Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 212 features one of the most shocking twists we've seen so far in the shounen series. So, what to make of the cliffhanger? Is Megumi Fushiguro really dead?
Below, we explain the latest conflict between Megumi and Sukuna, and the possible outcome for the beloved deuteragonist of Jujutsu Kaisen.
The Reappearance of Megumi's Sister
Before explaining what the latest updates mean for Megumi's chances of survival, here's some context about the reappearance of Tsumiki, Megumi's sister, who was a major motive for Megumi's work against the Culling Game.
In Chapters 211 and 212 of Jujutsu Kaisen, Megumi is up for a nasty shock when he finds out that his supposed sister isn't who she claims to be.
Following the arrival of foreign soldiers in the colony and the realization that humanity's forced merger with Tengen is a matter of time, Yuji and Megumi negotiate with game master Kogane to add a new rule to the Culling Game.
Kogane doesn't accept their exact suggestion but is willing to let players go if they spend 100 points and find a replacement for themselves. Megumi hopes to use this rule to free Tsumiki from the Culling Game.
Instead, he finds out that the person in front of him isn't his sister but an incarnated vessel.
What the Latest Culling Game Rule Means
Yuji and Megumi come to this realization when "Tsumiki" initiates a new Culling Game rule that will allow players to enter and exit the colonies freely.
While this might seem like a desirable result, it is actually a very dangerous proposition because it doesn't guarantee that everyone involved will move out of the colonies and into safety.
Instead, this could mean that "Tsumiki" or anyone else with malevolent intentions could enter the colonies unchecked and harm the sorcerers. They might even pursue those who attempt to escape.
This new rule might also allow players in colonies where no further progression can be made to continue pursuing players in still-active colonies.
Moreover, the bloodshed could spread and come to include non-players and non-sorcerers due to the chaos that might ensue during a disordered exit.
Chapter 212 further confirms that the person posing as Tsumiki is, in fact, a reincarnated vessel used by the ancient Jujutsu sorcerer, Yorozu.
As fans had already suspected, Yorozu uses the newly established Culling Game rule to have a battle on their own terms with their opponent of choice, who happens to be Sukuna.
But since Sukuna is a character associated with Yuji Itadori, how does this affect Megumi?
Megumi vs. Sukuna Explained
Of course, Yuji's first reaction is to chase "Tsumiki" with no intention of turning into Sukuna. Unfortunately, the choice is made for him when Sukuna decides to use his Binding Vow.
Remember that the Binding Vow means that Sukuna can take over and use Yuji's body at any time for a full minute when chanting "Enchain."
Yuji cannot fight against this, as the second rule of the Vow was that he would forget all about it.
Yuji had tried to prevent this Vow from ever being established but Sukuna overpowered him.
At least, Yuji successfully added his own rule; that Sukuna wouldn't be able to kill or harm others during this one minute.
Up until this point, Sukuna wasn't sure how far he can go or what type of damage he could cause during his one minute.
Upon trying, he finds that he is able to inflict cursed energy on one of Yuji's fingers.
Sukuna is able to do so because when Yuji made a rule to prevent Sukuna from harming others, our protagonist didn't include himself.
Sukuna then goes on to sever the cursed finger and force-feed it to Megumi.
After Sukuna forces Megumi to ingest a finger infested with his cursed energy, it seems that the king of curses has left Yuji for good and is now using Megumi as his vessel.
The chapter's last scene shows that Megumi's face is now altered in the way Yuji's was when Sukuna took over.
Meanwhile, Yuji watches in terror, and his signature under-eye slits that signify Sukuna's presence are no longer visible.
So, Is Megumi Dead?
Until we have official confirmation of the opposite, there's a sliver of hope that Megumi could be alive, just as Yuji has managed to survive so far. However, fans are very worried about Megumi's fate as his survival seems unlikely.
While it's true that Yuji shared his body with Sukuna for a long time with no detrimental effect on himself, it has been strongly implied that this isn't a regular occurrence.
Rather, it was only possible because Yuji happened to be a compatible vessel.
There is no indication that Megumi is equally compatible and, in fact, it would be an extreme coincidence if he were.
Hopeful fans note that Megumi's appearance doesn't seem drastically altered by Sukuna's presence, as he only sports the slits and facial markings that Yuji also had when Sukuna would temporarily take over.
However, this doesn't mean too much, as Tsumiki's appearance was entirely normal but she still turned out to be a vessel.
Therefore, it is possible that Sukuna might have chosen Megumi as his permanent vessel, and that Megumi won't be able to tolerate the poisonous energy that Yuji was mostly alright with.
If that were the case, it's possible that Sukuna is only keeping Megumi's appearance in order to taunt Yuji.
Predictions and Theories About Megumi's Fate
Of course, it's hard to believe that a character like Megumi would die so unceremoniously without warning and with so many loose ends, and fans do hope that he will at least get another chance to fight.
At this point, the manga could take either route, though it seems unlikely that the status quo will ever be the same.
The entire premise of Jujutsu Kaisen rests on Yuji's unlikely symbiotic relationship with Sukuna, which has now changed, likely for good.
How JJK Might End, According to Gege Akutami
Amidst many fan theories and worried posts, fans quote a 2020 interview with creator Gege Akutami.
In the interview, Jujutsu Kaisen's author claimed there were two possibilities for everyone's favorite group, that is, Satoru Gojo and the first-year students: either only one of them would die, or all would die except for one.
While it was commonly believed that Yuji would likely have to make the ultimate sacrifice in the end, the latest chapter upsets this assumption.
If Gege Akutami's hint remains correct, it is possible that Yuji might be the only one from the original main cast to remain alive, especially since Nobara Kugisaki and Gojo's fates are already uncertain.
Of course, Akutami's comment is not binding. The shonen manga was ongoing at the time of the interview, and it remains so more than two years later.
Therefore, even if the creator's comment back then was true to his vision of Jujutsu Kaisen at that time, it's possible that this vision has changed.
Whatever the case, while Megumi's present circumstances seem too shocking to be true, it wouldn't be the first time a Jujutsu Kaisen character is subjected to a twisted fate without a satisfying resolution.
Until the next chapter comes out, we can't know for sure whether Megumi has died, so stay tuned for the latest updates.
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