Ryomen Sukuna, a legendary figure with two heads and four arms, was given a more normal human appearance in a globally acclaimed manga that released its last volume on Dec. 25.

Gege Akutami’s dark fantasy title “Jujutsu Kaisen” (Sorcery Fight), serialized in Shueisha Inc.’s Weekly Shonen Jump anthology from March 2018 to September 2024, has contributed immensely to the dissemination of the name Ryomen Sukuna, including whether he was a hero or a villain.

In “Jujutsu Kaisen,” the protagonist fights Ryomen Sukuna, portrayed as the “King of Curses,” in a quest to exorcise evil spirits.

The fictional villain is based on the ancient story of an individual with a monstrous apparition, who, in real life, is regarded as a hero even today.

A visit to the Hida region in Gifu Prefecture, where the legend of Ryomen Sukuna is still passed down, reveals the various “faces” of the original.

A 3-meter-tall statue of Ryomen Sukuna, featuring two faces and multiple limbs, sits at the Nyukawa branch of the Takayama city government in Gifu Prefecture.

The inscription explains that the 3-meter Ryomen Sukuna “traveled from Hida to Mino to demonstrate his prowess for the sake of his homeland” 1,600 years ago.

Takayama is described as the “birthplace” of Ryomen Sukuna, and the legend of the mysterious person originates from the Nyukawa district.

“Our temple is said to have been established by Ryomen Sukuna,” said Shinkai Oshita, chief priest of Senkoji temple in Nyukawa.

As a local leader in Hida, Ryomen Sukuna is believed to have dug up the Lotus Sutra among other artifacts at the top of Mount Kesazan. He named the temple Kesazan Senkoji.

Senkoji honors four statues of Ryomen Sukuna, including one carved by Enku (1632-1695), a Buddhist sculptor from the Edo Period (1603-1867).

Zenkyuji temple, also in Nyukawa, keeps “records on the emergence of Ryomen Sukuna.”

According to the accounts of Youu Kondo, head monk of Zenkyuji, the Gozenishi rock, where Ryomen Sukuna had a meal before going to war, remains in existence on the temple’s precincts.

Ryomen Sukuna, affectionately called Ryomen-sama and Sukuna-sama, is viewed as a “hero” who developed the area.

In tribute to Ryomen Sukuna, the Hida Nyukawa Sukuna Festival set up a huge Sukuna-inspired pot 6.1 meters in diameter. A loofah-shaped vegetable, a local specialty, is referred to as Sukuna pumpkin. The promotional mascot of Takayama city is known as Sukunattsu.

Ryomen Sukuna similarly appears in “Nihon Shoki” (The Chronicles of Japan), the oldest official book of Japanese history compiled in 720. But how he is treated in the document is significantly different from the descriptions in local records.

“Nihon Shoki” reads that “a man named Sukuna lived in Hida,” and that Ryomen Sukuna had “two heads on a single body” facing “mutually opposite directions.”

“Wearing swords on both sides, he used all four arms to wield bows and arrows,” according to the history book. “He disobeyed the imperial command and enjoyed plundering the people.”

Ryomen Sukuna was reportedly defeated as a villain who opposed the imperial court and harmed the public.

For his manga, Akutami got inspiration from this negative depiction of Ryomen Sukuna. He says in Jump magazine that he checked “Nihon Shoki” and other materials to create the namesake for “Jujutsu Kaisen.”

HERO OR VILLAIN?

Why do the narratives display such a double-sidedness?

Kazuhiko Komatsu, a professor emeritus of folklore at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, points to tensions between “the rulers and the ruled.”

“The authorities labeled undesirable entities as ogres so they would be treated as antagonists to be defeated,” Komatsu said. “This way of portrayal often conflicts with the perception of local residents.”

Komatsu said the abnormal appearance of Ryomen Sukuna can be interpreted as a sign of either “disaster” or “blessing.”

“Humans cannot see behind themselves,” Komatsu said. “This is possible for Sukuna, though. People may have found something divine in this feature of Sukuna.”

Also noteworthy is the fact that statues of Ryomen Sukuna, stored at temples that uphold his legend, feature diverse designs.

Ryusaku Nagaoka, a professor of Japanese art history at Tohoku University’s graduate school, attributed this diversity to different religious purposes of the artisans.

“Sculptors likely anticipated the potential effects of their creations on viewers,” Nagaoka said. “They appear to have chosen specific religious designs that aligned with their intended objectives.”

He recounted the influence of these statues.

“Images add a sense of reality to stories,” he said. “Figurines installed in the legend-preserving area help people there connect with the existence of Sukuna in a more realistic way.”

Advances in media, such as illustrated scrolls from medieval times and improved printing technology in the Edo Period, expedited the image formation of paranormal individuals and creatures. Their images spread beyond the regions of their origin, leaving a lasting impression on people’s minds.

In modern society, “Jujutsu Kaisen” has provided a novel portrayal of Ryomen Sukuna, allowing him to further expand the domain of his image.

“Manga, as a form of content, can now reach out to consumers the world over,” said Komatsu. “Harnessing the combined power of the internet and social media, the image of Sukuna will capture far more people’s hearts from now, although he was formerly known exclusively to a limited audience in a local region.”

“Jujutsu Kaisen” has sold more than 100 million copies in digital and other formats. The TV anime adaptation of the title was broadcast from October 2020. The film version, “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” has pulled in 26.5 billion yen ($167.8 million) at the global box office.