Jujutsu Kaisen Terms Explained: Beginner’s Glossary

Quick answer

Cursed energy (呪力) is energy produced by negative emotions; a cursed technique (術式) is an ability powered by it.
A domain expansion builds the user’s innate domain inside a barrier and makes their technique a guaranteed hit; Simple Domain, Domain Amplification and similar techniques exist to survive it.
Sorcerers, curses and cursed tools share one grade scale, from Grade 4 up to Special Grade, which only four sorcerers held in 2018.
Later arcs add event terms like the Prison Realm, which seals Gojo in Shibuya (Ch. 90–91), and the Culling Game, Kenjaku’s battle royale (from Ch. 143).

Jujutsu Kaisen runs on a small set of core ideas. Cursed energy is the fuel, a cursed technique is what you do with it, and a domain expansion is the strongest move built on both. Learn about 30 terms and you can follow any fight in the series.

This glossary uses the official English (VIZ) names, with the Japanese kanji and romaji next to each one. Terms are grouped by category, and each has a short definition with the chapter (Ch.) or anime episode where it matters. Episode numbers run straight through the whole anime: Season 1 is Episodes 1–24, Season 2 is 25–47 and Season 3 is 48–59. Spoilers: the definitions stay light, but a few entries mention events up to the end of the manga (Ch. 271), such as Gojo’s sealing and how the Culling Game ends.

The three basics: energy, technique, spirit

If you only learn three words, learn these.

Cursed energy (呪力, juryoku) is energy that leaks out of people when they feel negative emotions like fear, anger or hatred. Almost everyone has some. Jujutsu sorcerers can control it.
A cursed technique (術式, jutsushiki) is an ability powered by that energy. The series compares energy to electricity and techniques to the appliances that run on it (Ch. 12).
A cursed spirit (呪霊, jurei), or just “curse,” forms when leaked cursed energy builds up. Ordinary people can’t see curses, and exorcising them is a sorcerer’s job (Ch. 1).

Jujutsu Kaisen terms: energy and techniques

Term (VIZ)	Japanese	Romaji	What it means
Jujutsu	呪術	jujutsu	“Sorcery.” The umbrella term for every ability that runs on cursed energy
Cursed energy	呪力	juryoku	Energy that comes from negative emotions; the power source for all jujutsu
Cursed technique	術式	jutsushiki	An ability fueled by cursed energy
Innate technique	生得術式	shōtoku jutsushiki	The technique a sorcerer is born with. It usually shows up around age five or six (Ch. 79)
Inherited technique	相伝術式	sōden jutsushiki	A technique passed down in a clan, such as Limitless (Gojo) or Ten Shadows (Zenin)
Reverse Cursed Technique (RCT)	反転術式	hanten jutsushiki	Turns cursed energy into positive energy, mainly to heal. Very few can heal other people: Shoko Ieiri, Yuta and Sukuna
Black Flash	黒閃	kokusen	Cursed energy hits within one millionth of a second of a physical blow. The blow’s power becomes normal power to the 2.5th power, and the energy flashes black (Ch. 48, Episode 19)
Binding Vow	縛り	shibari	A pact with yourself or someone else. Accept a risk or limit and you gain power; break it and you pay (Ch. 79, Episode 30)
Heavenly Restriction	天与呪縛	ten’yo jubaku	A binding vow forced on someone at birth. Toji and Maki trade cursed energy for a superhuman body; Mechamaru has the reverse (Ch. 38, Episode 16)
Shikigami	式神	shikigami	Familiar spirits a sorcerer summons, often through a talisman or, for Megumi, shadows
Ten Shadows Technique	十種影法術	tokusa no kage bōjutsu	The Zenin clan’s inherited technique. It summons up to ten shikigami, starting with two Divine Dogs
Limitless	無下限呪術	mukagen jujutsu	The Gojo clan’s inherited technique. It turns the idea of infinity into reality, starting with Gojo’s Infinity barrier
Six Eyes	六眼	rikugan	A rare inborn trait of the Gojo clan, not a technique. It reads cursed energy in extreme detail and is needed to master Limitless

Domains and barriers explained

Domains are where JJK fights are decided, so it pays to keep these apart.

Term (VIZ)	Japanese	Romaji	What it means
Barrier	結界	kekkai	A walled-off zone made with jujutsu to hide, trap or keep people out. Barrier techniques are the family of skills that make them
Curtain (also “Veil”)	帳	tobari	The black dome sorcerers drop over a mission site. It hides what happens inside and turns the sky to night (Ch. 6, Episode 4). “Curtain” is the fan wiki’s term; English episode summaries usually say “veil”
Innate domain	生得領域	shōtoku ryōiki	The inner mental landscape everyone is born with. It is the base of a cursed technique
Domain Expansion	領域展開	ryōiki tenkai	Building your innate domain inside a barrier and loading your technique into it. Called the pinnacle of jujutsu
Sure-hit	必中	hitchū	Inside a finished domain, the caster’s technique is guaranteed to land. It even gets through Gojo’s Infinity (Ch. 15, Episode 7)
Simple Domain	簡易領域	kan’i ryōiki	A small “domain for the weak” from the New Shadow Style school. It cancels a domain’s sure-hit inside its range and can auto-counter anything that enters, as with Miwa (Ch. 40, Episode 17)
Hollow Wicker Basket	彌虚葛籠	iyako tsuzura	An older anti-domain technique that Simple Domain was based on
Domain Amplification	領域展延	ryōiki ten’en	Wrapping yourself in a thin domain with no technique in it. It cancels any technique that touches you, Infinity included, but you can’t use your own technique meanwhile (Ch. 84, Episode 32)
Falling Blossom Emotion	落花の情	rakka no jō	A secret anti-domain art of the Big Three clans. Your cursed energy automatically counters a domain’s sure-hit attack the moment it makes contact (Ch. 108, Episode 38)

In short: a domain expansion gives a guaranteed hit. Simple Domain, Hollow Wicker Basket, Domain Amplification and Falling Blossom Emotion are all ways to survive that hit without a domain of your own.

People, things and the grade system

Term (VIZ)	Japanese	Romaji	What it means
Jujutsu sorcerer	呪術師	jujutsushi	Anyone who can use jujutsu, and more narrowly the professionals who fight curses in secret for Japan’s government
Non-sorcerer	非術師	hijutsushi	An ordinary person who can’t use jujutsu
Window	窓	mado	A non-sorcerer who can see curses and reports them to Jujutsu High (Ch. 6, Episode 4)
Curse user	呪詛師	jusoshi	A sorcerer who uses jujutsu for evil, such as killing innocent people. Suguru Geto is the best-known example
Cursed object	呪物	jubutsu	An item holding cursed energy, often the remains of an ancient sorcerer. Sukuna’s fingers are special grade cursed objects (Ch. 1)
Cursed tool	呪具	jugu	A weapon made to hold cursed energy. Even non-sorcerers can use one to fight curses
Cursed corpse	呪骸	jugai	An object that a curse makes move on its own. Principal Yaga builds them as puppets; Panda is his self-aware masterpiece
Incarnation / vessel	受肉 / 器	juniku / utsuwa	When someone swallows a cursed object, the sorcerer inside can take over their body. That body is the “vessel.” Yuji is Sukuna’s vessel
Jujutsu High	呪術高専	jujutsu kōsen	The Tokyo and Kyoto schools that train sorcerers. The full English name is Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College
Big Three families	御三家	gosanke	The Gojo, Zenin and Kamo clans, which have dominated jujutsu society since the Heian era

Jujutsu Kaisen grades, from Grade 4 to Special Grade

Grades (級, kyū) rank sorcerers, curses, cursed tools and cursed objects on one scale. Students usually start at Grade 4. Promotion needs a recommendation from a higher-ranked sorcerer, and teachers can’t recommend their own students.

Grade	Japanese	What it means for a curse (Ch. 6, Episode 4)	Example sorcerers
Grade 4	四級	A wooden bat is enough	Maki (kept down by the Zenin clan)
Grade 3	三級	A handgun and you can relax	Nobara, Mai
Semi-Grade 2	準二級	—	Panda
Grade 2	二級	A close call even with a shotgun	Megumi, Takuma Ino
Semi-Grade 1	準一級	—	Toge Inumaki, Noritoshi Kamo, Utahime Iori
Grade 1	一級	Even a tank might not be enough	Nanami, Mei Mei, Aoi Todo, Masamichi Yaga
Special Grade 1	特別一級	—	Zenin clan sorcerers such as Naobito and Naoya
Special Grade	特級	Cluster bombs might work	Gojo, Yuki Tsukumo, Yuta, and formerly Suguru Geto

Special grade is for anomalies whose power can’t really be measured. In 2018, only four sorcerers held it. Semi-grade 1 is the step between recommendation and a full Grade 1 rank (Ch. 64). Special Grade 1 is a separate rank for sorcerers outside Jujutsu High who are equal to Grade 1.

Arcs and events: Prison Realm, Culling Game and more

Term (VIZ)	Japanese	Romaji	What it means
Tengen	天元	tengen	The immortal sorcerer whose barriers protect Japan’s jujutsu facilities
Star Plasma Vessel	星漿体	seishōtai	A young woman whom Tengen must merge with about every 500 years to stay stable. Riko Amanai was the 2006 vessel (Ch. 66, Episode 25)
Shibuya Incident	渋谷事変	shibuya jihen	The Halloween 2018 attack on Shibuya in which Gojo is sealed. Season 2’s second half adapts it
Prison Realm	獄門疆	gokumonkyō	A special grade cursed object that can seal anyone. It is used on Gojo in Ch. 90–91 (Episodes 33–34)
Kenjaku	羂索	kenjaku	An ancient sorcerer who moves between bodies. During Shibuya he is inside Geto’s body
Cursed Womb: Death Paintings	呪胎九相図	jutai kusōzu	Nine cursed objects that Kenjaku made as Noritoshi Kamo. Choso is the eldest brother
Culling Game	死滅回游	shimetsu kaiyū	Kenjaku’s jujutsu battle royale, fought inside ten barrier “colonies” across Japan. It starts in Ch. 143 (Episode 49)
Points	—	—	Killing a player scores points: 5 for a sorcerer, 1 for a non-sorcerer. With 100 points a player can add a new rule (Ch. 143)

The Culling Game is really a ritual to force Tengen to merge with the people of Japan. Killing Kenjaku alone would not stop it (Ch. 145, Episode 50). It only lost its purpose once Sukuna was defeated (Ch. 270). Season 3, The Culling Game: Part 1 (Episodes 48–59), covers its first half, and Part 2 has been announced.

Commonly confused JJK terms

Cursed spirit vs curse user. A cursed spirit is born from human emotion. A curse user is a human sorcerer who has turned to crime.
Cursed object vs cursed tool vs cursed corpse. An object holds cursed energy, usually someone’s remains. A tool is a weapon built to hold energy. A corpse is a thing that moves on its own.
Simple Domain vs Domain Amplification. Both counter domains. Simple Domain is a small zone around you that weakens techniques, while Amplification coats your body and fully cancels any technique it touches.
Six Eyes vs Limitless. The eyes are a physical trait; Limitless is the technique. Gojo needs both.

Our in-depth Jujutsu Kaisen guides

This page is the starting point for our English JJK guides. Each one takes a term from the glossary and covers it with chapter references.

Topic	Guide
Every domain expansion, with sure-hit effects	Jujutsu Kaisen domain expansions
Hakari’s jackpot domain, Idle Death Gamble	Hakari’s domain expansion explained
Gojo’s eyes and why Limitless needs them	Six Eyes explained
Megumi’s shikigami, including Mahoraga	Ten Shadows shikigami
Geto, Kenjaku and other villains who use jujutsu	Jujutsu Kaisen curse users

FAQ

What is the difference between cursed energy and a cursed technique?

Cursed energy is the fuel, produced by negative emotions. A cursed technique is a specific ability that runs on that fuel. The series compares them to electricity and appliances (Chapter 12).

What does domain expansion mean in Jujutsu Kaisen?

The user builds their innate domain inside a barrier and loads their cursed technique into it. Inside, their attacks are guaranteed to hit. It is described as the pinnacle of jujutsu.

Is it a curtain or a veil in JJK?

Both refer to the same thing, 帳 (tobari): the black dome sorcerers lower to hide a fight and draw out curses. The fan wiki calls it a curtain, while English episode summaries usually say veil.

What is the highest grade in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Special Grade. In 2018 only four sorcerers held it: Satoru Gojo, Yuki Tsukumo, Yuta Okkotsu and, before he became a curse user, Suguru Geto. Below it, the scale runs from Grade 1 down to Grade 4.

What is the difference between a curse user and a cursed spirit?

A cursed spirit is a creature born from human negative emotions. A curse user is a human sorcerer who uses jujutsu for crimes such as killing innocent people.

More Jujutsu Kaisen guides

This guide is the English edition of a BuzzBeaver article originally written in Japanese: 日本語版を読む. Facts are checked against the official manga and anime; fan theories are labeled as such.