Jujutsu Kaisen is widely recognized as one of the most influential anime series of recent times, thanks to its excellent storytelling and memorable characters. Speaking of which, Gege Akutami created the most iconic character of the decade, Gojo Satoru, the face of the anime and the most powerful sorcerer. Gojo has become a phenomenon since the anime’s release in 2020, with his graceful presence in the debut episode as well as his humorous demeanor, which kept fans entertained throughout the season. Even though Itadori Yuji is the series’ protagonist, Gojo has always been given the spotlight, making him a fan favorite.
Certainly, one would expect an imposing protagonist like Gojo to live long enough to offer anime and manga fans a satisfying conclusion, but mangaka Gege Akutami has other intentions. During the final showdown between Gojo, the strongest sorcerer that has ever lived, and Sukuna, the king of curses, the latter emerges triumphant, leaving the lifeless body of the young sorcerer. Naturally, readers are left wondering if Gojo truly died in his bout with Sukuna, but you may be in for a surprise as to what we have to say about it.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Release Date

October 3, 2020

Directors

Sunghoo Park, Shōta Goshozono

Writers

Hiroshi Seko

Franchise(s)

Jujutsu Kaisen

Gojo Satoru Really Dies in ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’

The second season of Jujutsu Kaisen anime, centered on Gojo’s Past and Shibuya Incident arcs, was recently released, featuring some of the most mind-blowing battles in the entire series. Meanwhile, four more arcs, including Itadori’s Extermination Arc, Perfect Preparation Arc, Culling Game Arc, and Shinjuku Showdown Arc, remain to be animated, but somehow the story’s most prominent character has met an end. During the Shibuya Incident Arc, Gojo was unexpectedly sealed inside the Prison Realm by Kenjaku, who had taken over Geto’s body.
For the next two arcs, Gojo does not play a significant role in the story, until he is unsealed in the Culling Game Arc, which sets up the most crucial battle in the anime. The clash between Gojo and the fully revived Sukuna delighted manga fans, not only because it was eloquently illustrated, but also due to Gojo’s fate towards the conclusion. In an ideal world, Sukuna would never be able to get through Gojo Satoru’s Infinity, but the King of Curses had a plan in place from the beginning of the series.
During their epic battle, Sukuna, who now inhabits Megumi Fushiguro, utilizes the Zenin Clan’s 10 Shadows Technique to summon General Mahoraga, the strongest shikigami in existence, whom he battled during the Shibuya Incident Arc. Using Mahoraga’s secret technique that slices the world itself, Sukuna takes a gamble and eventually comes out on top when he cuts the Infinity technique of the world’s strongest sorcerer — though this was only possible because Gojo let down his guard after falling into the antagonist’s trap.

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How Gojo’s Revival Brought Hope to Fans

Gojo’s death was quite unfortunate because his body was cut in two, dwindling his chances of resurrection to almost none, but Gege Akutami, as much as he hates Gojo Satoru as a character, is a brilliant author. Fans were introduced to a crucial character in the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film: Yuta Okkotsu, a Jujutsu sorcerer training with Miguel overseas. Following Gojo’s demise, Ui retrieved his body and sewed it up so that Yuta could momentarily transport his consciousness to Gojo’s body using a technique he picked up from Kenjaku, with Rika serving as an anchor.
Naturally, Yuta was able to use the power of the reverse cursed technique, allowing him to fight Sukuna to a great extent, but he was unable to defeat the King of Curses. Ultimately, it came down to the anime’s main protagonist, Yuji, to defeat the persistent nemesis, and he does so with such effectiveness, demonstrating his significance in the story despite being overshadowed most of the time by Gojo. Nevertheless, Gojo’s revival through Yuta gave fans a glimmer of hope, but sadly, Gege Akutami refused to offer a satisfying conclusion for his readers.
Gojo Satoru Deserved a Better Ending

Shonen Jump

Even though Yuta was able to possess Gojo’s body to fight Sukuna and fully heal it with the help of Rika, Gojo Satoru was never resurrected, as opposed to what fans expected. In fact, the revival was very much possible, considering that no mortal wound could actually erase Gojo from existence, and with his body fully healed, he would have at least been able to make it through another day.

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Unfortunately, Gege’s dislike towards Gojo was clearly shown, since the anime’s most popular character was not only poised to return, but also did not have a proper farewell, as his death was not acknowledged by his students. If it wasn’t only the former, it wouldn’t be regarded as a disappointing ending, but since Gojo is such an exceptional character with one of the world’s largest fanbases, failing to pay tribute to him feels extremely underwhelming.
In other words, the author did not handle the final phase of Jujutsu Kaisen effectively, resulting in one of the most disliked manga endings of all time. So, how do you feel about Gojo’s terrible ending? And how would you justify his death from the author’s standpoint?