As 2025 comes to an end, enthusiasts of Gege Akutami’s thrilling universe are reveling in the anticipation of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 and the unexpected triumph of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo. While the animated series’ popularity was a given, the enthusiastic reception of JJK Modulo has been an exhilarating bonus for the fandom.

Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 16, aptly named “Malicious Light,” is a whirlwind of action, showcasing intense showdowns between Dabura & Mahoraga and Maru & Tsurugi. This chapter is a testament to Gege Akutami’s storytelling prowess, and it tantalizingly suggests the emergence of characters who might rival the formidable figures from the original series.

The entire chapter of JJK Modulo is dedicated to these gripping battles, echoing some of the iconic confrontations from the original JJK, much to the delight of its audience.

Dabura & Maru Solidify Themselves as 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen’s Strongest Characters

The two duels taking place in JJK Modulo Chapter 16 make up the entirety of the chapter, and in many ways, they parallel some of the original JJK‘s most notable clashes.

On one side of the coin, the battle between Dabura and Mahoraga elicits natural comparisons to the clash between Ryomen Sukuna and Mahoraga several decades earlier. Dabura’s light attacks and unnamed killing intent technique feel eerily similar to the cutting attacks and Fuga technique wielded by Sukuna, putting Dabura in a rarefied air as one of the strongest characters in the Jujutsu Kaisen franchise.

On the other side of the coin, the battle between Maru and Tsurugi Okkotsu feels like the return of versatile sorcerers like Kenjaku and fighters with Heavenly Restrictions like Maki Zenin. Although it remains to be seen what Maru’s techniques — Chaos and Harmony — are fully capable of, their ability to seemingly change reality is OP, and it’s going to pose a huge threat to Tsurugi when their battle resumes.

A big part of JJK‘s appeal is its exciting action and sheer hype value, and on this front, Modulo Chapter 16 succeeds in spades. Dabura lays absolute waste to the Inhuman Makyo in between decimating Mahoraga, all without using his unnamed technique that is described as killing intent given physical form. The action is crisp, Dabura is even more intimidating than ever, and for the first time since Satoru Gojo was still alive, it seems like there might actually be another character who could go toe-to-toe with Gojo and Sukuna.

Shockingly, Dabura isn’t the only character in JJK Modulo‘s most recent chapter to debut a broken set of abilities that could give JJK‘s strongest sorcerers problems. In the second half of Chapter 16, Maru’s duel with Tsurugi finally results in the reveal of his Cursed Techniques, Chaos and Harmony, which are some of the most impressive in all of JJK.

Whereas Dabura’s attacks have raw destructive power, Maru’s Chaos and Harmony techniques are much, much harder to pin down. At the end of “Malicious Light,” the Simurian turns reality on its side for him and Tsurugi, proving he can do far more than manipulate the state of elements as he did earlier in the series.

There’s no guarantee that Dabura or Maru could defeat Gojo or Sukuna, especially because Modulo hasn’t established whether Simurians can combat Domain Expansions. However, the aliens’ Cursed Techniques and energy levels both seem to be off the charts, and in Dabura’s case, should he emerge victorious from his battle with Mahoraga, he’ll have defeated one of anime’s most dangerous opponents in a fair one-on-one.

It’s easy to get lost in the hype of JJK Modulo Chapter 16, but underneath its exciting surface lies the bones of a story that shows legitimate signs of improvement compared to the original Jujutsu Kaisen.

Gege Akutami Is Learning From His Mistakes in the Original JJK

The original Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the most popular shonen manga of the 2020s, but that doesn’t mean it’s without fault. Gege Akutami clearly dropped the ball with several different story beats, per his own admission, which is understandable considering JJK was his debut manga.

Thankfully, whether it was the lackluster storyline surrounding Megumi Fushiguro’s sister, Tsumiki, or the disappointing reveal of Ryomen Sukuna’s secret technique, JJK Modulo has clearly made an attempt to rectify some of its predecessor’s mistakes.

As for the Tsumiki Fushiguro storyline, it bears a striking resemblance to Yuka Okkotsu’s story so far. The pair both have stoic brothers (who look extremely similar) and are effectively in comatose states, waiting to be saved by their siblings. However, whereas Tsumiki is never incorporated into JJK‘s storyline in any satisfying way, that cannot be said of Yuka Okkotsu.

Yuka is a fully fleshed-out character with her own powerful Cursed Techniques (which happens to be Megumi’s drawing another connection between her and Tsumiki), making it much easier to care about her when she enters a suspended state of death to summon Mahoraga. Clearly, Gege Akutami learned from Tsumiki’s poor integration in the original JJK; similarly, Chapter 16 also shows that the author learned from his experience with Ryomen Sukuna.

When Ryomen Sukuna first revealed the fact that he had a secret second Cursed Technique, it seemed like one of JJK‘s biggest mysteries. Once the technique, Fuga, was actually revealed, it lost a lot of its mystique, as it was effectively a giant dust explosion derived from his Dismantle technique. Comparatively, the presentation of Dabura’s secret Cursed Technique, which is literally killing intent given physical form, feels much more in line with what fans originally expected from Sukuna’s Fuga attack.

All things considered, JJK Modulo is yet another step in the right direction for Gege Akutami’s manga, and it proves that the sequel’s combat will be just as intense as the original series. Between his improved writing and Yuji Iwasaki’s consistently impressive art, the future is looking bright for Jujutsu Kaisen fans.

Author

Gege Akutami

Artist

Yuji Iwasaki

Release Date

September 8, 2025

Pros & Cons

• Incredible action and choreography
• Dabura’s strength lives up to reputation
• Beautiful art

• Maru’s change in personality feels disconnected from earlier chapters