While the intense battle currently raging between Yuki Tuskomu, Choso, and Kenjaku certainly signals the last stages of the multi-arc Culling Game saga, it also feels like the beginning of the end of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga itself.

For the last two years, the main storyline in Jujutsu Kaisen has been the Culling Game, a perverse "kill or be killed" contest pitting sorcerers against cursed spirits in ten arenas spread up and down the Japanese archipelago. The game was orchestrated by Jujutsu Kaisen's ancient sorcerer Kenjaku who plans to harness the cursed energy created by the game. This will be possible after he gains control of Master Tengen, a cursed spirit with the ability to influence all of humanity. On the one hand, Megumi, Yuji, Yuta, Maki, and other members of the jujutsu sorcerer community are operating in the game to, among other things, find a way to free Satoru Gojo from the Prison Realm. On the other hand, Yuki and Choso are directly taking on Kenjaku to stop him from gaining control of Tengen.

Related: Jujutsu Kaisen Timeline Is the Ultimate Guide to the Culling Game

The potential freedom of Saturo Gojo who was last seen in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 90; and the presumed success of Kenjaku against Yuki and Choso suggest the next must-see matchup will be between those two mortal enemies. More than anything, however, the matchup suggests that the manga has or is about to enter its final stages as a series. The evidence for this conclusion is substantial. First, despite the identification of Sukuna as the manga's main villain, the reality is that the true villain has always been Kenjaku, who's been planning this event for centuries. Indeed, from planting Sukuna's finger on the school's grounds to the birth of Yuji, to encouraging Mahito, he's played a role in almost every major event of the saga. Therefore, if he successfully completes his goal, what other story would there be for creator Gege Akutami to tell or what else would he be able to "squeeze out" of this story?

Gege Akutami Has Suggested Jujutsu Kaisen Will Ending Around This Time

Yuki Tsukumo from Jujutsu Kaisen

Conversely, if Kenjaku is defeated, what follow-up story could live up to the incredibly rich, complex, and mesmerizing story fans have enjoyed since the manga's debut in 2018? A story about dealing with a "released" Sukuna would seem anti-climatic when considering all the machinations fans have had to identify and comprehend in the series so far. But perhaps the most persuasive evidence that the manga is entering its final stages is the suggestion from Akutami himself, that he planned to end the series. In a February 2021 interview with Mandou Kobayash (originally reported on by Anime Corner), the Jujutsu Kaisen creator not only revealed that he already knew how the series was going to end, but also that he planned on closing Jujutsu Kaisen out within the next two years. According to Anime News Network, early this month at Shueisha's Jump Festa, Akutami was quoted as saying, "If you accompany me for up to one more year (probably), I will be very happy."

The coming together of various plot lines, climactic fight senses, the deaths of key characters, and the comments of the creator all strongly suggest that Jujutsu Kaisen is entering its final stages. However, with the end near, there are still plenty of issues to be settled. Outside of Kenjaku and Gojo's fate, there's also the resolution of the Yuji and Sukuna problem, as well as whether the Zenin Clan saga can be quieted. If there's any series that should end with a bang, it's certainly Jujutsu Kaisen.

More: Jujutsu Kaisen's Version of Deku is Much More Extreme Than MHA's

Jujutsu Kaisen is available now from Viz Media.

Source: Anime News Network, Anime Corner