The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 224, “Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown, Part 3” by Gege Akutami, John Werry and Snir Aharon, available in English from Viz Media.
As of Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 224, the world’s strongest sorcerer, Gojo Satoru, has been exchanging blows with the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. This is one of the most high-stakes brawls in the series thus far, and with so much on the line, Gojo simply must prevail. The sorcerer is proving himself a worthy opponent to the powerful ancient curse so far, but one crucial aspect is making their fight more difficult for him.
Sukuna’s current vessel is Megumi Fushiguro, the boy Gojo has dedicated the last ten years to raising and mentoring. The two have a very close relationship, so the idea of hurting or even having to kill the teen weighs on Gojo. However, Megumi bears an incredible resemblance to his father, Toji Fushiguro — a man Gojo despises with every ounce of his soul. This similarity is the one thing helping the sorcerer fight, letting him imagine he’s beating down Toji rather than the child he raised.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gojo Has a History With Toji Fushiguro
There’s a lengthy, emotional history behind Gojo Satoru and Toji Fushiguro, which stems from when the former was a second-year student at Jujutsu High. Soon to be animated in Jujutsu Kaisen’s highly-anticipated Season 2, the “Gojo’s Past” arc shows where the strongest began — with a mission sabotaged by Toji that changed his life forever. He is the only opponent who’s ever been able to defeat Gojo, and in one quick battle, the assassin left the sorcerer on the brink of death.
This near-death experience made Gojo into the sorcerer he is today, forcing him to perfect his Reverse Cursed Technique and finally master all aspects of his innate abilities. While Toji made him into a truly unstoppable force, he also took everything he knew from him. The nature of that failed mission made Geto Suguru question jujutsu and eventually abandon society — and Gojo. Once Geto was gone, everything else began to crumble.
As such, Toji is the one person Gojo despises more than anything. He is the root of almost all Gojo’s trauma, the reason his best friend betrayed him, and the man who essentially stole the remainder of his youth. Even after he finally killed Toji, Gojo had to adopt his enemy’s son despite being a teenager himself, choosing to protect Megumi from the Zenin Clan over living his own life. Thus, even after the assassin was gone, Gojo still had a miniature version of his enemy around him constantly.
Recent Jujutsu Kaisen Chapters Show Gojo Is Dressed Like Toji
Despite such an intense feud, Gojo seems to have taken inspiration from Toji’s fashion in Jujutsu Kaisen’s most recent manga installments. Chapter 224 developed the fight between Sukuna and Gojo, with the latter donning a familiar outfit on the battlefield. The tight black t-shirt and baggy beige pants are the center of Toji’s signature outfit — the same one he wore when fighting Gojo ten years ago.
The significance of Gojo’s new attire hasn’t been lost on fans. The sorcerer has shed his usual jujutsu uniform and signature blindfold for this strangely familiar ensemble, making for a rather dramatic change. This could potentially foreshadow a tragic fate for Gojo, implying he is destined to meet the same fate as the assassin — who has actually died on two different occasions in the series.
However, this could also be Gojo’s way of reaching out to Megumi, whom Sukuna has successfully repressed within his own body. The sorcerer could be trying to emulate the presence of Fushiguro’s father, helping connect with the boy and strengthen his resolve. This way, Megumi could find the motivation to fight back against Sukuna and regain control of his body.
Toji Fushiguro’s Symbolism Is Significant for Gojo Vs. Sukuna
Specifics aside, there’s no doubt that, despite being dead for ten years, Toji plays a significant role in Jujutsu Kaisen’s biggest fight yet. Sukuna purposefully changed vessels to tug at Gojo’s heartstrings, thinking he’d hold back if Megumi was the one he was faced with. To find a way around this, Gojo has applied his hatred for Toji to Megumi’s appearance, meaning he can attack Sukuna by detaching Megumi from himself.
The teen looks so much like his father that Gojo can strike him without relating Sukuna to the boy he spent so long raising as a child. Gojo is taking the opportunity to release all the hatred he has for Toji Fushiguro and unleashing this on Sukuna — it’s his only way to win. As stated in Chapter 224, Gojo is willing to unleash his strength on the King of Curses and will worry about saving Megumi after Sukuna is no longer a threat.
While his image helps Gojo attack Sukuna in a new vessel, Toji’s past plays a role in how the clash may pan out. Gojo made the conscious choice to dress like his enemy, which could suggest the world’s strongest sorcerer will meet the same fate as the assassin. On the other hand, this could be an attempt at helping Megumi subconsciously, bringing him back in control of his body. By doing so, Megumi would help Gojo by attacking from the inside, weakening the ancient curse’s attacks as he has done previously.
Megumi’s resemblance to his birth father — mixed with Gojo’s preexisting hatred for Toji — is helping him bypass Sukuna’s tricks for now. Gojo’s own similarities to Toji foreshadow the battle’s end, but theories are coming from both ends of the spectrum. The reasons behind Toji’s influence will be revealed as Jujutsu Kaisen continues, setting the path for how the rest of this titanic clash will play out.