Underwhelming Death of Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen

Despite the fact that Satoru Gojo, the beloved character from Jujutsu Kaisen, dies in the battle of the strongest, his death continues to be underwhelming even to this day.

Currently, Jujutsu Kaisen is among the most popular new-generation shonen anime and manga series.

It is an undeniable fact that Satoru Gojo plays a significant role in the widespread success of the series. This can be attributed to his possession of all the qualities that make him a favorite among Shonen enthusiasts: he is a mentor figure, unmatched in combat, possesses an eccentric persona, and is always willing to assist those in need. Despite his initial haughtiness, it only adds to his appeal.

During the Shinjuku Showdown Arc, Jujutsu Kaisen reaches its climax as the most powerful sorcerers of the past and present engage in an epic battle. However, the tragic ending to this conflict sees the beloved character Gojo meet his untimely demise, leaving fans disappointed with the underwhelming death of the strongest sorcerer in the series.

How does Satoru Gojo die in Jujutsu Kaisen?

In Chapter 236 of Jujutsu Kaisen, Satoru Gojo meets his end in the fierce battle against Sukuna, known as the strongest in Shinjuku.

An image of Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya opening Gege — Crunchyroll

During the Shinjuku Showdown between Gojo and Sukuna, it is undoubtedly the most highly anticipated and talked about fight in the series. With two of the most powerful characters going head to head, the result is uncertain, and the mangaka only adds to the suspense by continuously introducing new twists.

Despite the heart-pounding plot twists, Chapter 235 appears to solidify Gojo’s win when he unleashes his devastating Purple Hollow attack, obliterating everything in its wake. Yet, just as fans begin to rejoice, Gege Akutami delivers a major surprise in the following chapter.

The cliffhanger is resolved in Chapter 236, where a teenage Gojo is seen conversing with his deceased friends, Geto, Nanami, and Haibara. They discuss a topic that confirms Gojo’s death, despite the previous chapter implying otherwise. Gojo also encounters Yaga, Riko, and Kuroi before departing from them and the scene then shifts to his motionless body on the ground.

The chapter discloses that Gojo’s death was not only confirmed, but it was also extremely violent. His body was found cut in half, with the lower half still standing. Additionally, one of his arms was amputated. It is also revealed that while Mahoraga was killed in the Hollow Purple attack, Sukuna managed to survive despite losing a hand.

Sukuna clarifies that Gojo’s demise can be attributed to Mahoraga’s ability to adapt. When Mahoraga is struck with an attack, it requires a certain amount of time to process and adjust to it. If the attack is repeated, the process is accelerated. As Sukuna is unable to overcome Gojo’s Infinity, he must rely on Mahoraga as a “model”.

As Mahoraga adjusts to Gojo’s inviolability, it suppresses its own cursed energy in order to counteract the effects of Infinity. Taking advantage of the Shikigami’s flexibility, Sukuna strikes Gojo with a world-slashing Dismantle, but the attack is not aimed directly at Gojo. Instead, it targets the space around him, resulting in Gojo being sliced in half and ultimately killed by Sukuna.

Therefore, Sukuna immediately receives the crown of victory.

Gojo declared his victory even before the battle

Two panels from JJK manga featuring Gojo's confidence in defeating Sukuna — Viz

Gojo’s sense of superiority and self-assurance are rooted in his unmatched power. In Chapter 3, when Yuji questions if Gojo could defeat Sukuna, Gojo responds that even if the King of Curses possessed all 20 fingers, the fight would be tough, but he would ultimately emerge victorious. Despite being moments away from the battle, Gojo remains steadfast in his belief of his impending triumph.

This exemplifies Gojo’s confidence in his own abilities. What is peculiar about this is that despite Sukuna possessing only 19 fingers, Gojo’s powers are enhanced by 120% through Utahime’s cursed technique. However, in his discussion with Geto, Gojo insists that Sukuna is already formidable enough and does not require Megumi’s powers to defeat him.

Despite being the most powerful sorcerer alive, Sukuna still pities the King of Curses for not being able to fully showcase his strength, as Sukuna himself had held back while Gojo had given his all. However, Sukuna had to heavily rely on Mahoraga’s adaptability in order to gain the advantage in a significant portion of the battle.

Despite the intense battle between Sukuna and Gojo, it is evident that Sukuna remains the most powerful King of Curses. However, this does not alter the fact that he currently has no known means of overcoming Gojo’s Infinity technique without resorting to using Mahoraga. Sukuna himself has admitted his inability to counter Infinity, and there have been no hints of him possessing such a capability thus far.

Why is the death of Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen so underwhelming?

The fact that Gojo’s death is off-screened is unfair, as it deprives viewers of seeing his final moments.

A panel from Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 236 with Gojo's farewell — Shueisha

Despite Gojo’s significance, his death could have been portrayed in a much more impactful manner. Firstly, his death occurs off-screen, leaving the audience unaware of how and when the attack struck him. While the shocking end result was unsettling, it lacked coherence and left us struggling to make sense of the events that led to our beloved character’s tragic fate.

Despite the significance of the fight between the two, we are denied the opportunity to witness Gojo’s final words to his students. It is important to note that this battle was not motivated by personal vendetta, but rather, the fate of the Jujutsu society hinged on its outcome. As a result, Gojo’s death lacked the impactful effect it should have had. As a beloved character, he was unable to achieve any of his goals.

Despite the fact that Mei Mei’s cursed technique is broadcasting the fight to everyone, we are only able to witness Yuji’s heartbroken expression and Yuta drawing his sword, while Maki attempts to calm him. However, the reactions of the other students and sorcerers are not shown, which diminishes the emotional impact of Gojo’s death in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Despite this, the pacing of the entire fight was flawless until chapter 235, but the conclusion felt hurried. The one redeeming aspect was that Gojo did not regret his death at the hands of a more powerful opponent. Even in Chapter 251, there has been no indication of how Gojo’s students are coping with his passing.

Jujutsu Kaisen had already set the stage for Gojo’s death

Gege had hinted at Gojo’s death on multiple occasions.

An image of Gojo getting sealed in Jujutsu Kaisen — Crunchyroll

Despite this, Gojo’s death was not immediately integrated into Jujutsu Kaisen. The Shibuya Incident Arc foreshadowed Sukuna’s strength surpassing Gojo’s. Upon sealing Gojo in the Prison Realm, Kenjaku confessed that he had Sukuna as a “backup plan,”showing his belief in the ancient sorcerer’s ability to defeat Gojo if the sealing failed.

Moreover, there are indications that Gojo may have orchestrated his own death. His Six Eyes ability granted him a precise understanding of cursed energy and allowed him to decipher cursed techniques. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that he was unaware of the significant gap in power between himself and his opponent during their confrontation.

In Chapter 250, Sukuna discloses that his cursed energy is depleted because of his previous battle with Gojo. Yuta is aware that if Gojo had not weakened the King of Curses, both him and Yuji would have perished by now. This raises the possibility that Gojo may have deliberately created an opportunity for his students to succeed. After all, he has great confidence in their abilities and believes that they may even surpass him in the future.

Regardless of the circumstances, it remains undeniable that Gojo is the most powerful adversary that Sukuna has ever conquered. However, this may soon change once Yuji taps into his full potential. Until then, Satoru Gojo holds the title of the greatest opponent.