REVIEW: ‘Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia’ Episode 9 – “Tengri”

Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 9 proves how much of a miscalculation Fatima (Akira Sekine) makes in underestimating the Mongols. The carefully plotted subterfuge that she and Töregene (Ami Koshimizu) have been working on is up in flames, and they don’t even fully know how bad things are. Surrounding this twist some of the best animation work of the series yet – an incredibly high bar to clear.

Despite the plot of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episode 9 being about the collapse of Fatima’s gambit, its title comes from the actual core character – Tolui (Ryota Suzuki). Tolui’s been relatively straightforward over the course of Jaadugar, and this episode spells out why: he’s a true believer. He believes in the Mongol right to conquer, of course. But he really believes it all. After episodes of talk about calling storms with a jada stone, it’s him who actually accomplishes it. Though he credits this to the favor of their god, Tengri. 

By the end of Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 9, it’s that same belief that becomes his undoing. The absurd fluke of a snowstorm leading to his military gambit paying off sows the exact seeds that Fatima and Boraqchin (Kujira) both predicted: that he may come to be seen as the greater power in the empire. Yet, Tolui himself doesn’t see things that way. 

Tolui, ultimately, is undone by his belief in Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 9.

He may even be the more useful and powerful of the Khan’s sons, but he does so only in service of the empire; and as such, his brother Ögedei (Hiro Shimono). His devotion seems to have made him a truly useful idiot for whoever has poisoned Ögedei. 

Before Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episode 9, it could easily be said that Jaadugar is one of the best-looking anime of 2026 to date. Now, with this episode in the tank, the argument is that it belongs at the top of that list. Not a single scene in “Tengri” isn’t striking in some way. The ritual sequences leverage sweeping camera movements in parallel, with the summoning of a storm bringing a wide shot in on Tolui and Ögedei‘s spiritual treatment moving out into Tolui’s point of view. 

Other scenes show so much through their staging. The distance put between the Great Khan’s tent and the Mongols shows the gap in power, the golden light between the visual of Tolui and Genghis Khan, and most importantly, Fatima’s bow to Boraqchin. Bows are a dynamic of power in any shot, but the framing of this particular moment is not just the submission to power but a defeat. 

Each moment in the episode is visually captivating in some way.

This moment frames Fatima completely face down with Boraqchin and Möge (Ayaka Asai) holding the jada stone she’s just handed over – the symbol of her commitment to Töregene. Her faith, contrary to Touli’s, is shaken to the point where she calculates it’s best to give up the stone that’s been grounding her this whole time. It’s the best moment of a potent episode, showing total defeat without having to spell it out. 

It’s not difficult to see why Fatima makes this call. While it’s difficult to ascertain every player’s machinations, Töregene is the hardest to read.

She gets very few lines and only moments of screen time, and what she does comes away strangely. Her pushing away of Fatima isn’t that surprising given her body language in the previous episode, but to see that manifest in a way that happens at the same time as she encounters Ögedei is suspicious. 

The chess pieces are moved in place to ready for what is to come.

As a character, Töregene is constantly defined by what she isn’t allowed to do. Her story is all about choices being made for her and dealing with those consequences. That leaves Jaadugar to use animation and body language to communicate her personality. It’s the kind of setup that makes Töregene one of the best characters, and when episodes like “Tengri” have to rob her of even that, it’s a shame. 

Taking her agency yet again is a necessary evil to maintain the drama. That makes sense. Even so, Jaadugar keeps having to sideline Töregene despite her ostensibly being the second protagonist. The logic is reasonable, but keeping her constantly at an arm’s length is still a disservice to her – especially given the context of her character. 

With excellent visual direction and thoughtful pacing, Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 9 is one of the most compelling episodes yet. All of the build-up of the series is hitting its culmination, and it is not playing out as expected. Seeing the political chess play out for the Mongol Empire is just as exciting as any tense shonen fight or romantic will they/won’t they. 

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episode 9 is streaming now, exclusively on Crunchyroll.

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