In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen , the Culling Game isn't a traditional tournament with a trophy at the end—it’s a ritualistic meat grinder designed by Kenjaku to facilitate a forced evolution of humanity. "Winning" is less about being the last one standing and more about surviving the system or manipulating it to your advantage.
If you were a player dropped into a colony, here are the strategic pillars to survive and "win."
1. Gamify the System (Points & Rules)
The game’s most powerful mechanic is the ability to add rules. To do this, you need 100 points , which typically requires killing 20 sorcerers (at 5 points each).
- Farm Points Safely: High-tier sorcerers like Kashimo or Higuruma hunted aggressively to stack points. If you aren't Special Grade, your best bet is targeting weaker "Awakened" players rather than "Incarnated" sorcerers from the Heian era.
- Negotiate and Transfer: Use the "Point Transfer" rule (added early on) to pool resources. You don't have to be the killer if you can form an alliance with someone who is.
- Rule Manipulation: Strategic "wins" come from rules that mitigate risk, such as the rule allowing players to enter/exit colonies or the one allowing point transfers to avoid the 19-day stagnation penalty.
2. Colony Selection
Not all colonies are created equal. The strategy depends on who is inside:
- Sendai Colony: A four-way deadlock between high-level sorcerers. Avoid this unless you are Yuta Okkotsu level.
- Tokyo No. 1 Colony: Contained Higuruma, who had a strong sense of justice. If you are a non-violent player, your strategy here would be to seek protection or negotiation.
3. Avoid "Cursed Technique Removal"
This is the game’s "fail-safe" to ensure participation. If your point total remains unchanged for 19 days , your Cursed Technique is stripped, which essentially results in brain death.
- The "Pass the Torch" Strategy: If you aren't a fighter, you need to find a way to transfer points or have someone add a rule that allows you to exit the game by spending points (which the protagonists eventually achieved).
4. The "True" Win Conditions
In the manga, the characters have different definitions of winning:
- The Protagonist Route: Their "win" was adding rules to save Tsumiki Fushiguro and freeing Satoru Gojo. They didn't care about the leaderboard; they cared about breaking the game’s constraints.
- The Kenjaku Route: His win condition was the Merger . He eventually added a rule that the game only ends when all players except Megumi Fushiguro and Suguru Geto (himself) are dead.
Key strategies for survival and achieving goals within the game include:
- Acquiring 100 Points to Add Rules: The most critical strategy is accumulating 100 points, which allows a player to propose one new rule to the Game Master (who must accept it unless it has a marked and long-lasting effect on the game's continuation). The Jujutsu High team used this to their advantage:
- They targeted players with over 100 points, like Hiromi Higuruma and Hajime Kashimo, to force them to add necessary rules.
- A key rule added allowed players to transfer points to one another, which helps other players avoid the penalty of having their cursed technique removed for 19 days of inactivity.
- Forming Alliances: Working in groups provides safety and strategic advantages. For example, Yuji and Megumi entered the Tokyo No. 1 Colony together, although they were separated upon entry. Maki and Noritoshi Kamo also teamed up in the Sakurajima Colony.
- Information Gathering: The rule added by Hajime Kashimo, which allows players to view information (name, points, colony) about other participants, is crucial for tracking high-value targets and coordinating plans.
- Utilizing Cursed Techniques Strategically: Players with specific cursed techniques can employ unique survival strategies. Discussions among fans on platforms like Reddit have highlighted the effectiveness of techniques like:
- Stealth-based techniques to avoid conflict and target weaker players (1 point non-sorcerers).
- Domain Expansions to gain an overwhelming advantage in a fight, like Kinji Hakari's pachinko-themed domain which grants him a period of invincibility.
- Techniques that work remotely or create distance, allowing players to rack up points while remaining relatively safe.
Summary of Survival Strategy
|
Priority |
Action |
|
Immediate |
Enter a colony within 19 days to avoid instant death. |
|
Tactical |
Identify the "Top Player" of your colony and determine if they are negotiable. |
|
Economic |
Secure at least 1 point every 19 days to reset the "death timer." |
|
Endgame |
Pool points with allies to add a rule that allows for escape or barrier navigation. |
The overarching goal for the protagonists is to free Satoru Gojo using a player's ability to extinguish cursed techniques and thus stop Kenjaku's plan to merge humanity with Master Tengen. The "win" condition for the characters is effectively surviving long enough to disrupt Kenjaku's grand ritual, not necessarily being the last one standing in a battle royale.
