Jujutsu Kaisen: Can Riko Choose Not to Merge with Tengen? Would Gojo and Geto Allow It?
The second season of Jujutsu Kaisen is finally here, and Gojo’s Past Arc, which will reveal a lot of the series’ history and some tragedies that shaped both Gojo and Geto in the future, is, sadly, nearing its end as this arc’s story is slowly getting wrapped up. In light of that fact, Riko has finally been brought to the lair of Master Tengen, a mysterious centuries-old entity who keeps the jujutsu world in balance but who needs to be cared for as, while immortal, Master Tengen have to regenerate their bodies every 500 years using the Star Plasma Vessel as to prevent their transformation into a curse and thus, potentially, an enemy of humanity. Riko Amanai was the Star Plasma Vessel and was supposed to merge with them, but – suddenly – Geto gave her a choice and told her she could refuse it. Did she? What happened later? Keep reading to find out!
Although she is the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko Amanai is not really obliged to merge with Tengen, and she can refuse to do it; everyone supposes that she is going to do it as it is expected of her, but she doesn’t really have to do it if she doesn’t want to. Gojo and Geto had discussed this possibility and agreed that they would respect Riko’s wishes even at the price of having to fight Tengen later.
The rest of this article will discuss Riko Amanai and the fate of her merger with Master Tengen in Gojo’s Past Arc. We will explain Riko’s role in the series and tell you what happened to her and how it all ended, expanding on the answer we have given above. Riko’s importance cannot be overstated, which is why this article was written. Of course, we must warn you that there will be many spoilers, so be careful how you approach the text.
Riko ultimately decided that she does not want to merge with Tengen, and Geto agreed with her choice
Riko Amanai is the female protagonist of Gojo’s Past Arc and the current Star Plasma Vessel for Master Tengen. We meet her as Gojo and Geto go to save her from the terrorist organization Q.
She is actually a 14-year-old girl who lives with her caretaker, and while she cannot use jujutsu or curses, she can see them, which makes her quite special. Initially, she is quite proud of her role as the Star Plasma Vessel in the series. This, actually, makes a lot of sense, as the role of the Star Plasma Vessel was presented as an honor and not something one should be ashamed of. And while we’re not really sure that Riko Amanai knew the full scope of her role (she said that she would become Tengen, but that Tengen would also become her… which wasn’t exactly true), she was aware that her role as the Star Plasma Vessel made her important and since she was an orphan, the feeling of importance actually made her proud.
So, why did she even have to merge with Master Tengen, and why are Master Tengen so important in the first place? Now, Master Tengen are an immortal jujutsu sorcerer who stays hidden in the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College’s Tombs of the Star Corridor.
They have a cursed technique that grants them immortality, and they can use it to strengthen the defenses of the jujutsu institutions. Since their technique simply slows down aging, it does not stop it. Every 500 years, they must replace their bodies. Except when they employ their barriers to maintain the jujutsu civilization, Tengen doesn’t alter the fundamental laws of reality.
So, this is why Master Tengen now needs to merge with a suitable Star Plasma Vessel for this stability to last. The Star Plasma Vessel, always a human, can reset Immortality and start the process all over again. As Riko’s example demonstrates, a Star Plasma Vessel doesn’t need to be an active jujutsu sorcerer; however, it is suggested that they can see curses.
The Star Plasma Vessels are usually younger women, which is probably because Tengen was originally a sorceress back when she was alive during the Nara period. So, after being saved from Q, Riko was initially happy to be the Star Plasma Vessel, but that changed with time, as she actually got to experience life.
Namely, before actually meeting Gojo and Geto, Riko didn’t get too much from life. Her parents died when she was little, and Kuroi took care of her during that time; while the two of them bonded, Riko was identified as a Star Plasma Vessel early on, and while she did go to school and experience everyday life, everything she did was meant to prepare her to lose herself and become one with Master Tengen.
When she met Gojo and Geto, things changed. She saw that someone cared about her and her opinion and that life could offer much more. This was especially evident in Okinawa; after saving Kuroi from the kidnappers, the four of them went to the beach, and Riko had so much fun that Gojo told them that they could stay for an extra day, which made Riko even happier, as she got to experience even more.
And while they ultimately did return to Tokyo, the possibility of Riko not wanting to merge with Tengen was soon discussed.
Namely, as Toji attacked them, Gojo sent Geto and the two girls to Tengen’s while he defeated their enemy. Kuroi also returned to protect Riko, who followed Geto to Tengen’s location. Ultimately, Geto offered her the choice not to merge with Tengen. He explained that she was not forced to do it and that he wouldn’t really make her do it if she did not want to.
Riko then broke and, while remembering all the beautiful things they experienced together, told Geto that she didn’t really want to become one with Tengen and that she wanted to experience more of life and hang out with her friends, but she wasn’t sure whether Geto and Gojo would allow it.
Geto then said that he and Gojo had already discussed that possibility as her protectors. Gojo said, back then, that there was no chance in Hell that they would actually force Riko to do anything, and when Geto asked him if he was ready to do so despite the possibility of having to fight Tengen later on, Gojo simply smiled and said that it did not matter.
Geto ultimately agreed and made it clear that the two of them were always, despite their mission, going to respect Rika’s wishes and that they had no intention of forcing her to do anything.
As Rika listened to that, she became happy, and Geto, smiling, offered her his hand, telling her they could go. At that moment, Rika was shot in the head by Toji, whom Geto did not expect as he suspected that Gojo would take care of him. So, yes, Rika chose not to merge with Tengen, but her life was still tragically cut short by Toji, who probably wouldn’t have killed her had he known about her decision, but it was too late.
