Best fights in Jujutsu Kaisen Culling Game Part 1 ranked
The Culling Game arc is where Jujutsu Kaisen fully shifts into high-level mind games and brutal character-driven combat. In Part 1 (chapters 143–170), Gege Akutami delivers fights that aren’t just about who hits harder — they’re about strategy, ideology, and personal resolve.
As an anime and manga fan who genuinely loves this arc, here’s a human-style ranking of the best fights from Culling Game Part 1 — not cold analysis, but how they feel when you read them.
1. Megumi Fushiguro vs. Reggie Star
The smartest fight in early Culling Game
This battle is pure Jujutsu Kaisen DNA: cursed techniques used like chess pieces, not superpowers.
What makes it special:
- Tactical depth over raw power
- Reggie’s bizarre but dangerous Contract-based cursed technique
- Megumi being pushed to the edge and finally unleashing his incomplete Domain Expansion
This fight proves that Megumi isn’t just Sukuna’s interest — he’s a terrifying strategist in his own right. Every move feels earned, every mistake costly. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and insanely clever.
This is the fight that makes you reread panels just to catch every detail.
2. Yuji Itadori vs. Hiromi Higuruma
A fight that hurts more emotionally than physically
If Megumi vs. Reggie is about intellect, this one is about ideology and guilt.
Why it hits so hard:
- Higuruma’s Judgeman Domain turns the fight into a moral courtroom
- Yuji willingly accepting punishment for Sukuna’s crimes
- A rare JJK fight where words matter as much as fists
There’s barely any traditional “battle choreography,” yet it’s unforgettable. This is Yuji at his most human — broken, responsible, and still moving forward. Higuruma instantly became one of the arc’s most compelling characters here.
3. Yuta Okkotsu vs. Dhruv Lakdawalla & Kurourushi
The reminder that Yuta is still terrifying
This fight exists for one reason: to say, “Yes, Yuta Okkotsu is still that guy.”
Highlights:
- Smooth, efficient combat with zero wasted motion
- Yuta casually handling a special-grade curse
- His overwhelming presence without needing flashy exposition
Compared to later Sendai Colony chaos, this is just the opening act — but it does its job perfectly. You immediately understand why Yuta is feared and respected among sorcerers.
In case you missed it: What is the Kogane in Jujutsu Kaisen and its role?
Final Thoughts
Part 1 of the Culling Game doesn’t rely on nonstop spectacle. Instead, it builds tension through:
- Psychological pressure
- Creative cursed techniques
- Character-defining moments
Each fight feels different, yet unmistakably Jujutsu Kaisen. And that’s why this arc still sparks debates among fans.
