WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 19 of Jujutsu Kaisen, "Black Flash," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
With Jujutsu Kaisen's tournament arc all but interrupted by a surprise attack from Cursed Spirits Mahito and Hanami, the stage is perfectly poised for Itadori to storm the battlefield and debut a devastating new technique. However, the catch is that he's never done it before, so "learning on the job" would be an understatement as Itadori looks to save his friends from Hanami.
As Itadori's strange -- yet heartwarmingly supportive -- friendship with Toudou continues to blossom, the Kyoto-based Jujutsu Sorcerer believes in his new best friend. Even if that means putting him through a trial-by-fire to help prove that to himself. The threat Hanami poses is genuine as the Cursed Spirit held up against an impressive barrage from Fushiguro, Maki, Inumaki and Kamo, so there was no better time for Itadori to use his "Black Flash" technique.
The Jujutsu Sorcerer's Advantage: Teamwork
It's fair to say that Hanami is a difficult opponent for anyone to face. The Cursed Spirit survived Inumaki's strongest Curse Speech attacks, Kamo's blood manipulation, and even Fushiguro and Maki's impressive teamwork. Still, that's not to say that each of those sorcerers didn't play an essential part because they could still prove the difference against the Curse. When Itadori and Toudou arrive to take over after Fushiguro and Maki are injured, Maki puts it perfectly, saying, "Our job is done. It's time to tag out."
Itadori and Toudou's arrival highlights the difference between the Cursed Spirits' individual approach to battles, while the Jujutsu Sorcerers put much more stock in teamwork. Hanami tries to play this up as a weakness, noting that a sorcerer is most vulnerable when their friends have been hurt. That said, Toudou still takes to the sidelines and tells Itadori that he won't be lending a hand until he lands a Black Flash on Hanami.
Itadori's Black Flash
During their initial clash with one another, Toudou recognized a critical flaw in Itadori's Divergent Fist -- which hits enemies with a delayed second impact of Cursed Energy after the initial punch. With the new understanding that Cursed Energy is always present and doesn't need to be channeled, Itadori looks to execute an improved version. Though Itadori is momentarily distracted by anger, Toudou snaps him back into the zone.
Black Flash is described as a "distortion of space born from the impact of Cursed Energy delivered within a trillionth of a second of a blow" and multiplies an average strike by 2.5 times its usual force. In that brief moment before impact, Cursed Energy flashes black -- which is precisely what we see as Itadori devastates Hanami with a concentrated Black Flash. While the Cursed Spirit regenerates after the attack, it served as a wake-up call that these Jujutsu Sorcerers are no slouches.
Will Itadori & Toudou Be Enough to Defeat Hanami?
Itadori's Black Flash is a sign of immense personal growth -- even within the short time frame of his meeting of Toudou -- and is certainly a hint at more impressive things to come. However, just as Itadori and Toudou are finding their stride and coordinating their efforts with the seasoned ease of old war buddies, Hanami also finds excitement in this fight. Finally, understanding the feelings Mahito discussed earlier, Hanami begins to enjoy the thrills of clashing with a powerful opponent.
As Itadori and Toudou ready themselves for the next stages of their battle with Hanami, Toudou hints that he'll be using his technique shortly. Though we haven't seen much of it, Toudou's ability appears to be that he can switch a person's location by clapping his hands. With Itadori's understanding of Cursed Energy continuing to improve and Toudou taking the fight seriously, the two will undoubtedly combine their frightening physical prowess to devastating effect. Still, will this newly formed dynamic duo be enough to finish off a special-grade Cursed Spirit in Hanami?
