Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 is all about the Culling Game, the deadly Japan-wide battle royale orchestrated by one of the show’s primary antagonists, Kenjaku. The season’s two-episode special premiere was set in the immediate aftermath of the Shibuya Incident, leading up to the return of Yuta Okkotsu, who was introduced in the 2021 prequel film, Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Episode 3, aptly titled “About the Culling Game,” offers greater insight into the upcoming battle royale and its convoluted rules, but it also introduces three new participants who will play an integral role in the arcs to come.
[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, episode 3, and the manga’s Culling Game arc.]
Episode 3 opens with Yuji Itadori and fellow jujutsu sorcerers Yuta, Megumi Fushiguro, Yuki Tsukumo, and Maki Zenin (alongside Death Painting Womb, Choso) meeting Master Tengen, the enigmatic and immortal being residing inside the Tombs of the Star Corridor. Tengen explains his innate need to merge with a Star Plasma Vessel every 500 years and how he was unable to do this 12 years prior because the most recent vessel, Riko Amanai, was killed. What follows is an illustration-heavy explanation of Kenjaku’s motivations and the rules of the Culling Game, which allows Yuji and his allies to take stock of what they should do next.
While weighing their options, Tengen mentions Culling Game participant Angel, also known as Hana Kurusu, and her ability to “extinguish” other cursed techniques. With Satoru Gojo sealed inside the Prison Realm, the only way to free him is to use Hana’s Technique Extinguishment, which can potentially revert incantations to their previous state. As Tengen isn’t able to interfere in the Culling Game directly, he provides a rough idea about Hana’s whereabouts, posing her as a potential ally who can turn the tide in their favor.
Hana’s “Angel” moniker is interesting, as she shares her body with a Heian-era sorcerer named Angel, using the entity’s jujutsu to hone her abilities. While the Culling Game arc won’t focus too much on her powers, we will be privy to her strategies during a fight against Sukuna, where she teams up with Yuji and Maki at Tokyo No. 1 Colony. This battle is triggered after a major event we won’t spoil here, but it’s safe to say Hana uses many of Angel’s cursed techniques during this battle (including her ability to wield all-purifying light, dubbed Maximum Output: Jacob’s Ladder). It is also worth noting that Hana uses Angel’s wings to save a lot of injured civilians during the Culling Game, granting us insight into her compassionate nature.
Towards the end of episode 3, Tengen also mentions Kinji Hakari, a suspended Jujutsu High student who is a master hand-to-hand combatant and a crucial ally for the jujutsu sorcerers. We also get a glimpse into the life of Fumihiko Takaba, a failing non-sorcerer comedian who is forcefully turned into a sorcerer by Kenjaku for the Culling Game. With these new characters being introduced, Jujutsu Kaisen is already widening its narrative scope, setting up a complex and exciting story about evil and its ever-expanding dominion.
New episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 release every Thursday on Crunchyroll.