Higukuna

SPOILER WARNING! This article contains spoilers from the manga

Higukuna
GENERAL
Jujutsu Kaisen
Character	Hiromi Higuruma
Character	Ryomen Sukuna
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Enemies; Sukuna is dead
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Slash
Also Known As	SukuHigu, HiguSuku, Sukuruma, SukuHi, SukuHiro, Kunaruma, 宿日, 宿寛, 👹🌻, 👅🌻
Tropes	Enemies to Lovers

11

HiguKuna is the slash ship between Hiromi Higuruma and Ryomen Sukuna from the Jujutsu Kaisen fandom.

Canon

Before their fight, Higuruma and Sukuna shared no interaction, yet their characters seem to have some similarities as well as opposite aspects. Such as Higuruma being a modern man, wields an old-styled, non-lethal domain which prohibits any form of violence. In stark contrast, Sukuna is a sorcerer from a millennium past whose domain is inherently lethal, inflicting severe physical violence upon anyone trapped within its confines.

Higuruma's debut in the narrative mirrors Sukuna's disposition. Following a mental breakdown, Higuruma adopts a lifestyle of self-indulgence, reminiscent of Sukuna's own approach to life. A notable parallel between them is their readiness to eliminate any who irritates them. Additionally, both characters undergo a change influenced by Yuji's intervention. However, a difference arises in their reactions to their actions; Higuruma is tormented by his own homicidal actions, whereas Sukuna accepts them without remorse, contemplating to follow a different path should he ever get a chance in another life. Interestingly, Higuruma also got another chance as a sorcerer.

The "insta-kill" abilities of Higuruma and Sukuna share certain traits. Higuruma's power requires a death penalty verdict before it can be activated. Upon such a verdict, his gavel transforms into the Executioner’s Sword, a majestic weapon of light with the capacity to lethally strike any individual marked for death. Similarly, Sukuna's ultimate move, Divine Flame, needs a preparatory phase akin to a chef's ingredient assembly, needing to utilize the Cleave and Dismantle techniques first before it can be activated. This fiery arrow can only target one outside Sukuna's domain, but within, it unleashes a cataclysmic inferno, annihilating all within its vicinity. Nevertheless, these lethal powers can be evaded — if their reach is avoided or if their bearers are subdued before they can use them.

Higuruma has also proven to be extremely intelligent man and a talented sorcerer, achieving a proficiency comparable to a grade 1 sorcerer in just twelve days following his awakening. His ability to wield sorcery is almost on par with that of Sukuna, who is recognized for his exceptional talent and is ranked as special grade sorcerer.

Culling Game Arc

During his battle with Yuji, Higuruma discovered the existence of Sukuna. The revelation came after Yuji was accused under suspicion of committing mass murder in Shibuya, and Judgeman presented evidence to Higuruma. This evidence enlightened Higuruma about the presence of Sukuna within Yuji, identifying the "demon" as the true perpetrator. Simultaneously, it appears Sukuna had become aware of Higuruma's existence, both prior to and amidst the clash with Yuji, while he inhabited Yuji's body.

Shinjuku Showdown Arc

As Gojo and Sukuna clashed, Higuruma observed the duel intently from within Rika, alongside his fellow sorcerers. He appeared to be keeping a close eye on the battle, learning new techniques, and keeping pace with the battle's progression. Following the downfall of Gojo and Kashimo at Sukuna's hands, Higuruma joined forces with Yuji to confront the formidable King of Curses. Mei Mei provides them a distraction. Descending from the sky, Higuruma slams his enlarged gavel at the ground at Sukuna, who skillfully evaded the strike.

When Yuji distracts Sukuna, Higuruma seizes the demon's arm with his gavel, announcing a retrial to Yuji. They aim to revisit the prior judgment where Yuji faced accusations of mass murder in Shibuya, intending to shift the culpability to Sukuna. While Higuruma outlines his domain’s rules, Sukuna cuts in, revealing his awareness of the rules from his time within Yuji when they first encountered Higuruma. Impatient, Sukuna urges to proceed to the sentencing, eager to witness his sword. Unwavering, Judgeman finds Sukuna guilty, leading to the supposed confiscation of his cursed technique and the imposition of the death sentence, which transforms Higuruma’s gavel into the Executioner’s Sword.

It becomes clear that Sukuna's possession of the cursed tool, Kamutoke, did not result in the loss of his cursed technique; rather, the tool itself was seized. As their battle commences, Higuruma and Sukuna are the first to realize this. In a swift offensive, Sukuna unleashes slash attacks on Higuruma, but Kusakabe intervenes, shielding Higuruma with his Simple Domain technique. Reflecting on the encounter, Higuruma blames his inexperience in combat as the reason for his oversight regarding the confiscation of the cursed tool. Meanwhile, Sukuna observes that all the combatants have notably honed their basic cursed energy skills.

In a swift move, Sukuna dispatches Choso, prompting Ino, Yuji, and Kusakabe to launch an assault on the King of Curses. The battle intensifies as Higuruma enters the fray, brandishing his blade at Sukuna, only to nick a few hairs from the demon's head as Sukuna evades with a taunting grin. Seizing Higuruma's sword-bearing arm, Sukuna lands a solid punch to his face. With a firm grip, he hurls Higuruma away from the other sorcerers, seeking to isolate him for a one-on-one confrontation. As Higuruma is sent tumbling through the debris of shattered buildings, Kusakabe urgently instructs Yuji to pursue them, determined to prevent Sukuna from cornering Higuruma. Despite the urgency, Yuji realizes the daunting speed gap between himself and Sukuna during the chase.

Soon, Higuruma halts his flight inside one of the ruined buildings. In hot pursuit, Sukuna lunges forward, unleashing colossal slashes that tear through the structure. Yet, he is taken aback to find that Higuruma wields Domain Amplification, rendering his technique ineffective. The revelation of Higuruma's raw talent captivates Sukuna; despite only two months since his awakening as a sorcerer, Higuruma sustains his Executioner’s Sword, maintaining it alongside his amplification technique without completely deactivating his sword.

The King of Curses observes that Higuruma's ability of using amplification is almost on par with his own skills. This recognition prompts Sukuna to address Higuruma formally, eliciting a reaction from both Higuruma and Yuji. The confrontation escalates quickly, resulting in the building being decimated. Despite the chaos, Higuruma remains agile and mostly unscathed. As Higuruma charges towards Sukuna, the latter hurls a distraction of small sliced concrete blocks to thwart him. Higuruma shatters them, but Sukuna's stealthy counterattack is foiled by Yuji's intervention. In a swift move, Sukuna seizes Yuji, using Cleave on him, and dismisses him disdainfully, eager to clear the field for the impending duel.

In the heat of battle, Higuruma persists in his assault against Sukuna, wielding his blade in vain attempts to hit him. Eventually, Sukuna retaliates with his strengthened Dismantle technique, which tragically dismembers Higuruma's right arm. Despite the injury, Sukuna orders the lawyer to heal. Amidst the agony, Higuruma muses over how despite his cold heart and how throughout his resolve is, the pain is still as clear as day. The conflict escalates as Sukuna disarms Higuruma's left arm, the bearer of the Executioner’s Sword, plunging him into excruciating pain. The King of Curses issues an ultimatum: use the Reverse Cursed Technique for self-recovery or face decapitation. Soon Yuji intervenes, briefly distracting Sukuna. Seizing the moment, Higuruma grips his sword tightly with his newly regenerated arm and pierces Sukuna's hand. However, Sukuna managed to severe his hand to evade death. Praising Higuruma for trying, Sukuna inflicts a fatal blow with Cleave to Higuruma's abdomen. Facing his end, Higuruma propels his sword skyward, granting Yuji a fleeting opportunity to strike Sukuna from behind with it.

Unfortunately, the sword vanishes just as Yuji is poised to act. Sukuna launches an assault, thrusting Yuji aside, and muses on Kamutoke's absence despite Higuruma's demise. He then marvels at Yuji's survival and recovery. In the midst of this, Sukuna's attention is captured by Ui Ui and Kirara, who are taking Higuruma's body with them. Contemplating Yuji as his next target, Sukuna is beset by a wave of irritation, mirrored by Yuji's own bewilderment at Sukuna's sudden distraction. The King of Curses ponders his own reaction, wondering if he is disappointed because of Higuruma's death. He reflects on his independence, the notion of needing another person never having crossed his mind, living solely by his own whims. Sukuna is left to consider the possibility that it is he who has changed over the millennia, attributing his current displeasure to Yuji and his unwavering ideals.

Following Sukuna’s defeat, the Tokyo Jujutsu High becomes a hub of activity as the sorcerers convene to debrief on the recent events. It’s revealed that Higuruma has made it through the ordeal. He tells them that Sukuna had not taken his fight seriously, and had someone like Yuta been present, the outcome might have been fatal for Higuruma himself. Despite this, Kusakabe expresses his astonishment at Higuruma's survival, especially given his mere two months of experience in sorcery, although Higuruma had not intended to survive the battle.

Fanon

In the Jujutsu Kaisen fandom, Higukuna is considered to be a rarepair ship, born from their fleeting encounter and adversarial dynamic within the story. Despite them being enemies, their fight captured the imagination of fans, sparking a subset of enthusiasts to explore the possibilities of a hypothetical romance.

The way Sukuna shows a keen interest in Higuruma's abilities and potential in the story piqued the interest of fans. And after Sukuna believes he has ended Higuruma's life, his immediate reflection on Higuruma's demise is caused by grappling with an uncharacteristic irritation. Sukuna is followed by the thought that he has never felt the need for anyone else to fulfill his life. For some fans, this is interesting line of thoughts, since prior to meeting Higuruma, Sukuna's discussions with Yorozu, Kashimo, and Gojo revolved around themes of love and loneliness, however, Sukuna himself never showed interested in such topics. So, his fleeting thoughts revolving around this subject right after thinking about Higuruma and his own confusing feelings have raised some eyebrows, and at the time made some JJK fans think that Sukuna developed a potential crush on the lawyer. There also has been some interesting theories/analysis regarding this chapter as well, such as Higuruma being important start in breaking Sukuna’s enlightenment.

While some shippers envision this relationship through a darker lens, reflecting the tension and conflict of their canonical interactions, others craft alternative universes where their bond evolves from initial conflict to eventual mutual affection and understanding. There are also some people who like to create silly dynamics with them both and simply have fun with the characters and their relationship.

Due to the ship's rarepair status, it has not received the level of attention or fan-created content that shippers might desire, making the discovery of new material somewhat challenging. As of now, the pairing's tag on AO3 features just over 10 fanfictions, while on Pixiv, there are approximately 28 fan works in total. However, it's worth noting that a number of the Pixiv creations may also include different Higuruma pairings, like KusaHigu. Additionally, a selection of fan art and fan stories related to this pairing are also available on platforms such as Twitter/X and Poipiku as well. Some of the fan works can be sexually explicit.

The ship's rarepair status means it isn't typically involved in active rivalries with other ships. Additionally, fans of Higukuna often enjoy exploring relationships between these characters and others. Nonetheless, the most favored pairings involving Higuruma and Sukuna, namely KusaHigu, HiguNana, SukuFushi, and SukuGo, can generally be seen as the primary rivals to Higukuna.

There is also a segment of the fandom that disapproves of the Higukuna ship, largely due to the “enemies dynamic” between the characters within the narrative. The ship initially faced opposition from fans when Higuruma met his demise at the hands of Sukuna, leading to a general aversion to their pairing. However, after it was revealed that Higuruma was still alive, the reason to dislike the ship because of his supposed death wasn't anymore as valid. It's worth noting that there are fans who prefer to see Sukuna and Higuruma paired with other characters, and thus, may object to competing pairings such as Higukuna.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Higuruma Hiromi/Ryoumen Sukuna tag on AO3

Higuruma Hiromi & Ryoumen Sukuna tag on AO3

FAN ART

宿日 tag on Pixiv

宿寛 tag on Pixiv

宿日 tag on Poipiku

宿寛 tag on Poipiku

TWITTER

Higukuna posts on Twitter

SukuHigu posts on Twitter

Trivia

• In Volume 28, Gege Akutami delves into the airwalk technique utilized by Maki and Sukuna in chapter 256 (which Sukuna had already used previously as well). Gege explains that Sukuna amplifies his airwalk by striking the air surface with cursed energy. Additionally, Gege reveals Higuruma's capability to employ the same "striking the air surface with cursed energy" method for airwalking, which he has previously demonstrated by banging his gavel mid-air. Originally, Gege intended to illustrate the depth of Higuruma's latent sorcery talent with this.
• In chapter 248, Sukuna questions whether Higuruma's death bothered him, and it's the first time we see Sukuna space out in the middle of the battle.
  • Since Sukuna chose to "go North" and become someone new, many fans like to imagine this interaction with Higuruma impacted Sukuna on a deeper level.
• Sukuna remembers Higuruma's first and last name, and he's one of the few sorcerers whose name he remembers.

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