Short answer: the Culling Game doesn’t end with a neat “winner.” It ends when Kenjaku basically presses the cosmic stop button and hands the chaos to Sukuna… right before the final arc begins. Now let’s unpack the full story like opening a cursed puzzle box 🧩
How the Culling Game Ended in Jujutsu Kaisen
The truth first
The Culling Game was never meant to have a champion.
It was a giant cursed-energy battery.
Kenjaku only needed enough chaos and deaths to power the Merger with Tengen. Once that goal was within reach, the “game” had served its purpose.
So the ending is less tournament finale and more villain saying:
“Cool experiment. Time for Phase 2.”
Step 1 — The Heroes Actually Start Winning (Sort of)
During the arc, Yuji’s team manages huge progress:
They add new rules to weaken the game’s brutality:
- Players can transfer points
- Players can exit colonies
- Allies can survive without constant killing
This slowly turns the death game into something survivable. Some players even stop fighting and go peaceful mode.
The ritual starts losing its intended bloodbath energy.
Which is exactly when Kenjaku decides it’s time to wrap it up.
Step 2 — Kenjaku Gets Assassinated
This is the biggest turning point.
Kenjaku fights comedian sorcerer Takaba, in one of the strangest battles in the series.
Then right when Kenjaku is distracted…
Yuta Okkotsu appears out of nowhere and kills him. 💀
This was a planned sneak attack.
Takaba doesn’t kill people, so Yuta delivers the finishing blow.
At this moment, it feels like the villains just lost the entire arc.
But Kenjaku prepared a backup plan. Because of course he did.
Step 3 — Kenjaku’s Final Troll Move
Even while dying, Kenjaku completes his objective.
Using a binding vow and the chaos from his death, he:
Transfers authority over the Culling Game to Sukuna.
Yes. The King of Curses becomes the new admin of the death game.
This is the moment the arc quietly ends.
Not with fireworks.
With a baton pass.
Kenjaku exits stage left.
Sukuna enters as final boss.
Step 4 — The Game Gets Shut Down
After this handoff:
- Kenjaku arranges for the end of the Culling Game.
- A one-month timeskip happens.
- Both sides prepare for the ultimate battle.
The story transitions directly into the Shinjuku Showdown Arc.
Which is basically:
“Okay, tournament arc over. Time for apocalypse arc.”
Step 5 — What Happened to the Players?
By the time the game ends:
- Many players died naturally in the chaos
- Some survived and escaped due to new rules
- Some remain hiding or fighting inside colonies
The massive nationwide slaughter Kenjaku wanted already happened.
The cursed energy harvest was complete.
Mission accomplished. Horribly.
Why the Ending Feels Sudden (On Purpose)
The Culling Game was not the final battle.
It was the setup arc for the final war.
Think of it like:
- Shibuya Incident → breaks the world
- Culling Game → reshapes the world
- Shinjuku Showdown → decides the world
The Culling Game ends the moment Sukuna becomes the center of the story.
Everything after that becomes one long final boss fight.
In one sentence
The Culling Game ends when Kenjaku is killed, transfers control to Sukuna, and shuts the ritual down after generating enough cursed energy to begin the final stage of his plan.
