The latest episode of the second season of the Jujutsu Kaisen television anime series was released on Thursday, November 16, 2023, bringing with it an exciting installment. Fans saw the return of Kento Nanami following the ruthless attack made against him by Gojo several episodes prior, as well as Ryomen Sukuna squaring up against the almighty Shikigami, Mahoraga.
As Sukuna deduced Mahoraga’s abilities throughout the latest Jujutsu Kaisen episode, fans saw him try multiple different tactics in order to learn as much as he could. After this brief experimentation period, he explained what he believed Mahoraga’s powers to be but compared it to the Yamata no Orochi before doing so.
Understandably, many international fans were confused by this comment, with the phrase “Yamata no Orochi” having never been mentioned in Jujutsu Kaisen prior to this point. Thankfully, there is an explanation based on real-life Japanese folklore that also seemingly reveals a unique piece of lore for author and illustrator Gege Akutami’s series.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s latest episode seemingly deepens series’ lore and worldbuilding with real-life folklore
Who is Yamata no Orochi? Explained
As discussed above, Sukuna’s mention of the Yamata no Orochi in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime’s latest episode is the first of its kind for the series. The term refers to an eight-headed snake from Japanese folklore, sometimes portrayed as a dragon rather than a snake. The first mentions of the beast come in the early 700s, from the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki ancient texts.
The beast is first mentioned as a part of the Shinto storm god Susanoo’s travels after he is expelled from heaven for tricking his sister Amaterasu, the sun goddess. While traveling on Earth, he meets two “Earthly Deities” who are weeping due to being forced to give the Yamata no Orochi one of their daughters every year for the last seven years. The year Orochi meets them is the eighth, with the couple preparing to give up yet another of their children.
Susanoo decided to help the couple by tricking and killing the beast, thus saving their eighth daughter. After successfully doing so, he split the beast open and found what would come to be known as the three sacred Imperial Regalia of Japan. These are the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword, the Yata no Kagami mirror, and the Yasakani no Magatama jewel.
The Yamata no Orochi in Jujutsu Kaisen explained
With this explanation in mind, Sukuna’s mention of the beast in the anime’s latest episode is very telling. For starters, Sukuna is seemingly compared to the Japanese storm god Susanoo with this subtle mention. It also suggests that the Yamata no Orochi was a real being that existed within the series’ world. Furthermore, Sukuna comparing Mahoraga to the serpent in the context of the battle suggests that he fought and likely even defeated the beast himself.
This, in turn, creates several additional and exciting implications, the first of which is that at least some creatures from Japanese folklore exist within the series’ world. At the very least, the Yamata no Orochi exists, which in turn implies the existence of Susanoo and the Earthly Deities. The Yamata no Orochi’s apparent existence also suggests that the sacred Imperial Regalia, which are within the beast’s body, also exist in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
More likely than not, these would be revealed to be Cursed Tools, which are filled with Cursed Energy from the Yamata no Orochi itself. Considering the analog to the Sacred Regalia of folklore, these would also likely be the most powerful Cursed Tools in the series. While this is all speculative, Sukuna’s mention of the mythical beast provides foundational evidence for such theorizations and assertions.
Be sure to keep up with all Jujutsu Kaisen anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
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