Rika Orimoto made her first appearance in Gege Akutami’s series through Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Once a close friend of Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu, she lost her life in a tragic road accident. Though Yuta lost his beloved friend, Rika returned as the Queen of Curses in JJK. Now, many fans ponder this question: Why is Rika considered the Queen of Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Rika, who was once a sweet girl, turned into a vengeful curse. With her appearance, her personality drastically changed as well. From a young girl with a fragile frame, she transformed into a monstrous curse with a cycloptic eye and tendrils. Her transformation into the Queen of Curses is linked to her tragic backstory.
After she died, Rika continued to haunt Yuta as a cursed spirit in an attempt to protect him. Unfortunately, due to her overwhelming power, she sometimes harmed him without intending to do so. However, in a poignant moment of separation, Yuta set Rika free, but her status as the Queen of Curses was sustained.
Why is Rika the Queen of Curses?
In the present timeline in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Rika still accompanies Yuta, even after he sets her free. As a special grade cursed spirit, Rika’s strength is unmatched. So much so, in the plot, when she fully manifests into a cursed spirit for the first time, she effortlessly tears a huge cursed spirit apart. During her full manifestation, she can copy cursed techniques, which Yuta can use to his advantage.
Even high-grade Jujutsu sorcerers’ skills remain insignificant in front of Rika, as was evident when Yuta fought against Geto. During the fight, Rika’s power was so extensive that Geto acknowledged her as the Queen of Curses. Moreover, her status is so incredible that, according to spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 248, even the King of Curses, Sukuna, recognizes Rika as the Queen of Curses.
In Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Yuta was able to unleash the strongest curse in Jujutsu Kaisen, Pure Love, by wielding Rika’s cursed energy. The movie also saw her summoning a megaphone from the Inumaki family to assist Yuta, enabling the latter to use the cursed speech manipulation technique. All in all, with her overwhelming power, Rika stands out as the Queen of Curses in JJK.
