Binding vows are considered by all jujutsu users to be one of the essential tenets of jujutsu sorcery. Binding Vows are essentially contracts that an individual can make with one's self or another person. The act of abiding by the rules and restrictions agreed upon in these contracts can result in a greater power or the achievement of a goal, but breaking a binding vow has uncanny repercussions.[1]
Vows with Oneself
Self-imposed restrictions that are potentially harmful to the creator, such as willingly limiting the amount of cursed energy they can use for a period of time, can increase the amount of the user's cursed energy and of their cursed techniques.
As a product of negative emotions, cursed energy responds to the desires of its individual user. As a result, the user can increase the power of their cursed energy by stating a self-imposed "cursed restriction" that creates riskier conditions to use their abilities. For example, by divulging one's cursed technique, it creates more risk for them, making their cursed energy swell in response to its user's resolve.
In addition, creating rules for using one's cursed energy and abiding by those rules which allow their cursed technique to improve in strength. The penalty of breaking a binding vow with oneself is the loss of whatever was gained through the contract. [1]
Revealing One's Hand (情報の開示,Jōhō no Kaiji?): A binding vow that increases the user's cursed energy output in exchange for vocally divulging how their cursed technique functions.[2] Skilled practitioners can increase the effectiveness of their techniques as well as mislead their opponents on how it works.
Overtime (時間外労働,Jikangairōdō?): A binding vow used by Kento Nanami that limits the amount of cursed energy he can access to about 80-90% while on the clock working for Jujutsu High. Once his normal shift ends and he begins working overtime, Nanami's cursed energy increases dramatically.[3] By invoking Overtime, Nanami is able to utilize 110-120% of his maximum power.[4]
Most beginner sorcerers can only use Simple Domain by making a binding vow. In Miwa's case, if her feet move from the point they're at when the technique was activated, the Simple Domain ends.[5][6]
Mahito imposed a binding vow on his Instant Spirit Body of Distorted Killing form that increased his toughness in exchange for being unable to metamorphosize himself using Idle Transfiguration. A separate binding vow is imposed on his elbow blades and head tendrils that allows him to freely change their shape. [7]
Never Swing a Katana Again (今後刀を振るわない,Kongo Katana o Furuwanai?): A binding vow Kasumi Miwa made when attacking Pseudo-Geto during the Shibuya Incident to enhance the strength of her Batto Sword Drawing by vowing to never swing a katana again.[8][9]
To survive the steam explosion caused by Hajime Kashimo's electrified cursed energy, Hakari made an impromptu binding vow that shifted the cursed energy protecting his left arm to the rest of his body, saving himself at the cost of his left arm.[10]
In order to bypass the activation conditions of his world-cutting Dismantle and launch it at Satoru Gojo, Sukuna made a binding vow that further complicated its conditions for all subsequent uses, requiring the addition of chanting incantations and directing the slash's trajectory with a third hand.[11]
By changing his domain expansion's hand sign and applying cursed techniques and barrier techniques through a part of his brain undamaged by Unlimited Void, then including imprecise elements and improvised binding vows, Sukuna was able to activate Malevolent Shrine without any decrease to its range or output for 99 seconds.[12]
To make Divine Flame more effective, Sukuna made a binding vow that forbid him from using it against multiple opponents unless inside his domain. In return, his domain's technique is expanded and allows him to imbue all the pulverized matter within it with Divine Flame's explosive cursed energy, turning the dust particles into thermobaric explosives that are detonated when ignited by Divine Flame.[13]
Boogie Woogie: Revised (不義遊戯改,Bugi Ugi Kai?): After replacing his lost left hand with a vibraslap, Todo is able to perform 50 swaps per second.[14] Through a binding vow, he can limit the number of swaps per strike of the instrument, which expands his Boogie Woogie's range and allows him to select multiple targets in return.[15]
With a binding vow, Yuji narrowed the target of his Dismantle to the boundary between an incarnated cursed object's soul and its vessel's soul. In exchange, the technique is especially effective at separating souls compared to his punches, making them deadly to an incarnated sorcerer.[16]
Vows with Others
Contracts created between two or more individuals are bound by cursed energy. Both parties must agree to a particular set of conditions that benefit both parties. The penalty for breaking a binding vow with others is considered to be far greater than that of a self-imposed binding vow.[1]
When Yuji's body was deceased, Sukuna proposed a binding vow that would allow him to heal in exchange for allowing Sukuna to take control for one minute whenever he said a keyword, "Enchain" (契闊,Keikatsu?). He also promised not to kill anyone during that time on the condition that Yuji would forget about the vow.
Yuji initially refused and demanded a fight to death in response. As a compromise, conditions were set by Sukuna. If Yuji wins then Sukuna will revive him without the binding vow. If Sukuna wins, then Yuji must agree to the binding vow and will lose all memory of it. Sukuna instantly defeated Yuji, forcing him into the vow.[17]
After Yorozu reveals herself to Yuji and Megumi, Sukuna activates the binding vow by saying "Enchain" which grants him complete control of the body. Afterwards, he rips off one of Yuji's fingers and transforms it into a cursed object, force-feeds Megumi the finger, and transfers his consciousness into Megumi.[18]
A contract between Mahito and Kokichi Muta for Muta to act as a double agent for Mahito and Pseudo-Geto. Mahito agreed to heal Muta's body with Idle Transfiguration in exchange for cooperation and information, on the condition that Mahito would not "lay a finger on anyone from Kyoto Jujutsu High."
It is alleged by Muta that this contract is broken, but Mahito rebuts this point by stating that Hanami actually was the one who hurt the students from the Kyoto Jujutsu High. Muta is transformed by Mahito's cursed technique after acting as a double agent for presumably some time, which brings the contract to an end, although it is unclear whether or not there was a breach.[1]
Ui Ui has a contract with his sister Mei Mei where he agrees to limit his cursed energy until she gives him permission to use jujutsu.[19] This stems from his own desire to please his elder sister.[20]
Kenjaku revealed that the cursed objects he had his marked non-sorcerers ingest were what was left of the sorcerers he made binding vows with a millennial ago and reveals that the binding vows became null after he obtained Suguru Geto's body.[21]
At the end of the Shibuya Incident, he remotely casted Idle Transfiguration on the marked non-sorcerers to adjust their brains for sorcery and give them strength as vessels. Later on, he broke the seal on the cursed objects and incarnated a thousand sorcerers from the past to start the Culling Game.[22]
In order to become Itadori's fake executioner, Yuta Okkotsu was forced into a binding vow with the jujutsu higher-ups where he was sworn to kill him. He then ends the binding vow when he does kill Itadori, but heals him with reverse cursed technique in the very moment he does kill him, resurrecting him in a sense.[23]
