Ignorance Spirit

**Ignorance Spirits** (無明霊, *Mumyōrei*) are a race of cursed spirits that have existed since the beginning of humankind. Rather than being born over time out of cursed energy, the number of ignorance spirits has not changed ever since they came into existence, as none have been none created since, but neither have any of them been exorcised. Their existence is a well-guarded secret within jujutsu society; only the top figures of Jujutsu Headquarters are aware of them. They are the main antagonistic force in Jujutsu Kaisen: Samsara.

## History

Ignorance spirits came into existence alongside, or very shortly after, the beginning of humanity. Recordings of Nazar go as far back as 5000 years. The total number of ignorance spirits is unknown, but Daji claims that they are not many. Throughout history, Ignorance spirits wandered and influenced various civilisations around the world, but ever since the advent of Tengen and her barriers centralised curses in Japan, most of the ignorance spirits have migrated to the island as well.

## Description

Like other curses, ignorance spirits bodies are entirely made up of cursed energy. Normally, this would make it impossible for non-sorcerers to perceive or touch them, but given their immense power, often the appearance of an ignorance spirit automatically constitutes a life-or-death situation, allowing non-sorcerers to see them. Certain ignorance spirits, like Daji, can also willingly make themselves visible to non-sorcerers, to the point of living and having relationships with them. Unlike other curses, ignorance spirits are not bound to one location, or perhaps their influence is so great that all of earth can be considered their point of origin.

Daji explains that she and the other ignorance spirits are aptly named because their existence has obscured human perception about the "true reality" ever since their birth. Both passively through their presence as through various acts of deception, ignorance spirits have maintained human suffering and caused them to accept an illusionary world. If ever even one of them should be exorcised, it would be like "allowing humans to see for the for the first time after a lifetime of blindness".

Though they know each other well, including their abilities and weaknesses, the ignorance spirits don't work together or share any common goals, aside from the general objective of continuing human suffering. While ignorance spirits like Daji are conscious actors that act deliberately to influence the state of the world, others like Nazar are more like a force of nature that destroy everything in their path, without real rhyme or reason. Only at one point in history during the Nara period, did two ignorance spirits work together against the jujutsu sorcerer community, an event that is referred to as the **Long Night of Spiritual Darkness** (無明長夜, *Mumyōdjōya*).

## Powers & Abilities

Ignorance spirits possess almost immeasurable levels of cursed energy, moreso than any other being in the world. Mimei Futamigawa has commented that although by technically they would be classified as special grade, the difference between them and other special grade curses is so vast that this classification becomes insignificant. It took the combined forces of all four jujutsu societies to try to combat Nazar, and even this was not enough to fully exorcize it. It is only because ignorance spirits want to sustain the state of the world and keep humanity suffering but not wipe it out, that they have not done so.

During the Long Night of Spiritual Darkness, when Daji and Shōnō collaborated against humanity their combined power almost destroyed the world. It was only prevented because they started fighting among themselves and due to the self-sacrifice of Tengen, the most powerful sorcerer alive.

## Trivia

* Avidyā, commonly translated as ignorance, is considered the root cause of suffering in Buddhism and that which binds humanity to the cycle of life and death.