What was the Culling Game for, and did it work?Fiction
In-universe lore. Claims are judged against the fiction's own canon, not the real world.
Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game is a rule-bound battle royale fought across ten barrier colonies, and the arc is argued over for its mechanics as much as for its fights. This is the sourced record of what the rules actually say, what the game was staged to achieve, and how far the text takes it.
8 established, 2 disputed, 2 debunked, 2 unresolved. We do not pick an answer; the evidence places each claim. How we decide
47 citations from 7 independent sources - 40 echo the same voices and count once. Graded B1-D1.
Added 4 Aug 2026 - canon current as of 4 Aug 2026
What the four states mean
- Establishedsupported, uncontested
- Disputedcredible sources disagree
- Debunkedrefuted by the evidence
- Unresolvedno settled answer
Established 8supported, uncontested
Once a player has awakened their cursed technique they must declare participation in the Culling Game at the colony of their choice within 19 days, and any player who breaks that rule is subject to cursed technique removal.▰▰▰▱▱ likely5 points
Supports- Once a player has awakened their cursed technique, they must declare their participation in the Culling Game at the colony of their choice within 19 days.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Any player who breaks the previous rule will be subject to cursed technique removal.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Rule 1. After awakening their cursed technique, players must go to a colony of their choice within 19 days and pledge their participation in the culling game.All of Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game Rules, Explained - Screen Rant analysis
- Rule 2. Players breaching the first rule shall be stripped of their technique.All of Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game Rules, Explained - Screen Rant analysis
- Anyone who has awakened their cursed technique must declare their participation within 19 days at the colony of their choice.All Rules Of The Culling Game In Jujutsu Kaisen, Explained - Game Rant analysis
Points come only from killing other players, and the point value of a life is set by the game master: as a general rule a sorcerer is worth 5 points and a non-sorcerer one point, and cursed spirit participants are worth 5 points as well.▰▰▰▱▱ likely5 points
Supports- Players score points by ending the lives of other players.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- The point value of a player's life is decided by the game master. As a general rule, sorcerers are worth 5 points and non-sorcerers are worth one point.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Cursed spirit participants are worth 5 points as well.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 175) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- The only way to earn points is by killing other players.All Rules Of The Culling Game In Jujutsu Kaisen, Explained - Game Rant analysis
- Sorcerers and cursed spirits are both worth 5 points, but non-sorcerers are only worth one point.Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Games Rules, Explained - CBR analysis
A player can expend 100 points, excluding the point value of their own life, to negotiate with the game master and add a new rule; the game master must accept any proposed new rule as long as it does not have a long-lasting effect on the game, and rules cannot be subtracted.▰▰▰▱▱ likely5 points
Supports- Excluding the point value of the player's own life, a player can expend 100 points to negotiate with the game master and add a new rule to the game.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Rules cannot be subtracted.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- In accordance with rule 6, the game master must accept any proposed new rule as long as it doesn't have a long-lasting effect on the game.Culling Game (Original Rules, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- The game master has to add any new rule, as long as it doesn't negatively impact the Culling Game.All Rules Of The Culling Game In Jujutsu Kaisen, Explained - Game Rant analysis
- It takes 100 points to do so, meaning that the quicker someone racks up 100 points, all the other participants are subject to their whims.Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Games Rules, Explained - CBR analysis
The Culling Game's purpose was to serve as a ritual for merging Tengen with the people of Japan: using the cursed energy generated by those eliminated inside the colonies, it would initiate a superposition merger through Tengen's barrier, in theory affecting over one hundred million non-sorcerers.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- The true purpose of the Culling Game was to serve as a ritual for merging Tengen with the people of Japan. Using the cursed energy generated by those eliminated inside the colonies, the ritual would initiate a superposition merger using Tengen's barrier to bring Japanese people "to the other side". In theory, this would affect over one hundred million non-sorcerers and create an amalgamation of all of their cursed energy that exceeds the limits of sorcerers and cursed spirits.Culling Game (The Great Merger, Ch 202) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- According to Master Tengen, the Culling Game uses the players' cursed energy and the barriers for a ritual that prepares the humans of Japan for the merger.Culling Game (Ch 145) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Every non-sorcerer in Japan would be merged with Tengen, dissolving the boundaries between individual humans and creating something entirely new.The Culling Game Explained | All 11 Rules & Kenjaku's Plan - Fandom Haven summary
Ten colonies were sealed off across Japan by barriers that connect to one another and form a line directly down the archipelago, with Hokkaido excluded; Kenjaku created the colonies using bon barriers, taking Tengen's pure barriers as their foundation.▰▰▰▱▱ likely4 points
Supports- The ten colonies across Japan are sealed off by barriers that connect to one another and form a line directly down the archipelago. Each barrier is named after the area they cover (e.g. the Sendai Colony) and they are meant to serve as battlegrounds for players to freely fight and kill one another to score points. The purpose of this setup is to send Japanese people to "the other side" once the Culling Game has been completed. This does not include Hokkaido in the north because of the Jujutsu Society and its status as a vast sacred zone.Culling Game Colonies (Ch 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Kenjaku created the colonies using bon barriers, taking advantage of Tengen's pure barriers as their foundation. He knew that destroying the pure barriers wasn't an option the jujutsu sorcerers would consider.Culling Game Colonies (Ch 220) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Ten colonies have been established throughout Japan, each connected by a barrier that isolates those within.All of Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game Rules, Explained - Screen Rant analysis
- The only area without a colony is Hokkaido due to Tengen's barrier.All of Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game Rules, Explained - Screen Rant analysis
Rules cannot be subtracted but can be countered by players in roundabout ways with added rules, and that is how the tenth rule arrived: one hundred points bought a rule letting players transfer any number of points between one another, negotiated with the game master so that it would affect Rule 8, the cursed technique removal that follows a score remaining the same for 19 days.▰▰▰▱▱ likely6 points
Supports- While rules of the game can't be subtracted, they can be countered by players in roundabout ways with added rules.Culling Game (Ch 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Higuruma agreed with Yuji to use his points to add a rule that allowed the transfer of points between players. Using Kogane, Higuruma negotiated with the game master that this rule would affect Rule 8 involving Cursed Technique Removal. The rule was approved as the tenth rule of the game and Higuruma used his Kogane to transfer one point to Yuji.Kogane (Ch 167) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- He deems Yuji innocent and throws the fight, agreeing to help Yuji by spending one hundred points to add rule ten to the Culling Game.Culling Game (Ch 166 and 167) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Players may transfer any number of points between one another.Culling Game (Rule 10, Ch 167) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- If a player's score remains the same for 19 days, they will be subject to cursed technique removal.Culling Game (Rule 8, Ch 143) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Players can freely transfer points to other players.The Culling Game Explained | All 11 Rules & Kenjaku's Plan - Fandom Haven summary
The cursed energy the ritual needed did not come from the players alone: by November 14th the amount required for the Great Merger was still insufficient save for the Tokyo and Sendai colonies, and Kenjaku lured non-sorcerer soldiers into the colonies at night to be sacrificed to cursed spirits, the cursed energy released at their deaths completing the preparation for the merger.▰▰▱▱▱ likely1 source
Supports- By November 14th, the amount of cursed energy required for the Great Merger was still insufficient save for the Tokyo and Sendai colonies. Using the guise of capturing sorcerers to study cursed energy as an alternative resource as bait, Kenjaku lured non-sorcerer soldiers into the colonies at night to be sacrificed to cursed spirits. The cursed energy non-sorcerers release at death filled the colonies with cursed energy and completed the preparation for the merger.Culling Game (The Great Merger, Ch 209 and 210) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
The Great Merger never happened: with Sukuna's defeat the Culling Game lost its purpose and the Great Merger was ultimately prevented.▰▰▱▱▱ likely2 points
Supports- Tengen's absorbed vestiges were left in Sukuna's remains. With Sukuna's defeat, the Culling Game lost its purpose, and the Great Merger was ultimately prevented.Culling Game (Ch 270) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Lost purpose after Sukuna and Kenjaku's defeat.Culling Game (outcome) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
Disputed 2credible sources disagree
The arc's rule load is read both ways: it is called difficult to follow even for manga readers because of the sheer number of rules, colonies and characters, and notorious for heavy exposition dumps stemming from the game's complex mechanics, while another reading holds that things become clearer as its battles go on.▰▰▰▱▱ likely1 against4 points
Supports- Even for readers of Jujutsu Kaisen's manga, the Culling Game arc was difficult to follow due to the sheer number of rules, colonies, and characters involved.Jujutsu Kaisen Officially Fixes Season 3's Biggest Mistake - Screen Rant analysis
- The Culling Game Arc is notorious for its heavy exposition dumps, much of which stems from the complex mechanics of the game itself.Understanding the Culling Game: Jujutsu Kaisen's most confusing arc - Dawn analysis
- The Culling Game is the longest arc in the series at 63 chapters, and it introduces fighters at a rapid paceJujutsu Kaisen Season 3 review: Why the Culling Game totally surpasses the Shibuya Incident - Fanstanza analysis
Against- For those who were blindsided by the flickering glimpses of Jujutsu Kaisen's rules for the Culling Game, things become clearer as its battles go on.All of Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game Rules, Explained - Screen Rant analysis
What the Culling Game was collecting is argued over inside the story itself: it was originally believed that gathering the players' cursed energy into the colonies was the primary goal, and that reading was challenged on the grounds of the number of players, the wide difference in skill, and rules that emphasize permanence.▰▰▰▱▱ roughly even chance1 against2 points
Supports- It was originally believed by Megumi Fushiguro and his allies that collecting the cursed energy of the players into the colonies was the primary goal of the Culling Game.Culling Game (The Great Merger, Ch 167) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
Against- Reggie Star argued that couldn't be the case due to the number of players, the wide difference in skill, and the rules of the game that emphasize permanence. Strong players weeded out the weaker ones within the first twelve days, resulting in several colonies quickly reaching a deadlock. If the true goal of the Culling Game was to use the players' cursed energy, then a lengthy battle royal would be more suitable.Culling Game (The Great Merger, Ch 167) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
Debunked 2refuted by the evidence
Cursed technique removal, the penalty for missing the Culling Game's declaration deadline, is sometimes described as being carried out via Idle Transfiguration, but the mechanic is elsewhere described as a mysterious process that does not involve Idle Transfiguration.Refuted by
Cursed Technique Removal is a mysterious process that does not involve Idle Transfiguration. Shoko Ieiri theorizes that it affects the player's brain and would kill them. Otherwise, all the players could simply refuse to participate. Master Tengen confirms that the process would indeed end the player's life.
refuted1 against2 pointsThe claim rested on- Players who fail to join a colony are subject to their cursed technique being removed via Idle Transfiguration.Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Games Rules, Explained - CBR analysis
Refuted by- Cursed Technique Removal is a mysterious process that does not involve Idle Transfiguration. Shoko Ieiri theorizes that it affects the player's brain and would kill them. Otherwise, all the players could simply refuse to participate. Master Tengen confirms that the process would indeed end the player's life.Culling Game (Rules, Ch 143 and 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
The idea that Kenjaku personally decides whether a newly proposed rule stands does not hold: the ritual required him to take a binding vow that he is not the game master, and the game master itself is left vague.Refuted by
In order to perform such a ritual, Kenjaku has undertaken specific binding vows, one of them being that he is not the game master. This works against Megumi's group because killing Kenjaku will not end the game. The Culling will continue until all the players are dead and its rules ensure that nothing can interrupt the ritual.
refuted2 against3 pointsThe claim rested on- Rule 6's new additions will be the new law of the land as long as Kenjaku decides it doesn't interfere with the Culling Games' continuation.Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Games Rules, Explained - CBR analysis
Refuted by- In order to perform such a ritual, Kenjaku has undertaken specific binding vows, one of them being that he is not the game master. This works against Megumi's group because killing Kenjaku will not end the game. The Culling will continue until all the players are dead and its rules ensure that nothing can interrupt the ritual.Culling Game (Ch 145 and 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Kenjaku is not the game master. The actual "game master" is left vague, but it appears to be a reference to the operating system of the game itself, which is managed by the Kogane shikigami.The Culling Game Explained | All 11 Rules & Kenjaku's Plan - Fandom Haven summary
Unresolved 2no settled answer
The identity of the Culling Game's game master is left vague: little is known about it, and the shikigami that act as the game's interface are described as the programming of the game rather than its actual masters.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- Little is known about the game master, but shikigami known as Kogane serve as the game interface. All players are subject to strict rules, but Kenjaku will receive no bias.Culling Game (Ch 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Master Tengen first mentioned the Kogane when discussing the Culling Game with Yuji Itadori and his allies, describing them as the programming of the game rather than the actual masters of it.Kogane (Ch 146) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- The actual "game master" is left vague, but it appears to be a reference to the operating system of the game itself, which is managed by the Kogane shikigami.The Culling Game Explained | All 11 Rules & Kenjaku's Plan - Fandom Haven summary
The Culling Game has unaddressed rules that come about due to the barriers: answering Kogane's message on entering a colony randomly transfers a player to one of nine pre-established locations, which both spreads players out and catalyzes a secondary awakening within new players.▰▰▱▱▱ likely2 points
Supports- There are unaddressed rules in the Culling Game that come about due to the barriers. When a player answers Kogane's message upon entering a colony, they are randomly transferred to one of nine pre-established locations. This process not only prevents players from entering the game together by spreading them out but also catalyzes a secondary awakening within new players.Culling Game (Barrier Rules, Ch 161 and 167) - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
- Upon entry, players are randomly transported to one of nine predetermined locations within the colony.Culling Game Colonies - Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki primary
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