Image Credit: TOHO/Animeuz
The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 trailer Part 1 just dropped at Jump Festa 2026 on December 19, 2025, and fans are already dissecting every frame.
The premiere of “The Culling Game Part 1” is set for January 8, 2026, and this official preview reveals critical plot points, introduces major new characters, and sets expectations for what may be the anime’s most intense arc yet. Here’s everything important you need to know before the premiere airs.
Key Moments You Can’t Miss from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Trailer Part 1
Yuji’s Death Penalty and the Execution Assignment
The trailer opens with devastating stakes: Yuji Itadori has been sentenced to death by the Jujutsu Higher-ups. After the Shibuya Incident’s catastrophic aftermath, where thousands of civilians died, and Satoru Gojo was sealed away, the jujutsu governing body deemed Yuji too dangerous to keep alive.
Rather than execute him immediately, they assign Yuta Okkotsu, the strongest active special-grade sorcerer, as his designated executioner.
This creates immediate tension because Yuta must now hunt down Yuji while simultaneously working to free Gojo from the Prison Realm. The trailer teases an intense confrontation between them, but the activation of the Culling Game may provide a reprieve.
The Culling Game Battle Royale Explained
The trailer explicitly shows the mechanics of the Culling Game, Kenjaku’s nationwide battle royale designed to destabilize Japan’s entire jujutsu society. Here’s what you need to understand:
- 1,000 jujutsu sorcerers are forced into participation across 10 colonies throughout Japan
- Players earn points by eliminating other participants
- Accumulating 100 points grants the ability to create personalized rules
- Participants who refuse Kenjaku’s rules have their cursed techniques forcibly removed
- The tournament serves as a massive, cursed energy accumulation scheme, advancing Kenjaku’s master plan to merge humanity with Master Tengen
Megumi’s Unknown Status and Sukuna’s Influence
The trailer shows Megumi Fushiguro in an alarming condition. After desperately summoning Mahoraga (a powerful divine dog shikigami) during the Shibuya Incident, which resulted in thousands of deaths when Sukuna fought the creature, Megumi’s mental state and power level are questionable.
The trailer hints at his involvement in the Culling Game but leaves his true allegiances ambiguous, suggesting Sukuna’s influence over him will become a major Season 3 subplot.
Choso as Yuji’s Unlikely Ally
In a dramatic reversal, Choso, once an antagonist, discovers he shares cursed blood with Yuji, making them brothers. The trailer shows Choso actively protecting Yuji during the Culling Game, signaling a complete shift in alliance.
This partnership is essential because Yuji will face simultaneous threats from both the Jujutsu Society’s executioners and Culling Game participants.
The Angel’s Game-Changing Technique
The trailer briefly showcases Angel (Hana Kurusu), an ancient sorcerer whose cursed technique is arguably the most powerful ability shown so far: complete cursed technique disablement. This power is instrumental for two critical objectives in Season 3: freeing Satoru Gojo from the Prison Realm and providing an overwhelming advantage in direct combat scenarios.
Opening Theme: “AIZO” by King Gnu
King Gnu returns to perform the Season 3 opening theme “AIZO”, released simultaneously with the trailer. The song officially releases for streaming on January 9, 2026 (the day after the premiere) and as a physical single on February 11, 2026. The opening’s energetic style perfectly matches the high-octane combat expected throughout the season.
New Characters Introduced in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: The Culling Game
Major New Characters Introduced in the Trailer
Kinji Hakari – The Gambler with Impossible Luck
Voice Actor: Kazuya Nakai
Kinji Hakari is a suspended third-year student with one of the series’ most unique and powerful cursed techniques: the ability to enter an “Unvoid Domain, a hyper-lucky state where he becomes nearly invincible for short bursts. The trailer showcases Hakari as a major participant in the Culling Game who eventually joins Yuji’s group.
His character provides crucial support throughout Season 3. It represents the “new generation” of sorcerers stepping into leadership roles while the older generation (Gojo, Yuki) is either imprisoned or preoccupied with higher-level threats.
Hiromi Higuruma – The Lawyer-Turned-Sorcerer
Voice Actor: Tomokazu Sugita
Hiromi Higuruma is introduced as a former defense lawyer transformed into a jujutsu sorcerer with a morally complex cursed technique:
Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing. His domain creates a courtroom environment in which verdicts literally determine life-or-death outcomes. The trailer hints at a pivotal battle between Yuji and Higuruma, suggesting philosophical conflicts about justice and execution.
Higuruma’s character explores whether Yuji’s death sentence was truly justified, adding narrative depth beyond simple battle sequences.
Kirara Hoshi – The Star-Marking Strategist
Voice Actor: Yuki Sakakihara
Kirara Hoshi is Hakari’s business partner and romantic interest. Her cursed technique allows her to mark objects with star symbols and manipulate them remotely. While not a frontline combatant, Kirara provides crucial tactical support throughout the Culling Game matches.
Ryu Ishigori – The Reincarnated 400-Year-Old Powerhouse
Ryu Ishigori is among the most feared participants in the Culling Game, a 400-year-old sorcerer reincarnated in the modern era with a singular obsession: fighting worthy opponents. The trailer showcases his immense strength, and his individual battles against characters like Sukuna are visually stunning. His existence raises questions about how modern sorcerers compare to legendary historical fighters.
Hana Kurusu (Angel) – The Cursed Technique Breaker
Hana Kurusu is possessed by an ancient entity called Angel. Hana wields arguably Jujutsu Kaisen’s most broken cursed technique: the complete ability to disable and extinguish any other cursed technique. This makes her instrumental for:
- Freeing Satoru Gojo from the Prison Realm
- Providing an advantage against nearly any opponent
- Playing a crucial role in potential future battles against Sukuna
Reggie Star – The Intelligent Antagonist
Voice Actor: Yutaka Aoyama
Reggie Star is a highly intelligent jujutsu sorcerer who becomes one of the Culling Game’s strategic antagonists. Unlike brute-force enemies, Reggie relies on intellect and planning, making him a unique threat.
Who is Fumihiko Takaba?
Fumihiko Takaba is a newly awakened sorcerer introduced during the Culling Game arc. He was initially a struggling comedian trying to make people laugh onstage before Kenjaku forcibly transformed him into a jujutsu sorcerer and enlisted him as a participant in the Culling Game.
The character gives off Joker (Arthur Fleck) vibes from the 2019 Todd Phillips film, a down-on-his-luck entertainer dealing with dark circumstances.
Fumihiko Takaba’s Power Explained Simply
Takaba’s ability is called “Comedian” and it works like this: Whatever Takaba finds funny becomes real.
That’s it. If he thinks something is hilarious or amusing, he can make it actually happen in the real world during a fight.
Examples:
- He wants to heal himself? He finds it funny that his wounds disappear → they disappear.
- He wants to dodge an attack? He finds it funny that the attack misses → it misses.
- He wants to create something? He finds it funny that an object exists → it appears.
Why It’s Overpowered: Since Takaba decides what’s “funny,” he essentially controls what becomes reality. His opponent can’t stop him because the power isn’t based on traditional combat techniques; it’s based on his sense of humor.
It’s basically like having the power to make anything happen, as long as he personally finds it entertaining or amusing.
That’s why, even though Takaba is just a struggling comedian character, his cursed technique is one of the strongest abilities in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Additional New Character Appearances
The trailer also teases:
- Kogane (Voice: Neeko) – A mysterious character with unclear allegiances
- Yorozu – A sorceress from the past who takes over Tsumiki Fushiguro’s body, becoming a significant threat
- Naoya Zenin – The antagonistic Zenin clan member actively hunting Yuji
- Hagane Daido – A reincarnated master swordsman with no cursed techniques but superhuman combat skills
- Hajime Kashimo – An incarnated sorcerer obsessed with fighting Sukuna
Returning Character Developments
Yuta Okkotsu’s Phenomenal Growth
While Yuta appeared in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the trailer emphasizes his exponential growth since that prequel. Now the strongest active sorcerer, his assignment as Yuji’s executioner creates internal conflict as he simultaneously works toward Gojo’s freedom.
Maki Zenin’s Recovery and New Status
The trailer hints at Maki’s condition after being burned by Jogo in Shibuya. One of Season 3’s major reveals involves her recovery and current power level, a plot point fans have awaited since Season 2’s conclusion.
Panda’s Expanded Combat Role
Panda transitions from comedic relief to an active Culling Game participant, receiving significantly more action sequences and story relevance throughout Season 3.
What to Expect from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3’s Story
The 10 Colony Battles
The Culling Game spans 10 distinct colonies across Japan, each introducing unique battlegrounds and character conflicts:
- Tokyo No. 1 Colony – Features Yuji’s crucial battles, including fights against Higuruma and other participants
- Sendai City Colony – Showcases reincarnated sorcerers like Ryu Ishigori
- Sakurajima Colony – Where Maki encounters incarnated fighters, including legendary swordsmen
- Seven Additional Colonies – Each with unique environmental challenges and character introductions
Sukuna’s Growing Control Over Megumi
The trailer hints at Sukuna’s gradual takeover of Megumi’s body, creating devastating consequences. This directly contrasts with Yuji’s situation (Sukuna’s original vessel), potentially leading to a confrontation between them where Megumi becomes Sukuna’s new permanent host.
Satoru Gojo’s Path to Freedom
While imprisoned in the Prison Realm since the Shibuya Incident’s conclusion, Season 3 builds momentum toward Gojo’s eventual unsealing. The trailer suggests this may occur in Season 3’s final episodes or serve as a major Season 4 cliffhanger.
Master Tengen’s Prominence
Season 3 elevates Master Tengen from background character to central plot figure, exploring her role in Kenjaku’s schemes and her relationship with the broader jujutsu world.
Zenin Clan’s Complete Collapse
The trailer shows the Zenin family’s influence disintegrating as members like Naoya pursue personal vendettas rather than clan objectives. Maki’s status shift reflects this institutional failure.
Official Premiere Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: The Culling Game Part 1 |
| Premiere Date | January 8, 2026 (Thursday) |
| Premiere Time | 12:26 AM (Japan Standard Time) |
| Broadcast Networks | MBS, TBS, and 28 affiliated channels |
| International Streaming | Crunchyroll (worldwide, excluding Asia) |
| Time Slot | “Super Animeism TURBO” programming block |
| Premiere Event | 1-hour special: Episodes 1-2 aired back-to-back |
| Production Studio | MAPPA |
| Director | Shōta Goshozono |
| Series Composition | Hiroshi Seko |
| Character Design | Yosuke Yajima, Hiromi Niwa |
| Music | Yoshimasa Terui |
| Opening Theme | “AIZO” by King Gnu |
| Original Manga Status | Concluded September 30, 2024 (30 volumes total) |
Why the Culling Game Arc Matters
The Culling Game is pivotal because it fundamentally reshapes Jujutsu Kaisen’s narrative trajectory:
- Kenjaku’s Master Plan Unfolds – The entire arc represents Kenjaku’s most elaborate scheme to merge humanity with Master Tengen
- Character Power Scaling – Season 3 legitimizes new characters while demonstrating the main cast’s exponential growth
- Status Quo Destruction – Sukuna’s influence expands, Gojo remains imprisoned, and institutional structures crumble
- Series Endgame Setup – Everything in the Culling Game positions the franchise for its climactic conclusion
Final Thoughts: Season 3 Sets the Stage for Jujutsu Kaisen’s Legacy
The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 trailer delivers exactly what the franchise needs: elevated stakes, compelling new characters, emotional depth, and clear direction for remaining seasons. With King Gnu’s “AIZO” opening, MAPPA’s continued animation excellence, and the Culling Game arc’s intricate narrative, Season 3 positions itself as a defining moment in modern anime.
Whether you’re invested in Yuji’s survival, Megumi’s possession, or Sukuna’s endgame, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 launches January 8, 2026, with a one-hour premiere featuring episodes 1-2 back-to-back.
Prepare for the most dangerous game in jujutsu history, and there are also many other anime releasing in January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 complete the Culling Game arc?
Q: Is Yuji Itadori dead by Season 3?
A: No. The execution order is suspended due to Culling Game participation. Yuji competes to survive the tournament while evading both the Jujutsu Society and other participants.
Q: When will Satoru Gojo be freed?
A: The trailer hints that Gojo’s unsealing may occur in Season 3’s final episodes or as a Season 4 cliffhanger.
Q: Who is Season 3’s main villain?
A: Kenjaku orchestrates the Culling Game, making him the primary antagonist. Sukuna (through Megumi) and various Culling Game participants create secondary conflicts.
Q: Will Junpei appear in Season 3?
A: No. Junpei was already deceased before the Culling Game events.
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