Spoiler level: the premise and early arcs only. Late-manga events are not described.
The short answer
Sukuna is the reason Jujutsu Kaisen starts. Gege Akutami’s manga ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 2018 until it ended on September 30, 2024, collected in 30 volumes; in English it is published by VIZ Media. In the first chapter, high-school student Yuji Itadori eats a rotting finger to stop a cursed object from killing his friends. The finger belongs to Sukuna. Yuji survives, which almost nobody can, and becomes the vessel of the most dangerous curse in the story.
What kind of character he is
Sukuna is not a misunderstood antihero. Akutami writes him as appetite with excellent manners: amused, patient, cruel when bored. Two details make him work on the page.
- He is a houseguest who wants the house. Each finger Yuji absorbs makes Sukuna stronger, so the sorcerers face a grim math problem: keep the boy alive to collect fingers, then execute him with the curse inside.
- He fronts in Yuji’s body. When Sukuna takes control, the face grows extra eyes and markings. Whatever he does, Yuji has to live with afterward. That guilt, not the fights, is the emotional engine of the early arcs.
How to follow him
The anime is produced by studio MAPPA. Its third season, The Culling Game Part 1, premiered in January 2026, and a further part has been announced. If you want the whole story without waiting, read the manga from volume 1; there is also a prequel volume, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which introduces Yuta Okkotsu but not Sukuna’s main plot. Start at VIZ’s official Jujutsu Kaisen page.
Why people search him
Sukuna’s design (four eyes, four arms in his true form) and his calm, contemptuous lines made him the series’ most quoted character. If you only know clips, the useful thing to know is that his scenes land because of Yuji: the horror is in sharing a body with something that enjoys what you hate.
See also our Jujutsu Kaisen characters guide.
Sukuna and Yuji: why the pairing works
Most possession stories make the host a victim and the spirit a weapon. Akutami does something colder. Yuji is not overpowered by Sukuna most of the time; he holds him down by sheer stubbornness, which is itself remarkable. The danger is the moments when he cannot, or when he makes a deal he does not fully understand. That turns every fight into a question of control rather than strength, and it gives the reader a reason to fear Yuji losing even when he is winning.
The pairing also lets the manga talk about responsibility. Yuji did not choose what Sukuna does with his body, but he chose to eat the finger, and the series never lets him off the hook for that choice. Readers who come to Sukuna through clips often miss this: the King of Curses is the plot’s engine, but Yuji’s guilt is its fuel.
How Sukuna is written, line by line
Without quoting the manga, three habits stand out. He speaks to sorcerers as if they were curious insects. He respects strength only when it amuses him. And he almost never explains himself; other characters explain him, usually too late. That restraint is why he feels ancient. A villain who wants to be understood feels modern; Sukuna wants to be obeyed or left alone.
Reading order for Sukuna-focused fans
- Volume 0, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 — optional, no Sukuna, but sets up the world and Yuta.
- Volumes 1–3 — the finger, Yuji’s sentence, and the first time Sukuna takes over.
- The Shibuya arc (roughly volumes 10–16) — the stretch that made Sukuna a cultural talking point. Treat it as heavy spoilers if you are anime-only past season 2.
- The Culling Game and the final arcs — read in order; skipping ahead ruins several reveals.
FAQ
Is Sukuna the main villain? He is the most famous threat, but the series has more than one antagonist with its own plan. See our characters guide for the wider cast.
Why does Sukuna have twenty fingers? In the story’s lore his true form had four arms; his power was split across the fingers when he was sealed, so collecting them restores him.
What does Sukuna want? Early on, freedom from Yuji’s body and to do as he pleases. The manga reveals more as it goes; we keep that out of this page.
Is the manga finished? Yes. It ended on September 30, 2024, after 30 volumes.
Who voices Sukuna? In the Japanese anime he is voiced by Junichi Suwabe. Check the official anime site or your streaming service for dub casts.
Quick facts
- Series: Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami, Weekly Shōnen Jump, 2018–2024, 30 volumes.
- English publisher: VIZ Media.
- Anime studio: MAPPA.
- Role: the King of Curses, sealed in twenty fingers, awakened inside Yuji Itadori in chapter 1.
Our take
Sukuna is effective because the series refuses to soften him. Many popular villains eventually receive a sympathetic backstory that invites readers to reconsider them. Akutami keeps the focus on consequences instead, and on what it costs Yuji to carry him. That choice keeps the horror intact and gives the story a moral clarity that the flashy fights might otherwise hide. If you are deciding whether to start the manga for Sukuna alone, know that he is not on every page, but his presence shapes almost every decision the other characters make.