Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen 239, “Foolish Survivor” by Gege Akutami, translated by John Werry, and Lettered by Snir Aharon, available in English fromMangaPlus.
Jujutsu Kaisenfinally returned after break week and fans were incredibly excited to witnessthe manga continue the Culling Game arc.This arc has seen some of the very best fights in the entire story being illustrated and it has certainly been exceptionally fun for the fans.JJKchapter 239 saw many interesting surprises come the way of the fans, with the biggest being the battle turning away from Sukuna for once and focusing on Kenjaku.
The last few months in the manga have seen all the focus being thrown on the character that is Sukuna. Now, however, Kenjaku is being focused on once again after quite a long time and it appears that he has an interesting fight to take part in.
Focus Away From Sukuna
JJKchapter 239 was expected to focus on Yuji, who just jumped into battle against Sukuna. Instead, the focus in this chapter of the story was Kenjaku. None of the fans expected this sudden change in scenery, especially because the story was getting very exciting on Sukuna’s end. Fans wanted the fight between him and Yuji to finally begin, with Higuruma also aiding in battle. Unfortunately, the story shifted focus away from that fight towards another front in the war and while it was unexpected, it was also very interesting. This aspect of the story is, in no way, any less interesting than the fight that Sukuna is currently taking part in.
This appears to be a way for Gege to save the best fights for last and, by the looks of it, Kenjaku will be focused on at the moment. It is unknown when the story will return to Sukuna, however, for now, fans have a lot on their plate to enjoy, especially the clash between some interesting characters, such as Kenjaku and takaba.
Sukuna will most likely not be a partofJJKfor quite a while now. His fight will likely only be focused on after the battle between Kenjaku and Takaba concludes. As seen over the course of the last few months, battles could last over the course of many chapters and, for the next month, fans should fully expect the manga to keep its focus away from the likes of Sukuna and Yuji.
Kenjaku In Action
JJKchapter 239 focused quite a lot on Kenjaku and his fights. At first, he was confronted by an unnamed character. This woman approached him and questioned why she was brought back if all she was was a tool forKenjaku to propagate his plans.Of course, she was killed off immediately after and he made it clear to her that she, along with every other player in the Culling Game did not matter to him. All he cares about is his very own goal and he will progress towards that, no matter the price. This character was a weird inclusion from Gege, especially because she did not even last a few pages in the story. She simply came and was killed off, which wasn’t something that the fans didn’t appreciate. Regardless, the story immediately started to focus on Gojo, however, not in the way that the fans wanted. He was focused on via a livestream that Kenjaku was watching. It appears that Kenjaku thoroughly enjoyed this defeat of the strongest modern sorcerer and he even commented on his face, saying that he looked nice while he died.
Kenjaku might have some plans for Gojo, and quite a lot of fans actually expect him to take over his body. However, this is likely not going to be possible anytime soon, given that he’s far away from the sorcerer. Of course, Geto’s body also gives him many advantages, thanks to Cursed Spirit Manipulation and it is highly unlikely that he would be willing to give that up anytime soon.
Hazenoki Wiped Out
Jujutsu Kaisenchapter 239 also focused quite a bit on Hazenoki. Fans have seen quite a bit of him in the early parts of the Culling Game arc, however, he has been largely irrelevant for the last few months of the story. Hazenoki made his appearance in this chapter and it was quite clear that he was going to be fighting against Kenjaku. Although Kenjaku tried to reason with him at first, Hazenoki was not interested in joining forces with him, and eventually, this led to combat breaking out. Immediately, fans once again got to seethe incredible ability of Kenjaku, Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
This power proved to be enough to overwhelm Hazenoki and even though he used his incredible cursed technique with his teeth as a way to create distraction for escape, he failed. Hazenoki was injured severely towards the end of the fight and completely defeated. Of course, that is where another character made his entrance and this was none other than Takaba. Fans know that Takaba is extremely skilled and, even though he does not realize that himself, he’s actually someone who could be as scary as Gojo. He has not been focused on in the manga for quite a long time and now is his time to shine.
Takaba Vs Kenjaku
Immediately after Takaba made his entrance, it was made clear in Jujutsu Kaisen 239 that he would end up fighting against Kenjaku. In fact, it was the latter who launched a powerful attack towards him at first. Kenjaku did not believe that Takaba was worthy of fighting. In fact, he made it quite clear that his interest was only in Higuruma from the players that awakened new powers during and before the Culling Game Arc. However, much to his surprise, Takaba was largely unaffected by this attack. This was a very weird scenario that made even Kenjaku feel uneasy.
Takaba emerging undamaged wasn’t simply because he was able to dodge.Instead, even Kenjaku did not understand the phenomena by which this attack was diverted. Takaba is now ready to go all in and clash with Kenjaku to the best of his abilities. Towards the end of the chapter, both of these fighters seem to acknowledge one another and, from here onwards, fans will likely be treated to a very intense clash between these two. Jujutsu Kaisen’s next few chapters should focus on this fight entirely and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top here. Being one of the main villains, it is highly likely that Kenjaku is going to be the loser, however, Takaba is a very unpredictable character and fans don’t really know what direction he will take as the story continues. Only the author can answer these questions moving forward. Fans can only hope for a better chapter next week.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of JJK, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 239, is set to be June 28, 2025.
