What Is Domain Expansion In Jujutsu Kaisen?

For Jujutsu Sorcerers and cursed spirits, their cursed technique is everything; without a cursed technique, becoming strong is nearly impossible.

Though there are some outliers like Kusakabe, Maki, Miwa, and Toji.

Even after getting blessed with a cursed technique, one needs to understand it to effectively use it, and above all this, there is a penultimate technique.

This technique is the pinnacle of one’s jujutsu sorcery, ‘Domain Expansion’. It is akin to Bankai in Bleach.

We first see Domain Expansion in the series when Sukuna uses it against the finger bearer.

In the recent chapters, we also saw the clash between Sukuna and Gojo’s domain expansion.

So what is domain expansion? Why are they hailed as the pinnacle of one’s Jujutsu sorcery?

We will answer them in this article, but before that, we need to understand the concept of innate domain in Jujutsu Kaisen.

What Is An Innate Domain?

An innate domain, aka domain, is a metaphysical territory inside a sorcerer’s or cursed spirit’s mind, and it reflects the user’s mind and soul as they relate to jujutsu.

Inside Yuji, Sukuna’s mind resides in his innate domain. This is also where Yuji fought Sukuna for the first time and made his binding vow.

Now that we understand what an innate domain is, let’s understand what domain expansion is.

What Is Domain Expansion?

Now the name domain expansion should give you some idea of what it might be.

Simply put, domain expansion is the physical manifestation of one’s innate domain.

To achieve domain expansion, one must expand their innate domain using cursed energy and construct a barrier to create a separate space imbued with their cursed technique.

Domain expansion is the ultimate form of one’s cursed technique.

It improves the user’s cursed technique and provides a sure-hit effect to their cursed technique.

This means that within the domain’s range, the user’s cursed technique will never miss the target. Very op, right?

Unfortunately, not everyone can use it! Even many grade 1 sorcerers and cursed spirits are unable to use it.

Communities’ beloved 9-to-5 worker, Nanami Kento, who is capable of using Black Flash consecutively four times, but he still cannot manifest domain expansion.

This is how complex and difficult this technique is.

Did you know that in the past, domain expansion was a more common technique? Want to know why that is the case?

The answer is hidden in the domains of the past, so let’s dive into it.

Domain Expansion Of The Past

In the past, domain expansion was more common as those domains omitted the sure-Hit factor that current-day domains have.

The domains were created to trap the enemy and impose restrictions on them. These were much easier to create, as adding cursed techniques to the domain to create a sure-hit effect is a very complex technique.

One modern time example of such domain is Higuruma’s ‘Deadly Sentencing’. It does not have any sure-hit effect but forces the opponent to take a trail

We also see the domain restricting Yuji’s cursed energy after he was convicted guilty.

Drawbacks Of Domain Expansion

Everything comes at a price, and so does domain expansion. The technique is a high-risk, high-reward manoeuvre as it consumes immense cursed energy to manifest.

Except for Gojo and Sukuna, no one can manifest their domain multiple times a day.

This is because both have immense cursed energy and are very efficient at cursed energy usage.

Other than Gojo and Sukuna, Kinji Hakari can also achieve this feat, but only if he can hit the jackpot inside his domain.

We see him do exactly this during his fight against the reincarnated sorcerer Kashimo Hajime.

Another drawback of domain expansion is that after a domain is used, the cursed technique of the sorcerer burns out, making it impossible for them to use it for some time.

Basically, the cursed technique goes on a cooldown timer. When Hakari hits the jackpot, his burned-out cursed technique also gets replenished.

Unlike Hakari, Sukuna and Gojo, do not possess such protection against cursed technique burnout.

However, in the latest chapter 226, Gojo showed that one can replenish their cursed technique using the reverse cursed technique.

Another drawback of domain expansion comes from it being a barrier technique.

When domain expansion is cast, the barrier is reinforced from inside to prevent the target from escaping, but this comes with a price.

The more a barrier is reinforced from the inside, the easier it is to break from the outside. Meaning an ally can break it in from outside.

Though this is not widely used, as breaking in would also make them the target of the sure-hit effect of the domain.

When Mahito trapped Nanami using the domain, Yuji broke into the domain from outside, causing Mahito’s technique to reach Yuji’s Soul, thus also reaching Sukuna’s soul.

This caused Sukuna to cut down Mahito which resulted in Mahito running away from the battle.

Can Domain Expansion Be Countered?

Domain Expansion has existed for such a long time, so have sorcerers found any counter to it? Yes, they have.

The best counter to a domain expansion is another domain expansion. In such a battle of domains, the domain that is stronger and more refined takes over, dominating the other domain.

We witnessed this in the domain battle between the special-grade cursed spirit Jogo and the strongest sorcerer Gojo.

Jogo activated his domain expansion ‘Coffin of the Iron Mountain’ to neutralize Gojo’s infinity technique; right after which, Gojo used his domain expansion Infinite Void.

Infinite Void, being more refined and stronger, completely overshadowed Jogo’s domain.

Unfortunately, not everyone can use domain expansion, so a Heien-era sorcerer Sadatsuna Ashiya created a simple domain.

The simple domain is an anti-domain technique that creates a small region around the user, and similar to domain expansion, it cancels out any and all techniques that get cast within its radius.

This also neutralizes the sure-hit effect of a domain expansion. The difference between the two is that a simple domain is not imbued with the cursed technique.

Another technique to counter domain expansion is the Falling Blossom Emotions.

This is a secret technique passed down through the three major jujutsu families. In this technique, the user coats themselves in cursed energy that counters domain expansion’s sure-hit attacks.

When the user gets hit by the sure-hit attack of a domain, the enveloping cursed energy counters it with equal force to nullify it.

Nobito Zenin used this technique during the Shibuya incident against the cursed spirit Dagon’s domain.