What Is The Prison Realm In Jujutsu Kaisen?
The latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen, titled “Shibuya Jihen Kaimon,” aired on Crunchyroll on September 22, introducing us to the concept of the Prison Realm, which is used to capture Gojo. Now that the anime has finally progressed enough, we can discuss what it is.
Please note that this article includes spoilers about the Prison Realm and perhaps several different characters in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2.
The anime adaptation finally caught up to the Shibuya Incident Arc, which is, according to many, not just the crown jewel of Jujutsu Kaisen but also one of the most beloved arcs in the whole anime and manga world.
Time doesn’t pass inside the Prison Realm, and those sealed inside are trapped there for eternity, having an infinite amount of time to enjoy the décor comprised of dark skeletons and a rather creepy atmosphere.
It’s filled with unexpected plot twists, super-intense moments, and shocking scenes that have surprised the fans of the manga and are just as likely to surprise the fans of the animated adaptation as well. The latest episode saw Kenjaku trap Gojo—a really super-powerful sorcerer—using the Prison Realm, prompting many to wonder what the mysterious object actually is.
The Prison Realm Is A Cursed Object
Prison Realm, also known as Prison Gate or Hell’s Gaze, is a unique type of extremely powerful cursed object in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe made from the remains of a Buddhist Monk named Genshin.
It features a powerful living barrier that can confine anything or anybody to a pocket realm from which the prisoners can’t escape—forever. Unused, the Prison Realm looks like a Rubik’s cube wrapped in talisman constraints. Even to those who haven’t had the opportunity to read Jujutsu Kaisen, the presence of talisman wrappings basically screams, “Turn and run away.”
The Prison Realm Is Controlled By Command Words
To activate the Prison Realm in Jujutsu Kaisen, the user has to say “gate open,” to which the funny-looking Rubik’s cube from hell transforms into a mass of flesh with a giant bleeding eye on its middle, which it uses to “lock” onto its target.
The target has to remain within a four-meter radius long enough for the cube to take hold of its target by enveloping masses of flesh and thus render the target immobile and unable to use any curses or cursed energy. Once the target is captured, the user has to say “Gate close,” and the Prison Realm will trap the target and revert into a small cube.
The Jujutsu Kaisen’s Prison Realm isn’t without its limitations. For example, when imprisoning a powerful target, such as Satoru Gojo, the Prison Realm becomes extremely heavy and immovable despite its minuscule size in its inactive state.
What’s even worse is that the time doesn’t pass inside Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Prison Realm, and those sealed inside are trapped there for eternity, having an infinite amount of time to enjoy the décor comprised of dark skeletons and a rather creepy atmosphere. Furthermore, the prisoner becomes immovable, and those trapped inside often go insane.
The Prison Realm actually consists of two separate halves known as the Front Gate and the Back Gate, with the front being used to seal someone inside the box, while the back is used for unsealing.
The holder of the cube has the absolute control and power to unseal the sealed person from the Prison Realm. The Back Gate can be used to unseal someone, but the process isn’t as easy as sealing someone inside. The bearer of the Back Gate can’t actually open the Prison Realm in Jujutsu Kaisen; instead, they have to break it open using a cursed technique.
During his time in imprisonment, Satoru Gojo wasn’t actually scared, and he took full advantage of the situation, using the infinite amount of time he had at his disposal to hone his skills, understand his adversaries’ abilities, and learn from his environment.
As a result, he emerged from the Prison Realm even more focused and powerful than before—which is actually a “time skip” character development device we’ve already seen in the manga.
