- Kyoka Jiro Guide: A Story of Music and Heroism - June 22, 2022
- Mahito Jujutsu Kaisen Guide - June 13, 2022
- Nanami Jujutsu Kaisen Guide - May 26, 2022
Jujutsu Kaisen has a plethora of unique and fun characters with deep backstories and funny quirks. What makes the show truly a masterpiece to experience is its harsh, cruel, and true villains. One of the most malicious and vile antagonists in anime that I have ever seen is Mahito. Out of all the enemies the sorcerers had to face, none were as vicious and manipulative as Mahito.
His sadistic personality, coupled with the will to destroy humanity, leaves no room for any empathy. He will go to any bounds to satisfy his curiosity and fulfill his goals.
Mahito scored 25th place in the first character popularity contest and 19th place in the second one. This represents how enamored fans were with his evil antics. He is undoubtedly one of the most notorious villains in the series. He creates terrific thrilling moments for us to enjoy.
“Life has no weight of particular value. Just like how water flows simply from the earth, life simply flows.”
This article will provide information about Mahito. It will be an in-depth guide about one of the most infamous characters of Jujutsu Kaisen (Warning! Spoilers)
Mahito “The Special Grade Cursed Spirit”
Most cursed spirits are birthed from fear of Urban Legends or Natural Disasters, but Mahito was born from the collected hatred of humanity. A new curse born with a childlike whimsicality, Mahito pertains none of the innocence of a child. He might be one of, if not the only cursed spirit to take a human-esque appearance.
As soon as he emerges, he defines his goal to eradicate humanity and allow cursed spirits to take their place as the new humans, and he would go to any extent needed to fulfill it. For his goals, Mahito has allied with Kenjaku, the group fighting for the cause led by Pseudo Suguru Geto.
Since Mahito is newly born, he loves to experiment with the limits of his strengths, powers, and even human emotions to understand the world and himself better.
The special grade curse is feared by many and served the purpose of being the perfect nemesis for Yuji Itadori, who similarly was in the process of growth. Mahito disregards life entirely and tries to find new ways to satisfy his sadistic desires, albeit through intense battles or manipulating others.
Appearance
Mahito was born with a human-like appearance and is 179cm tall. His entire body consists of patchwork, with a prominent stitch horizontally going between the face and a vertical one on the right side. He has stitches all over his body and could be compared to a handsome version of Frankenstein’s monster but with a pale hue.
He has grey eyes in the manga and heterochromia with one blue eye in the anime. He has long grey hair that goes beyond his shoulders and is tied at the very end. He is usually seen wearing a black shawl/cape like a poncho with the left side cut into three pieces connected to the cloth. Mahito wears black pants along with white shoes if he even decides to wear them.
Personality
I find Mahito to be the most dangerous character out of all the introduced villains in Jujutsu Kaisen. This is not just because of the ideology he follows but also because of the intense nature that allows him to keep growing stronger.
His utter disregard for life and cold-blooded nature kills humans and transfigures their souls without remorse.
Where many cursed spirits kill humans, Mahito toys with their personality, plays with their emotions and uses them instead of killing them. He only finishes them after he’s done with them. He converts them into monstrosities where they are aware of what is happening, wishing for death but unable to control their being and existing in pain.
As exclaimed by Nanami, Mahito is still a young cursed spirit. He thrives on hatred, insecurities, and the woes of humanity. He is usually calm and composed. Mahito carefully plots his actions to attain the best outcome; he placed a binding vow on Koikichi Muta so that he would have insider knowledge of what occurs.
His inventive and extroverted nature allows him to create connections and leave his mark wherever he can. Even with all those qualities, Mahito enjoys his existence, he fears death and losing his presence in the world.
Sadistic
“It was only recently that the joy and pleasure I feel in battle became my motive. Before I knew it, I was tricking, deceiving, and murdering. I felt fulfilled.”
Mahito is a sadistic creature that initially enjoyed his experimentation on human beings to understand his powers. His lack of empathy strengthens his resolve. As a cursed spirit born from human disdain and hatred, Mahito lacks any and all sympathy for human life and believes that curses should eradicate them.
His sadistic nature is apparent when he is seen enjoying transfiguring the souls of other human beings and converting them into disfigured beings purely for experimentation. He delights in experimenting with human souls and is seen dismorphing many humans and reveling in learning more about the soul and its transfiguration.
His sadistic nature shone in the Junpei arc, especially when he was about to end Junpei’s life, even after teaching him and making him into a villain. He used Junpei to force Itadori so that he would allow Sukuna to control his body to save him.
When Sukuna refused, Mahito killed him with the only thought in his mind being, “Maybe I should’ve tried something else.”
He takes pleasure in messing with his opponents even during battles and enjoys toying with them every chance he gets.
Manipulative
“Just as when you’re hungry, you eat. You can kill someone when you hate them. I shall allow it.”
Mahito maintains a cool and calm demeanor mainly because normal curse users cannot damage him unless they attack and damage his soul. His entire persona focuses on different ways with which he can experience new things and reach his goals.
Mahito’s dark, twisted personality was apparent when he started using Junpei to achieve his goals with Itadori. Not only did he act as Junpei’s ally, teaching him how to use hatred to harness curse energy, but he also devised a plot to break and use him to fulfill his desires.
When he attacked Yuji Itadri, he sent many transfigured humans his way, and judging by their dialogue, we can assume that some were children. He placed Sukuna’s finger inside Junpei’s house, which led a cursed spirit to murder his mother. He pointed to Shota Ito as the sole perpetrator causing Junpei to shift towards evil.
Ideology and Conviction
“What came first? The body or the soul?”
Mahito was born from the combined hatred of the human race and dealt with the manipulation of human souls. His growth also includes the need to understand the working of the universe. Mahito believes that the soul came first and then gave shape to what the body is, as he said when speaking to Nanami.
“I am the only one who understands souls.” Mahito’s obsession with human souls derives from his curse power. He enjoys his experiments on human beings to learn more about them. To him, life just exists as a flow, nothing more, nothing less.
Self-serving
Even though Mahito is part of a team of curses trying to reach a similar goal and seems to be proud of them, his actions reflect a selfish persona that only looks out for himself.
He does not care for humans, and he doesn’t care for other ally cursed spirits either. He didn’t care about nor mourn the death of Hanami. He forgot his team’s goals to allow Sukuna to join them during his fight with Itadori and made it his sole purpose to kill him.
His focus began shifting to finding and destroying anyone that would be able to harm him.
Abilities and Fighting Style
Relatively very young, Mahito, even when he emerged, attained the rank of Special Grade Cursed Spirit. When he first went against the sorcerers, namely Nanami, he was weaker than Jogo. He had not gained the necessary experience to create his own fighting style. Even with those odds, Mahito managed to overwhelm Nanami.
The strongest ability Mahito possess is his ability to grow continuously, especially after near-death battles. He always managed to flee whenever he reached his limit and returned more robust than ever.
Mahito is one of the most potent antagonists in anime history in terms of growth since his abilities have gone far beyond even the protagonist in a short time. His capacity to keep learning and become stronger is fierce, coupled with his innate talents, which make him a force to be reckoned with.
Tactical Ability and Intellect
Mahito is one of the smartest antagonists in the series. He managed to set up traps after deducing the sorcerers were looking into him. He is usually the brains of the operations as he performed by using Junpei. He can create countermeasures in battles very quickly. He used his ability well against Aoi Todo and his Boogie Woogie technique.
Mahito isn’t afraid to use any means to achieve victory. He used transfigured humans to stop Yuji Itadori in his tracks. It even made it difficult for him to defeat them.
He used Junpei as leverage to make Itadori bring out Sukuna, and when he didn’t, he killed Junpei anyway. His most crucial quality regarding his intellect would be his self-awareness in battle and knowing when and how to flee if the odds are stacked against him.
Physical Prowess
Mahito has excellent physical strength, but he can go one step further by using his Idle Transfiguration. With this technique, he can change the composition of his soul to become even stronger. He could pin both Nanami and Itadori to a wall with ease. He is so strong that he managed to split Itadori’s skull open with a punch and heavily injured Aoi with his black flash.
Not only is he strong but highly agile as well. He managed to strike Nanami with Idle Transfiguration in an instant. He quickly got behind Itadori to attack during his first fight, where Nanami saved him. He also transformed his body many times to make his escape swiftly.
Resilience
He is exceptionally resilient and was able to take heavy blows head-on by Nanami and Aoi Todo; Physical hits deal Mahito next to no damage. Even when Yuji Itadori attacked his soul, Mahito could still hold his own against him and Nanami during the first battle.
During his second battle, he could withstand several black flash hits from Yuji, even those that managed to destroy stone columns. After every death-defying battle, Mahito overcame the obstacles to grow stronger.
Abilities
Curse Energy
Mahito, being a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, maintains large reserves of cursed energy. His energy is so significant that Nanami exclaimed that fighting Mahito until it runs out would be unrealistic. The only time his energy ran out was the first time he used Domain Expansion.
After suffering through several near-death experiences, Mahito’s control grew so refined that he could use multiple curse techniques. Mahito refined his control so much during the Shibuya incident that he also used the Black Flash.
Black Flash
A difficult-to-master technique cursed energy technique which increases the damage from cursed attacks 2.5 times. It is so difficult to execute that many just leave its execution to luck. After learning it during the Shibuya Incident, he managed to use it twice.
Idle Transfiguration
The innate ability from which Mahito’s other capabilities extend from. It grants Mahito the power to distort and manipulate souls changing their bodies as a result. Mahito’s most potent force gives him the ability to kill or distort any other being’s soul and, in turn, their body upon contact.
He can also change his own shape with this power, such that physical attacks are rendered useless against him. Anyone can only protect themselves from this power by using their own cursed energy to defend themselves.
Still, If enough curse energy is poured, any being can be disfigured. His ability is so strong that it can even change the effects of heavenly restrictions, such in the case of Koichiki Muta.
Any being that gets transfigured dies or eventually dies.
Soul Multiplicity
By using his innate abilities, Mahito can merge two or more souls.
Body Repel
Soul multiplicity allows the fusion of two souls, but this is unnatural, so the souls reject each other. Utilizing the power of rejection creates an intense force and transfigured humans who attack at mid-range. This is called Body Repel. He used this technique to mow down many normal humans; he also used it to dodge Aoi Todo’s Boogie Woogie. Mahito used it to keep pressure on Yuji Itadori.
Polymorphic Soul Isomer
Using the Soul Multiplicity and combining many weak souls into one, Mahito can create a transfigured stable being who is an attack specialist. Since it has a powerful attacking ability, the tradeoff is its fragility and defense against cursed energy.
Mahito used it to keep Yuji busy and on other occasions in Shibuya.
Spirit Body of Distorted Killing
One of if not his most destructive ability, it is a unique ability only available to the user of Idle Transfiguration when they realize the innate capabilities of their own soul. The technique allows the user to morph themself into a more powerful being than before with high durability.
The binding Vow imposed on this technique by Mahito is that he would be unable to transfigure himself while in this form. Still, his destructive power would increase to its maximum.
This state is about 200 percent stronger than his original state; however, the vow is not imposed on the black tendrils in this form, allowing him to transfigure others on contact. He used this form in Shibuya against Yuji and Todo. After using the Black Flash, he realized his true self and then learned this form.
Curtain
A common technique used to keep an area hidden or maintain secrecy by covering the entire area with cursed energy. The strength of the curtain depends on the energy of the user.
Self-Embodiment of Perfection (Domain Expansion)
It is the name of the Domain Expansion used by Mahito. The most powerful technique used by any Jujutsu user requiring immense skill creates a separate space for the user and the affected where the user’s innate ability indeed destroys the target.
With Mahito’s domain, he can transfigure the targets at will, always being in contact with their souls.
Mahito: A True Evil
Origin and Beginning
Mahito himself, while talking to Junpei, said that he was born due to the hatred between humans. As soon as we see Mahito, he is a member of Kenjaku’s group whose sole purpose is the eradication of humans and the supremacy of Cursed Spirits.
While Yuji and the others are training, Mahito plans with Suguru geto and the others at a beach.
Junpei and the First Encounter
After transfiguring several humans at a cinema, Mahito then meets Junpei. Mahto leads him into the sewers and teaches him about cursed energy, spirits, and his experiments on humans. Strong on his lead, Nanami reaches Mahito in the sewers. They get into a heated battle, and Mahito finds someone able to resist his Idle Transfiguration for the first time.
The fight becomes a challenge for Nanami, who realizes that Mahito will become a hassle for sorcerers, even as a young cursed spirit if left unchecked. Nanami buries Mahito under the rubble and flees, from which Mahito escapes using Transfiguration on himself.
Creating Evil and Using it
To use Junpei against Itadori, Mahito uses Sukuna’s finger to allow a cursed spirit to creep into Junpei’s home and kill his mother. He then leads Junpei to believe that the ones responsible for this incident were his bullies and helps him in attacking them.
Mahito, during his fight against Yuji, holds Junpei hostage and forces him to allow Sukuna to take control. Sukuna rejects the offer, and in response, Mahito kills Junpei leading to a great fight against Yuji. When Mahito finally overpowers Yuji Itadori, Nanami appears and helps Yuji in this battle, allowing Yuji to escape.
Mahito then goes head to head with Nanami, who cannot damage him since Mahito can only be damaged if his soul is attacked. As Mahito starts to win the battle, Yuji returns to help Nanami. Since Yuji can directly attack Nanami’s soul, they launch a counterattack against him.
Mahito grows during this near-death experience and learns to use his Domain Expansion but is left damaged due to him trying to reach for Yuji, which in turn leads him to Sukuna. After almost dying, Mahito manages to flee the combat and decides to recover in the sewers.
The Heist (Kyoto Goodwill)
Mahito plans with Jogo and Geto to retrieve Sukuna’s fingers by invading Jujutsu High. During the event, Mahito goes off on his own to steal Sukuna’s finger and manages to acquire three Death Painting Wombs as well, while the others distract the sorcerers.
After successfully fulfilling his mission, he manages to rescue the injured Hanami and flee the scene. Later on, Mahito uses the Death Painting Wombs on humans to create strong cursed spirits with bodies.
Warning! The Following has not been animated and is only part of the manga for now.
A Deal with the Devil (Shibuya)
Mahito, along with Suguru Geto, go to meet with Kokichi Muta. Upon arrival, Geto urges Mahito to fulfill his vow made with Muta and heal him back to his original body. As soon as the obligations are complete, the battle begins. Mahito refuses help from Geto and takes out multiple mechamaru.
Afterward he believes that Kokichi Muta has fled the scene. Still, Mahito is surprised when the ground beneath him breaks, and he comes face to face with Ultimate Mechamaru.
The fight is intense, but as Mahito jumps onto Mechamaru to strike, he gets attacked by a bomb and loses his arm. Mahito is surprised to notice that his soul is also damaged by this attack and begins contemplating a solid counter.
While dodging his attacks, Mahito finally manages to engulf Kokichi in his Domain Expansion and start celebrating his victory. Suddenly, Mahito is attacked by Mechamaru, and his expansion ends because Kokichi uses a Simple Domain which shocks Mahito.
As soon as Kokichi plans to attack Geto, he is attacked by Mahito, who breaks the cockpit and defeats him.
October 31st – Shibuya
Mahito, in preparation for the big plan, transfigured many humans at the Jingumae station and placed them in a curtain. He then makes his way to the Tokyo station. When he feels that the curtain has been lifted Mahito moves forward with the plan.
He confronts Gojo but is stunned along with everyone else due to his powerful domain expansion. After recovering, he notices that Geto has sealed Gojo. While they start discussing their plans, Kokichi witnesses the entire situation and is detected later on by everyone involved. The next thing Mahito hears is Yuji yelling about what had occurred to the others.
Mahito announces that they no longer need Sukuna. Even when Jogo tries to stop Mahito from being reckless, he splits himself into two, dodging Jogo, and takes off on his own to find the sorcerers. He notices a burned Nanami at death’s door. He uses his Idle Transfiguration to take out one of his main nemesis. Yuji walks in while Nanami is landing the finishing blow in Nanami Kento.
The Final Fight
The copy of Mahito goes against Nobara, who uses her resonance technique to damage Mahito’s soul. This causes both Mahito to lose their composure and try to flee. Both Mahito converges at a hallway where Yuji attacks the clone. Still, the original manages to transfigure half of Nobara’s face causing it to burst.
Mahito capitalizing on this moment, launches an attack against Yuji, almost defeating him but is transported by Todo’s power. Yuji and Todo launch a firm counter against Mahito, who learns from this battle as he always does and throws Yuji away from them to focus on Aoi Todo.
Mahito using what he learned from Satorou Gojo, uses domain expansion for a brief second to cut off Aoi Todo’s hand. Using Black Flash in the battle, Mahito figures out another strong Spirit Body of Distorted Killing technique.
Still, before he uses it, Todo uses Mahito’s hand to trigger Boogie Woogie and shift with Yuji, who launches an attack.
Mahito, after regaining his footing, uses his Spirit Body of Distorted to overpower Yuji with his new form and unleashes destructive power. Still, due to the brilliant maneuver played by Yuji and Todo, Mahito gets hit by a solid all-out attack from Yuji. Even after suffering a near-death defeat, Mahito manages to scurry away from them.
No Honor Among Curses
Mahito runs away from the sorcerers and is confronted by Geto, who defeats Yuji with a strong attack. Mahito in turn, attacks Geto, citing that he knew that Geto was never indeed an ally. Mahito is then absorbed by Geto, who before dying says that he knew Geto’s plan for him all along.
Mahito serves as a mirror to every noble sorcerer portraying the culmination of all negative human emotions. His remarkable growth and intricately planned actions served as a strong motive for Yuji Itadori’s growth. Mahito served as a crucial antagonist whose ideals opposed all that Yuji and Nanami stood for.
His presence was necessary to show us how cruel curses can be. His death serves as the building block for the upcoming arcs of Jujutsu Kaisen, where Kenjaku would be able to use Idle Transfiguration. Mahito’s death shows that not all endings are beautiful, which is consistent with the dark and gritty themes of Jujutsu Kaisen, portraying the harsh realities of life.
Notable Relationships
Suguru Geto
Accredited as the leader of their curse group, Mahito acknowledges him as a leader and goes along with his plans. Mahito does not trust him even though they’re part of the same team, showing the actual and selfish nature of curses.
Junpei
Mahito’s so-called student, Mahito, doesn’t honestly care for Junpei at all, even though the latter trusted him as his friend. To Mahito, Junpei had always been a fun experiment coinciding with his nature he does not care for life.
Jogo and Hanami
As part of the same team, Mahito doesn’t care for them much but works with them to fulfill his goals. He is always ready to fight with Jogo and doesn’t even flinch when he finds out that the sorcerers have finished Hanami.
Nanami Kento
The first strong enemy Mahito faced. He was a thorn at Mahito’s side, and fights with him allowed Mahito to grow stronger. He was finally able to exact his revenge against Nanami at Shibuya, ending their rivalry.
Yuji Itadori
Nanami finds Itadori to be similar to himself but with differing ideals. Where Yuji values all life, Nanami values no life at all. They are mirror images of each other, with Mahito declaring Yuji as his arch-nemesis.
Mahito believes that Yuji is the only man able to destroy his soul, and as such, he makes it his purpose to kill him. The battles against Yuji allow Mahito to grow tremendous amounts, causing them both to surpass their limits.
Fun Facts about Mahito
- Mahito claims that all near-death experiences make him stronger.
- The name Mahito means “Authentic person.”
- He can transfigure his soul to turn into animals as well.
- His goals are to rid the world of humans and create a world filled with cursed spirits.
- His transfiguration is also able to change the effects of Heavenly Binding.
- He is Korei Horikoshi’s favorite character. He is the author of My Hero Academia.
Mahito Jujustu Kaisen: FAQs
Question: Why does Mahito Look Like a Human?
Answer: Mahito’s human appearance comes from his origin. All negative human emotion created Mahito, and so he is represented as a curse in a human figure, but he can also manipulate his shape.
This is also a reference to how human emotions take various forms and are represented in different ways, positive and negative.
Question: Is Mahito Truly Gone?
Answer: Geto used Uzumaki on Mahito to extract his entire being and absorb him, which shows his current status as dead. Many hypothesize that a curse like Mahito might be reborn again since there is no end to human hatred, but currently, this Mahito is gone for good.
Question: Did Mahito Ever Care for Junpei?
Answer: It seems as if Mahito was only toying with Junpei as a means to gain new experiences. Mahito forced Junpei to turn evil, used him to achieve his goals then mercilessly killed him. So no, Mahito never cared for Junpei at all.