Satoru Gojo Took a Great Risk by Challenging Sukuna
Image via MAPPAThroughout the majority of Jujutsu Kaisen, Satoru Gojo has been portrayed as an indomitable force. Right from his initial encounter where he effortlessly handled the formidable one-finger Sukuna, to his climactic showdown in the manga, Gojo was crafted as an anime character destined to impress. Yet, he was always aware that facing Sukuna was inevitable, as it was the only way to save Yuji from an inevitable execution.
Even though Gojo did not fear his formidable adversary, even after their epic battle, he understood the possibility of his own defeat. This awareness drove him to confront the King of Curses, knowing that if he could engage Sukuna in a prolonged fight, he might weaken him, even at the cost of his own life. Crucially, Gojo placed his trust in his students and successors to carry on the fight if he fell. Despite his outwardly cheerful demeanor, Gojo is acutely aware of the harsh realities that come with being a jujutsu sorcerer.
Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were the leading figures of their generation, mirroring the close-knit bond seen in Jujutsu Kaisen among Nobara, Megumi, and Yuji. However, the failure to protect Riko Amanai from Toji Fushiguro set Geto on a perilous trajectory, exacerbated by the muddled guidance from Yuki Tsukumo.
Suguru Geto Went on a Downward Spiral After Riko Amanai’s Murder
Image via Studio MAPPAUltimately, the man Geto evolved into was a mere shadow of his original self, discarding morality and empathy to forge a world solely for jujutsu practitioners. What was once a philosophical divide between sorcerers and non-sorcerers almost escalated into a catastrophic struggle for supremacy. This transformation stemmed from Geto’s decision to let one tragic incident reshape his entire worldview, leading to a dangerous imbalance of power.
In any case, the man that Geto later became was a moral shadow of his former self, sacrificing morality and empathy in order to create a world exclusively for jujutsu. The schism between sorcerers and non-sorcerers — once considered purely philosophical — nearly became an apocalyptic battle for dominance. And it’s all because the overpowered Geto allowed a single tragedy to redefine his worldviews.
Mechamaru Died Immediately After Acquiring a Healthy Body
Image via Studio MAPPAKokichi Muta, known as Mechamaru due to the puppets representing him in the real world, was born into a physical nightmare. Although blessed with a Heavenly Restriction that boosted his combat prowess, Muta spent most of his life barely surviving the agony. As a result, it wasn’t surprising that he cooperated with Mahito, who was the only one capable of curing his condition.
Since Muta immediately turned against the villains after acquiring his healthy body, fans realized that the double-cross was always his plan. It was too late for him, though, especially against a Special-Grade like Mahito. Muta’s story highlights the cruelty of the jujutsu world, where many sacrifice everything for goals they may never enjoy. On a positive note, at least his contingency plan allowed the heroes some respite.
Yuji Realizes That Sukuna Used His Body to Massacre Shibuya
Yuji Itadori’s willpower was so great that even Sukuna was unable to take over his body, forcing the villain to generate mysterious Binding Vows in his favor. When an unconscious Yuji was force-fed over a dozen fingers, however, Sukuna exploited the sudden increase in power and seized control of the young hero. Manifesting for the first time at around 75% of his total output, Sukuna proceeded to demolish Shibuya.
Sukuna’s fight with Jogo caused significant devastation, but even that damage paled before the consequent battle against Mahoraga. In the end, Yuji awakened to memories of his body slaughtering the city and taking countless lives, as casually and callously as flicking a stone at a puppy. The sheer burden was almost too much to tolerate, and yet he persevered through the darkness.
Nanami and Nobara’s Deaths Represented Worst Outcomes
​​​​​​Yuji Itadori never wanted to harm a single innocent in his life, so the story naturally pushed him in that terrible direction. If the Shibuya massacre wasn’t horrible enough to paint a clear picture of JJK‘s gloomy atmosphere, Yuji was forced to watch two of the people closest to him die before his eyes. The first to go is Nanami Kento, who bittersweetly passes the torch before Mahito explodes him into shocking gore.
Yuji struggles to keep his spirits afloat while fighting Mahito, who continues to mock him about Nanami’s death. Then comes Nobara, one of the anime’s golden trio, who suffers a similarly grotesque fate. Already bearing the weight of thousands of deaths on his shoulders, Yuji has no choice but to endure even more.
Toji Fushiguro Did Not Deserve the Zenin Clan’s Hatred
Image via MAPPAThose born with immeasurable power aren’t always treated as gods in anime. Considering how much the Zenin clan prides itself on pure strength, it was hypocritical of them to reject Toji for having the audacity to be born as both an unstoppable force and an immovable object. The absence of cursed energy, however, meant that Toji could never inherit the precious Zenin techniques that the family valued above all else.
Exiting the clan resulted in Megumi Fushiguro’s birth, a net positive for Jujutsu Kaisen, but Toji was always considered an outsider, a pariah, and the emotional fallout of the Zenin’s bigotry presumably led to his villainous character arc. As the ancient proverb goes, “a child abandoned by the village might burn it down just to feel warm.” That said, it wasn’t until the next generation that the Zenins were reduced to ash.
Mai Could Only Strengthen Maki by Sacrificing Her Life
Image via MAPPAAs bad as Toji Fushiguro had it, at least he was a man. Maki Zenin faced even worse from the Zenins, both for having practically zero cursed energy and for her gender. Whatever bound Toji to the Zenin clan, and thus prevented their annihilation by his hand, was also initially a factor for Maki. But watching Mai die transformed her, literally and figuratively, into the Toji of her generation.
The Zenin clan’s idiotic misogyny played a role in their absolute collapse, but it also demonstrated the violent effects on those who didn’t deserve it. Taking her own life was the only way for Mai to prove useful to her sister, so she doesn’t even get to enjoy the results of her heroic sacrifice. That said, perhaps she was watching from somewhere as Maki laid waste to the clan by murdering nearly every Zenin.
Masamichi Yaga’s Execution Highlighted Jujutsu Dogmatism
Image via MAPPAThe looming threat of Satoru Gojo served to minimize the brutally negative influence of jujutsu authorities, who preferred dealing with every major problem through violence. They demanded the executions of Yuta Okkotsu and Yuji Itadori, only capitulating because Gojo took them under his wing. But when Gojo was trapped in the Prison Realm, the higher-ups sent Yuta to assassinate Yuji.
Although this plan wasn’t successful, they still managed to get rid of Masamichi Yaga following the chaos of the Shibuya Incident. Childishly terrified of the threat he might pose thanks to his Cursed Corpse creation techniques, and mulishly turning a blind eye to all the potential benefits provided by the beloved principal, the unknown and unnamed superiors had Yaga killed. When the system itself is flawed, there are more risks than privileges to being a sorcerer.
Yuta Okkotsu Was Haunted by Rika Orimoto for Too Long
Image via MAPPAAs much as jujutsu society honors its outdated traditions, it appears as though few among them actually understand how cursed energy can work. Even fewer are aware of the institution’s complicated bloodlines and legacies, which have become increasingly less clear over the centuries. It took Satoru Gojo’s personal involvement to even uncover Yuta Okkotsu’s ancestry, explaining the latter’s overwhelming power.
What’s worse is that Yuta endured five years of Rika Orimoto’s spirit “haunting” him throughout his formative childhood, a burden that he should have never borne. The curse of Rika isolated Yuta from the world, endangering everyone else with her mere presence, turning the pleasant memories of a sweet friend into half a decade of psychological suffering.
Yuji Accepts the Dark Burdens of Jujutsu Without Hesitation
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Yuji Itadori fits the chosen one archetype in a roundabout way. Though his creation was intended to make him a vessel for Sukuna, he rejected his destiny in favor of heroism. Jujutsu Kaisen couldn’t have asked for a better protagonist than Yuji, who willingly accepts the world he’s thrown into, expressing a level of personal responsibility that most adults would shy away from.
No matter what happens, no matter how often he serves as Sukuna’s proxy for violence, Yuji never stops moving forward. One of the toughest scenes in JJK featured Hiromi Higuruma accusing Yuji of widespread massacre. Even though Higuruma was aware of Sukuna’s sole role in the matter, the hero took the blame upon himself. This moment highlighted the staggering burden of guilt carried by Yuji, who accepted responsibility because he believed that someone had to answer for those unforgivable crimes.
- Release Date
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October 3, 2020
- Network
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TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
- Directors
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Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Ifuku, Ken Takahashi
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Yuichi Nakamura
Satoru Gojo