Jujutsu Kaisen: Who is Ryu Ishigori?

Ryu Ishigori is one of the players in the Culling Game who has made the Sendai Colony his territory. He is a sorcerer who has reincarnated from the past and is one of the pillars in the fierce four-way standoff within the Sendai barrier. His current score is 77 points. It is believed that this is his first reincarnation.

Appearance and Personality

Appearance Ryu Ishigori is a young man characterized by his pompadour hairstyle resembling a cannon muzzle. He wears a fur-lined leather jacket over his bare torso.

He originally lived around 400 years ago during the Edo period, roughly in the same era as Hajime Kashimo. His current hairstyle and taste are considered to reflect the body he is inhabiting after reincarnation.

Personality Ryu Ishigori has a unique way of thinking, often comparing situations to sweet foods, indicating his love for sugar. Words like "sweet" often emerge in his speech.

He also shows a strong attachment to food, frequently likening battles to a feast or dessert.

Ryu displays tremendous excitement when facing strong opponents. In particular, he holds Yuta Okkotsu in high regard, viewing him as a worthy rival. During their clash, he appears very pleased and exclaims, "SWEET! That's how it should be, Okkotsu!" while enjoying the intensity of their fight.

Ryu describes his first life as "80 percent full," indicating that he was quite satisfied. However, he is driven by an inexplicable sense of "hunger" or "thirst," which led him to reincarnate and participate in the Culling Game.

This outlook on life sets him apart from Takako Uro, who is very attached to her second life due to regrets from her past.

Ryu is very bold and emotionally impartial. He does not hesitate to attack sorcerers or non-sorcerers, as reflected in his high score. Although he does not intentionally target civilians, he does not care if they get caught in the crossfire of his attacks.

Ultimately, his actions are purely driven by his desire to satisfy his inner "hunger."

Background

Ryu Ishigori is a sorcerer from about 400 years ago in the early Edo period and is affiliated with the Sendai Domain in Mutsu Province.

He is known for having the highest cursed energy output in the history of the domain, earning him the nickname "Cannon" and widely recognized throughout the country. He was also known as a heavy smoker even during his first life.

In 1615, the Keicho Diplomatic Mission sent by Date Masamune visited Saint-Tropez in France. It is possible that Ishigori picked up bits of the French language and culture from individuals associated with this mission.

Although he lived in the same era as Hajime Kashimo, they never met. At that time, Kashimo had reached old age, and their locations were far apart.

While Kashimo lived in a turbulent war era, Ishigori peaked in a relatively peaceful time under the Tokugawa shogunate, which meant his extraordinary power had no proper outlet.

Abilities

Ryu Ishigori prides himself on having the largest cursed energy output among all participants in the Culling Game, including Yuta Okkotsu. He is often described as a "cannon," reflecting the remarkable power of his attacks. Although Yuta surpasses him in total cursed energy reserves, Ishigori excels in output.

In addition to his typical long-range attacks, his physical combat abilities are also exceptional. By harnessing his large cursed energy output and explosive speed, he demonstrates extraordinary strength and resilience. He is strong enough to push Rika back in her fully manifested form and tough enough to withstand Rika's attacks directly while immediately countering.

In terms of pure hand-to-hand combat and cursed energy output, he even surpasses Yuta Okkotsu's maximum output when connected with Rika.

Considering he fights evenly or even exceeds against Yuta, he can be considered a sorcerer of at least Grade 1 level, with the potential to reach Special Grade. Based on modern Jujutsu High School standards, he would likely be classified as a Grade 1 sorcerer.

Cursed Techniques

Cursed Energy Discharge Ryu Ishigori's ability is essentially the manipulation of pure cursed energy, not a different inherent technique. Theoretically, this is something any sorcerer with sufficient cursed energy and output can do.

However, it is this simplicity that makes him unique. Even if his cursed technique becomes unusable (after Domain Expansion), he can maintain the same level of performance purely through his output. This allows him to continue fighting at full strength even after using Domain Expansion, at a time when most sorcerers suffer from technique burnout.

Despite having a straightforward ability, he has an exceptional understanding and control over cursed energy, allowing him to build a Domain Expansion, something that typically requires very refined techniques and precise mental images.

Granite Blast Granite Blast is his signature attack, where he fires a powerful blast of cursed energy from the ends of his pompadour hair.

This attack has a wide range and tremendous destructive power. It can take several forms, including massive beams, homing projectiles, and rapid-fire shots similar to flares. Because his head functions like a static cannon, he can transition to close combat smoothly even while shooting.

The destructive capacity of Granite Blast is immense, capable of splitting roads and demolishing buildings in one shot. It is stated that its power surpasses Yuta Okkotsu's maximum output even when connected with Rika, and in direct clashes, Ishigori's attacks successfully suppressed Yuta.

Domain Expansion Ryu Ishigori is capable of using Domain Expansion, with his hand seals associated with the Peafowl King mudra (Mahamayuri).

However, the full details of his domain are still unknown. During the three-way battle against Yuta Okkotsu and Takako Uro, his Domain Expansion failed to activate due to interference from Kurourushi's descendant.

Role in the Story

Battle of Sendai Colony

Ryu Ishigori plays a central role in the standoff in the Sendai Colony, alongside Dhruv Lakdawalla and Takako Uro.

After Yuta Okkotsu breaks the standoff by exorcising Kurourushi, Ishigori becomes fixated on Yuta. During the three-way battle that takes place between Ishigori, Uro, and Yuta, he feels immense excitement as Yuta pushes him to his limits and even manages to surpass him.

At one point, the three fighters attempt to activate Domain Expansion simultaneously to defeat one another decisively. However, that effort fails due to the sudden reappearance of Kurourushi.

Nevertheless, Ishigori uses Granite Blast to knock Uro unconscious and continues the final duel against Yuta after Yuta defeats Kurourushi once again.

Through this battle, Ishigori considers his fight with Yuta as a "dessert" he never experienced in his previous life. After an intense clash, he reaches a sense of satisfaction, describing himself as having been "full," and ultimately loses with a satisfied expression on his face.

Due to the rules added during the Culling Game, both Ishigori and Uro survive by surrendering their points to Yuta. Upon realizing that they would have been killed if they had not surrendered points, Ishigori reacted with a clearly visible sense of disbelief.