Megumi Fushiguro finally returns to the story after a long time in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 268, but how does this happen?
As the deuteragonist of Jujutsu Kaisen, Megumi is the first sorcerer that Yuji (and we) meet. It is thanks to him that Yuji finds Sukuna’s cursed finger and ends up becoming the vessel of the King of Curses.
Throughout the story, Megumi plays an important role. He has fought several powerful opponents and has shown himself to have the potential to match Gojo with his coveted Ten Shadows technique. He also attracts Sukuna’s special attention for some mysterious reason.
The reason is revealed in the Culling Game arc when Sukuna takes control of Megumi’s body, inhabiting the young man until he is finally freed at the end of the Shinjuku Showdown arc, followed by Sukuna’s death. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
Megumi Returns in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 268
In Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 268, Megumi breaks free from Sukuna when Yuji’s domain breaks and his soul blast weakens the barrier between Megumi and Sukuna’s soul.
Gege Akutami/Shueisha
Megumi’s release from Sukuna’s clutches has been a long time coming. While the main motivation behind the Shinjuku Showdown is to defeat Sukuna, characters like Yuji and Yuta give their all to save Megumi, even if the odds are stacked against them.
The first time this prospect seems real is during chapter 251, when Hana uses Jacob’s Ladder and Yuji uses his Soul Blast on Sukuna at the same time. But despite what it cost her friends, Megumi is too depressed to accept help and asks Yuji to give up.
But Yuji’s continued efforts finally pay off in Chapter 266, where the protagonist confesses that he won’t ask Megumi to live with his grief, but that he still feels lonely without him. Thanks to Yuji’s words, Megumi regains his will to live and fights in Chapter 268.
When Nobara uses her resonance on Sukuna’s last finger and allows Yuji to land a final blow on Sukuna, his domain shatters and the curse is torn from Megumi’s body, finally freeing the young wizard.
How long was Megumi captured by Sukuna?
Megumi was captured by Sukuna for 56 chapterswhich spanned a year and a half.
Gege Akutami/Shueisha
Since the beginning of Jujutsu Kaisen, Sukuna has been suspiciously interested in Megumi. He has saved the modern-day witch on several occasions and is shown to be excited when Megumi does something extraordinary, such as opening an incomplete domain expansion.
The reason behind the curse’s interest becomes clear in the Culling Game arc. In chapter 212, seeing Megumi’s despair at seeing Yorozu possess Tsumiki’s body, Sukuna takes advantage of her weak mental state and uses his binding wish on Yuji.
Taking control of Yuji’s body for a second, Sukuna forces Megumi to ingest one of his fingers, transferring himself into the young man’s body. At first, Megumi fights back, but he is too weak for Sukuna. However, the curse takes no chances and tramples on Megumi’s will to live by first killing Yorozu (and thus Tsumiki), then performing the bathing ritual.
What happens next?
Now that Megumi is free and Sukuna is gone, the future looks much brighter for him. For now, he’s recovering from his injuries (both mental and physical) and spending time with his friends.
In the future, Megumi is expected to continue being a jujutsu sorcerer. Despite this, he still has a lot of potential. Maybe one day he will master his domain extension and learn how to use Black Flash.
However, one thing is for sure: Megumi can no longer match or surpass Gojo, as his Ten Shadows technique has lost its best player. With Mahoraga and many of his powerful Shikigami no longer in existence, he will never be his best self again. But now that Sukuna is gone, maybe he won’t need to be.
Learn more about the world of jujutsu with our guides to Yuji Itadori’s family, Yuta Okkotsu’s estate expansion, Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, and the Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory movie.
