Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 1&2: The Culling Game begins with a back-to-back premiere

As the countdown towards Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 1&2 is getting closer to its release date, it seems like the hype around this franchise is only increasing. For now, it is one of the most highly anticipated shows for the Winter 2026 anime season. After the events that took place in Shibuya, anime-only fans are curious to know how the world has changed. Especially with no Gojo Satarou and the start of Culling Games, it feels like the villains have an upper hand.

According to official sources, it is confirmed that Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 1&2 will be a special episode, meaning it will be airing two episodes back-to-back. Furthermore, the said episode is going to be released on January 8, 2026, instantly bringing fans back into Gege Akutami’s brutal world.

At the Jump Festa 2026, we got a final trailer that confirmed that the upcoming season is going to be the first part of the Culling Games. With Mappa Studio continuing to animate this show, the expectation for the animation quality by fans is sky high. And from what’s been shown so far, the studio seems ready to deliver another visually and emotionally intense chapter.

A direct continuation from the Shibuya Incident

The premiere of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 picked up straight up from the Itadori Extermination arc, and fans would be on the edge of their seats. MAPPA Studios has done an extremely good job in animating this episode. To bring Gege Akutami's story to life is an extremely difficult task because the narrative itself is fast-paced, and maintaining a high-quality animation style gets difficult after a while. Although it is important to mention that maybe MAPPA is one such production house that is well-equipped to deliver an explosive episode.

The Culling Game arc officially begins in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3

The premiere also officially ushers in the Culling Game, a deadly ritual forcing sorcerers and civilians alike into life-or-death combat under strict, merciless rules. This arc marks a massive shift in scale for the series, expanding the battlefield across multiple colonies and introducing a wide range of new players. This arc is going to follow a tournament-style story, so everyone should expect this season to be more action-heavy than focusing on world-building.

Several major characters are going to make their anime debut in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, including Kinji Hakari, Kirara Hoshi, Hiromi Higuruma, Fumihiko Takaba, Reggie Star, and the ominous game mediator Kogane. All these new faces are going to be a great addition to the plot as Gege Akutami has given each a unique fighting style, motive, and philosophy to keep the story moving ahead and also keep fans entertained.

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Final thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 has a lot going on for it. Ever since the manga stopped serialization, a lot of fans have been looking for more content from Gege Akutami. Hopefully, MAPPA Studios keeps up the good work it has done to this point, and they make the action in the new season as explosive as what the author has in mind. The story is at a pivotal point with the curses having the upper hand. So do tune into either Crunchyroll or Netflix to enjoy the next episode.

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