Following a brief broadcast intermission, Jujutsu Kaisen returns with another pivotal chapter. Season 3, Episode 8, titled “Tokyo Colony No. 1, Part 2,” resists the urge to immediately resolve the Episode 7 cliffhanger, which saw Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro isolated from one another within the confines of the colony. While the Culling Game offers little room for tranquility, the narrative takes a moment to breathe by exploring the tragic origins of a fascinating newcomer: Hiromi Higuruma.
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, episode 8]To recap the closing moments of Episode 7: Yuji encounters Ren Amai, while Megumi is approached by a sorcerer named Remi in a different sector of Tokyo Colony 1. Both protagonists are hunting for Higuruma, a participant whose accumulated points could facilitate a rule change to thwart Kenjaku’s machinations. However, their guides provide conflicting intel: Amai places Higuruma in Ikebukuro, while Remi insists he is in Shinjuku. This discrepancy sets the stage for betrayal. Rather than solving the mystery immediately, Episode 8 delves into Higuruma’s life as a defense attorney. A man of unwavering principles, he spent his career championing the marginalized in a legal system where conviction is almost an absolute certainty.
Image: MAPPA
Higuruma’s altruism is ultimately shattered by the cynical reality of the courts. His client, Keita Oe, is prosecuted for murder based on flimsy circumstantial proof. Despite Higuruma securing an initial acquittal, political and public pressure forces an appeal. In the second trial, despite evidence of another suspect’s existence, Oe is railroaded into a life sentence. This blatant miscarriage of justice breaks Higuruma’s psyche. His despair manifests into his cursed technique, summoning the shikigami known as Judgeman. In a surge of righteous fury, Higuruma utilizes his newfound powers to execute both the judge and the prosecutor within the courtroom.
The perspective then shifts back to the current crisis. Amai leads Yuji to Higuruma’s location, revealing a shared past where Yuji once protected the boy from tormentors. This confirmation of Amai’s loyalty simultaneously exposes Remi’s deception. Megumi is ambushed by Reggie Star, an enigmatic sorcerer who attempts to forge an alliance. Reggie provides a terrifying metaphor for Kenjaku’s ultimate objective, comparing the coming chaos to a nuclear fallout fueled by cursed energy.
In an Ikebukuro theater, Yuji confronts Higuruma, requesting that he utilize his 100 points to implement a new rule. When Higuruma adamantly refuses, the two prepare for a violent clash. Higuruma immediately deploys his Domain Expansion, Deadly Sentencing, establishing the unique battlefield for their duel. As the technique is an extension of Higuruma’s legalistic mind, what challenges await Yuji?
Decoding Higuruma’s Judicial Cursed Technique
Image: MAPPA
To grasp Higuruma’s power, one must first look at his Cursed Tool. The moment he struck his gavel in that fateful courtroom, he awakened his innate technique. This Gavel is a shapeshifting weapon, capable of transforming into a mallet, hook, or hammer as combat dictates. Much like a mythical weapon, it returns to his hand instantly after being thrown, making it lethal at any range.
Higuruma’s rapid mastery of sorcery is staggering. His analytical background allowed him to quickly internalize the complexities of barrier techniques and cursed energy manipulation. His Shikigami, Judgeman, takes inspiration from Lady Justice—a symbol of the impartial judgment Higuruma feels the world has abandoned. Furthermore, he has already achieved the use of Reverse Cursed Technique (RCT), allowing him to heal critical wounds in the midst of battle.
The Judicial Path to Weakening Sukuna
Image: MAPPA
Higuruma also utilizes Domain Amplification, creating a barrier around his body that can neutralize incoming techniques upon physical contact. While this prevents him from using his own innate abilities simultaneously, it is a sophisticated technique shared by only a few, such as Sukuna or the disaster curses Jogo and Hanami. It makes him a formidable defensive combatant.
His primary trump card, however, is the Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing. This manifests as a courtroom surrounded by guillotines, where Higuruma and his target face off in a legal trial. Inside, all physical violence is strictly prohibited. Judgeman acts as the prosecutor, presenting evidence of the defendant’s past sins. The opponent must defend themselves, choosing to confess, lie, or stay silent. If found guilty, the “Confiscation” penalty strips them of their cursed technique. If the “Death Penalty” is handed down, Higuruma’s Gavel transforms into the Executioner’s Sword—a weapon that guarantees death upon a single strike.
Image: MAPPA
Higuruma’s potential is immense. His ability to neutralize cursed energy and ignore conventional durability makes him a potential threat even to Sukuna. As the Culling Game escalates, he stands as a vital potential ally—provided Yuji can survive the trial of Deadly Sentencing and prove his own innocence. The verdict remains to be seen.
New episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 air every Thursday on Crunchyroll.
Source: Polygon
