?
Sukuna operates entirely on his own whims and long-term objectives. Once he finished dealing with Mahoraga and breaking Yuji's spirit, he had no interest in lingering or playing hero/villain to the remaining sorcerers. His primary goal was securing Megumi's survival, and once that was achieved, he willingly allowed control to return to Yuji.
How many fingers did Sukuna consume during the Shibuya Arc?
At the start of the arc, Yuji already had several fingers inside him. During the chaos, Jogo forces ten more fingers down Yuji's throat at once, bringing the total active count up significantly and giving Sukuna the massive pool of cursed energy required to manifest a full physical form and use Domain Expansion.
Why did Sukuna save Megumi Fushiguro?
Sukuna recognized early on that Megumi's Ten Shadows Technique possessed unique properties—specifically Mahoraga—that could bypass the rules of cursed energy manipulation. Saving Megumi was a calculated investment so that Sukuna could eventually use him as a vessel to bypass Gojo's infinite defenses.
Did Sukuna care about the plans of Kenjaku and the Cursed Spirits?
Not at all. Sukuna views Kenjaku, Jogo, and the rest of the curse faction as pawns in a larger game. While their goals aligned temporarily to trap Gojo in the Prison Realm, Sukuna only cooperated as long as it suited his own amusement and agenda.
