What are Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen? A Guide to the Strongest Ones

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Anime expert Joe Jones explains the cursed spirits in JJK

Co-authored by Joe Jones and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: May 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What are curses?
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• Strongest Cursed Spirits
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• About Cursed Spirits
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• Curse Grades
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• Types of Curses
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• Powers & Abilities
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Do you want to do a deep dive into Jujutsu Kaisen’s fascinating lore on curses? You’ve come to the right place! Curses—also called cursed spirits—are a constant presence throughout the JJK anime and manga, usually as pretty devastating enemies. They harbor malevolent intentions toward all of humanity, and some of the most powerful even have the intelligence to work together. For this article, we partnered with an anime expert to help us explain cursed spirits and how they work in Jujutsu Kaisen—and show you a list of cursed spirits featured in the series, ranked from least to most powerful!

A Quick Overview of Curses in JJK

Anime expert Joe Jones says curses are evil spirits that can be manipulated by jujutsu sorcerers. They’re made from the energy of humans’ negative emotions. They can come in all shapes and sizes, and are generally hostile toward humans. Some of the most powerful curses include Mahito, Rika, Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon.

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Section 1 of 6:

What are curses in Jujutsu Kaisen?

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   Curses (or cursed spirits) are a race of beings made from cursed energy. Jones says he sees them as evil spirits, or a type of yokai, that can be manipulated by jujutsu sorcerers. They’re considered antagonists on the show. They exist to haunt humanity and, ultimately, bring great harm to living people. Thus, jujutsu sorcerers primarily work to find and exorcise curses to prevent them from hurting humans. Jujutsu Kaisen introduces a great number of different curses over the course of the anime and manga series, from the minor to the unbelievably powerful.

   • Cursed spirits have different levels of intelligence, Jones says, but many of them are intelligent enough to be actively seeking autonomy from humans. They’re also trying to take over the human world and get rid of sorcerers.
   • Cursed spirits are invisible to humans, although a non-sorcerer human can gain the ability to see curses in life-or-death situations (when the person in question experiences the greatest amount of negative emotion, and therefore cursed energy).
   • Because jujutsu sorcerers can see and manipulate cursed energy (in most cases), they can also see cursed spirits.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Joe Jones, known as Family Man Joe online, is an anime expert and lifelong anime fan. He’s been doing his podcast, Life With Anime, for 4 years. He’s also a retired NFL athlete.
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   Although their origins are unclear, curses have likely always existed. Jujutsu Kaisen doesn’t really explain where curses—and the overall practice of jujutsu sorcery—come from. However, considering the fact that cursed energy stems from human emotions, it seems fair to assume that curses have probably existed as long as people have, with the two being forever intertwined.

   • In JJK’s modern-day world, curses are responsible for over ten thousand deaths and disappearances yearly in Japan alone, indicating just how influential curses are.
   • Jujutsu sorcerers keep these cursed spirits a secret from non-sorcerers, plying their trade and defeating curses in secret.
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Section 2 of 6:

The Strongest Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen, Ranked

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   Akuro-o OtakeAkuro-o Otake is a Special Grade curse summoned by Kenjaku during the Culling Game—specifically, for the purpose of defeating Takaba. Being “Special Grade,” Akuro-o Otake undoubtedly has very strong abilities and cursed techniques; however, because Takaba managed to exorcise the cursed spirit almost immediately, the extent of Akuro-o Otake’s abilities is unknown.

   • First appearance: Chapter 242 (manga, not yet in the anime)
   • Powers and techniques: Unknown
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   Smallpox DeityThe Smallpox Deity is a spirit manifested by Kenjaku; not wanting to fight Mei Mei himself, he ordered the Smallpox Deity (or the “Smallpox Hag”) to do it instead. According to Kenjaku, the Smallpox Deity is one of the best curses in his arsenal—and that’s saying something for a powerful villain! The Smallpox Deity quickly managed to overwhelm Mei Mei with its domain expansion; only her brother Ui Ui’s Simple Domain kept them from being defeated.

   • First appearance: Episode 36
   • Powers and techniques: Gravestone Technique, Graveyard Domain
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   KurourushiKurourushi is an interesting curse, born from humanity’s collective fear of cockroaches; thus, its body is part-human and part-cockroach. Even more disturbingly, Kurourushi can create endless amounts of cockroaches and control them, even firing cockroach eggs into its opponents and causing them to hatch immediately. As a Special Grade curse, Kurourushi also has intelligence—but ultimately falls to Ryu Ishigori’s Granite Blast.

   • First appearance: Chapter 173 (manga; not yet in the anime)
   • Powers and techniques: Parthenogenesis, Earthen Insect Trance
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   Kuchisake-OnnaKuchisake-Onna is a curse based on Japanese mythology. In folklore, the Kuchisake-Onna is a female spirit who asks victims if she’s attractive, only to end up maiming them with her blades. JJK’s Kuchisake-Onna operates similarly; she manifested from the concept of the Kuchisake-Onna myth, and her domain expansion creates a binding vow in which she and her target cannot harm each other until her question (of whether or not she’s attractive) has been answered.

   • First appearance: Episode 27
   • Powers and techniques: Simple Domain
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   Naoya ZeninNaoya Zenin was human at the start of JJK, not to mention the Zenin Clan’s heir (and an extreme misogynist, believing himself more powerful than all women). After being obliterated during Maki’s rampage, in which she more or less took out the entire Zenin Clan, Naoya returns as a vengeful cursed spirit. His spirit form had even more powers than his human form, including “Acceleration Mode” (allowing him to generate Mach 3 levels of speed), yet Maki still defeated him in that form, too!

   • First appearance: Episode 48
   • Powers and techniques: Projection Sorcery, Acceleration Mode
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   DagonDagon might be the weakest member of Mahito’s group (next to Hanami and Jogo), but he’s still entirely capable of taking out lesser sorcerers. He has a softer, cocoon-like form at first, but once he reverts to his released form, he becomes much more of a threat, with enough cursed energy in his reserves to keep fighting for quite a long time. He also has a domain expansion that enables his shikigami to attack targets, which are guaranteed to hit every time.

   • First appearance: Episode 5
   • Powers and techniques: Disaster Tides, Horizon of the Captivating Skandha
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   Cursed Womb: Death PaintingsThe Cursed Womb: Death Paintings include Choso, Eso, and Kechizu—each of them half-human, half-curse. On their own, Eso and Kechizu are Special Grade, but not nearly as powerful as their elder brother, Choso. Yuji and Nobara manage to defeat Eso and Kechizu in JJK’s first season; Choso eventually comes looking for revenge, but ultimately joins Yuji’s side because the two are half-brothers.

   • First appearance: Episode 23 (Eso and Kechizu), Episode 24 (Choso)
   • Powers and techniques: Rot Technique (Eso and Kechizu), Decay (Kechizu), Maximum: Wing King (Eso), Blood Manipulation and Convergence (Choso)
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   HanamiHanami is a plant-like, unregistered Special Grade curse with the power to give most sorcerers a real run for their money in combat (except Gojo, of course). Hanami can shatter curse barriers, regenerate his body, and actually amplify his power by explaining how it works. As a plant-based curse, he can also use roots, trees, and flowers in battle.

   • First appearance: Episode 5
   • Powers and techniques: Disaster Plants, Ceremonial Sea Light
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   JogoJogo is yet another Special Grade spirit absolutely obliterated by Satoru Gojo—but don’t let that fool you! Despite his defeat, Jogo really is one of the strongest cursed spirits in JJK; he can utilize the raw power of volcanoes in his attacks…and even use a domain expansion that traps targets inside a live volcano! So, while of course Gojo stood a chance against him (as the world’s most powerful sorcerer), not many others would.

   • First appearance: Episode 5
   • Powers and techniques: Disaster Flames, Coffin of the Iron Mountain
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    MahitoMahito is an absolute menace in JJK: a cursed spirit capable of reshaping human souls—and, in doing so, reshape their bodies, too. That’s not to mention Mahito’s ability to fuse souls together, merge souls into a single body, and transform into his original, overwhelmingly powerful form by ripping his human face off. Mahito is one of JJK’s primary antagonists and the leader of a curse alliance of sorts, with terrifying powers to match.

    • First appearance: Episode 7
    • Powers and techniques: Idle Transfiguration, Self-Embodiment of Perfection
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    RikaRika Orimoto is rightly dubbed the “Queen of Curses,” given the devastating amount of power she wields. Formerly Yuta Okkotsu’s childhood sweetheart, Rika’s spirit remained after her death as a curse—one that will annihilate anything in the name of protecting Yuta. Rika emerges in battle to take on Yuta’s foes and has an energy blast ability that no other cursed spirit has been able to withstand thus far, called Pure Love.

    • First appearance: Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie
    • Powers and techniques: Pure Love, Copy
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Section 3 of 6:

All About Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen

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   Many curses are born from negative emotions. They form when cursed energy leeches away from non-sorcerers due to their negative emotions, gathering in one spot and building up until a complete spirit manifests. Because of this, locations with a high population (like schools) or a lot of negative emotions (like hospitals) tend to have higher numbers of curses.

   • A certain negative feeling shared among many humans can also result in the creation of a cursed spirit—one with a consciousness that relates to those negative feelings.
   • For example, Hanami is a cursed spirit born from humanity’s mistreatment of forests; thus, Hanami’s ultimate goal is to annihilate all human life to protect wildlife from them.
   • Similarly, Mahito was born from humans’ hatred for one another; thus, he has the power to reshape and warp the human soul.
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   Cursed spirits cannot be seen or touched by non-sorcerers. This is because they’re entirely composed of cursed energy. There are no “rules” defining the form a curse takes; they come in all kinds of forms, many of them quite gruesome in one way or another. Generally, curses stick close to the place where they originated—and curse humans on instinct. Beyond that, however, curses’ behavior can vary drastically.

   • Special Grade curses are the most intelligent and organized. They’re capable of using cursed energy and techniques themselves, and can even work together toward common goals. They also tend to be bipedal (similar to humans).
   • Shikigami are a type of cursed spirit forced to serve a jujutsu master.
   • Some spirits can mark or bond to humans and haunt them over time, even if that human is far away from the place where the spirit originated.
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   Cursed spirits must be exorcised with another curse. They’re made from cursed energy rather than physical matter, which means they can’t be hurt with conventional weapons. That’s why curses must be exorcised with the power of another curse (using cursed energy). Some curses can be fatally struck with a cursed energy attack—but curses too powerful to be destroyed must be somehow confined or sealed away.

   • The rules are different for curses incarnated into a human vessel, however (such as the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings).
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Section 4 of 6:

The Curse Grading System in Jujutsu Kaisen

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   Curses are graded much like sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen, using the same basic grading system—with Grade 4 being the lowest (and therefore reserved for the weakest curses), and Special Grade being the highest (reserved for the most powerful curses). All cursed spirits can be graded with this system, even if they don’t receive an official grade in the show. Here’s each grade, as described by JJK’s Ijichi Kiyotaka:

   • Grade 4 - “A wooden bat is enough.”
   • Grade 3 - “If you have a handgun, you can rest easy.”
   • Grade 2 - “Close call with a shotgun.”
   • Grade 1 - “Even a tank might be insufficient.”
   • Special Grade - “Cluster bombs might work.”

Section 5 of 6:

Classifications of Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen

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   Vengeful cursed spiritsVengeful cursed spirits are the result of a human soul turning into a curse after death. This can happen to people whose deaths are cursed, or those whose spirits are corrupted—and sorcerers have a greater chance of becoming curses after death, so long as they aren’t killed with jujutsu (which can prevent the transformation).

   • Rika is the manifestation of Rika Orimoto after her death, who transformed into a cursed spirit when Yuta Okkotsu was unable to accept her passing.
   • Naoya Zenin is another example of a vengeful cursed spirit. After Maki Zenin slays most of the Zenin clan, including Naoya, Naoya manages to return as a cursed spirit and attempts to get revenge on Maki (although he fails).
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   Imaginary vengeful cursed spiritsThese curses are manifested from a mass fear. Basically, when a lot of people share the same image of a particular fear, it can result in the formation of an imaginary vengeful cursed spirit. For instance, one imaginary vengeful spirit, Kuchisake-Onna, resembles a yokai from an urban legend; another, Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate, resembles a famous figure in Japanese mythology.

   • Many jujutsu sorcerers are afraid of imaginary vengeful spirits and their powers, which is why they’re classified separately from the rest.
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   Disease cursed spiritDisease cursed spirits are essentially the embodiments of certain diseases—illnesses that humanity has cursed so much that they have literally turned into curses. Disease cursed spirits can use techniques to infect and kill people with the ailments they represent, thus living up to the reason their names were cursed in the first place.

   • The Smallpox Deity is JJK’s main example of a disease cursed spirit, summoned by Pseudo-Geto (Kenjaku).
   • The Smallpox Deity’s extremely nasty domain expansion can trap targets in coffins and infect them with smallpox after just three seconds.
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Section 6 of 6:

Powers & Abilities of Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen

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   Cursed spirits’ abilities are based on the amount of energy they have. Weaker spirits tend to be more animalistic, lashing out at humans with their metaphysical features (such as claws); they also have the ability to phase through solid surfaces and curse humans. Stronger curses have much deeper wells of cursed energy to draw from; thus, they’re capable of using better cursed techniques and even manifesting their own domains.

   • Special Grade cursed spirits are the strongest of all, and can manipulate cursed energy easier than even a jujutsu sorcerer.
   • Interestingly, there are more registered Special Grade curses (16) than there are Special Grade sorcerers (4).

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