Jujutsu Kaisen season 3's Culling Game rules explained

The latest episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen have hit like a train, yet not a single punch was thrown.

Following Yuta Okkotsu's addition to the team, Yuji Itadori and the gang suddenly find themselves front row at an episode-long lecture about the impending apocalypse.

As the freaky-looking Tengen explains, The Culling Game they're about to enter is a Battle Royale-style deathmatch that will span the entire nation of Japan. That means it's a big deal for every sorcerer who takes part, plus all of us watching back home too.

But boy there are a lot of rules. To be fair, the animators do an incredible job of keeping us entertained without any cursed battling in sight. Flow charts have never come with so much aura. Still though. It's a lot.

The rules flashed up ever so briefly in the first two episodes, but for those of us who don't wish to pause and read text longer than the Bible, I'm on hand to break down Kenjaku's plan in more detail.

What is The Culling Game?

The tournament isn't your typical anime showdown. The ancient sorcerer Kenjaku, aka, the guy who ruined all our lives in season two's Shibuya Incident, has been planning this battle royale for centuries.

His goal is to pit 1000 sorcerers against each other in a game where anyone can die at any point. Even Kenjaku can snuff it, but if he does, The Culling Game will continue anyway, generating enough cursed energy for him to transform the whole of Japan into one singular cursed entity.

The wildest thing about all this is that he's essentially doing it all for giggles because not even Kenjaku knows what will happen after this.

Yuji, Megumi Fushiguro and the gang want to stop this because, well, you can guess why already. But they also want to specifically save Megumi's sister, Tsumiki, who is now one of the many humans who Kenjaku awakened as a sorcerer at the end of season 2. And the odds of surviving a game with "Culling" in the name seems unlikely.

There's also the matter of Satoru Gojo, the blue-eyed wonder who was sealed in the Prison Realm last season. As the most powerful Jujutsu sorcerer, his return would turn the tide in humanity's favour. But to free Gojo, the gang must compete in order to find a reincarnated sorcerer named Angel who holds the power to break his seal.

All caught up? Let's break down the rules in more detail.

Rule 1: Every player must choose a colony within 19 days

Anyone who's participating, whether they're choosing to join or were awakened by Kenjaku against their will, must enter a colony within 19 days. There are 10 colonies in total across Japan to select from, each separated by an impenetrable barrier. Once you've declared your decision, you are now officially a player in the Culling Game.

As brutal as the 19 day deadline is, it also prevents anyone from training longer and gaining an unfair advantage. Plus, there's nothing like a deadline this deadly to stir up a little extra tension.

Rule 2: Breaking the first rule will result in almost certain death

Why don't participants just say no? Anyone who refuses to compete once they've awakened will have their cursed technique removed (Idle Transfiguration), which results in brain damage and most likely, death. This clause stops anyone who tries to skip the game or even forfeit after the game has begun. Kenjaku is a sneaky bugger alright.

Rule 3: Civilians have one chance to leave the game

Regular folk who don't possess cursed energy can't usually see spirits without the aid of a special tool. That means innocent bystanders might accidentally cross a colony barrier without even realising it, which would technically make them a player too.

However, those who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time are given one chance to exit at the very start. If they choose to remain, then all the rules of The Culling Game will apply to them from here on out. Kenjaku isn't all that nice for introducing this component though, because he's really all about just throwing extra chaos into the mix.

Rule 4: Players earn points by killing each other

Want to win? You need to kill other competitors to secure those much-needed points. As such, the game isn't so much about survival as it is slaughter. Players are encouraged to go on the offensive, which results in utter carnage throughout this longer-than-average arc.

As if that wasn't chaotic enough, Kenjaku also adds extra wild cards halfway through in the form of newly awakened sorcerers and resurrected curse-users from the past.

Rule 5: Every player has a set point value

Killing is key for everyone who competes, but not all players are valued equally. While sorcerers and cursed spirits are worth 5 points, non-sorcerers are only worth a measly one point.

Still, every win counts, especially when game master Kenjaku can change a player's worth on a whim depending on their threat level. This creates an intriguing dynamic where powerful sorcerers become the focus for players hoping to earn big while others hunt out low-score humans to play it safe.

Rule 6: 100 points can be used to propose a new rule

This rule is a literal game-changer because any player who stacks up 100 points can propose a new rule to Kenjaku. These new rules can do anything from reshape the battlefield to creating different mechanics that aid the player in question. As such, rule-making is essentially another type of weapon for those strong and smart enough to wield this power correctly.

It's safe to say that this rule easily tips the scales in favour of more powerful sorcerers who can rack up those points quicker. Sorry to all the random humans who stroll in unawares.

Rule 7: Kenjaku must approve each new rule

Of course, there's always a catch. Players can ask for almost anything, but only up to a point. That's because the one rule players can't request is the removal of rules previously set in place by Kenjaku. Kind of like a 'genie refusing to give more wishes' kind of deal.

Long-term changes are also disallowed. Essentially, Kenjaku can do what he wants with these requests. And remember, his priority is to maximise the body count, because he's kind of messed up like that.

Rule 8: Stop for 19 days and your cursed technique is removed

While the first rule gave players 19 days to choose a colony, the final rule punishes competitors who don't increase their score for the same length of time. Sit idle for 19 days and you lose your cursed technique, which usually results in death for the player who's been targeted. So much for waiting things out until everyone else is dead.

This rule quickly weeds out anyone who's too weak to make an impact on the tournament, plus it adds even more pressure to an already stressful game. And by "stressful," I mean "unbearable to the point of madness".

Combined, these rules create monsters out of good people and make bad people even worse. In short, this is a horrifying ordeal that sucks for everyone competing, but kind of rules for us waiting to see all the endless culling unfold back home. So. Much. Culling.

And with that, there's nothing left to except let The Culling Game commence! And may the odds be ever in your favour.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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