Highlights
- The highly-anticipated battle between Sukuna and Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen certainly lived up to the hype, culminating with Sukuna emerging as the victor, thanks to his unmatched knowledge and mastery of Jujutsu sorcery.
- Sukuna's win was facilitated by his remarkable ability to adapt his cursed technique, Dismantle, after closely observing Mahoraga's attacks against Gojo's Limitless technique. This adaptation allowed him to target the spatial dimensions Gojo occupied, rather than Gojo himself.
- Although Gojo faced defeat in this clash, his legacy endures within the Jujutsu world. He has effectively cultivated a new generation of formidable sorcerers who will continue to uphold his ideals and counter Sukuna's philosophy.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen 236, "The South" available in English from Manga Monster.
The showdown between Sukuna and Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen was the most eagerly anticipated battle since the manga's inception and stood out as one of the most highly anticipated fights in contemporary anime. The build-up was nothing short of extraordinary, with more than 200 manga chapters hinting at the inevitable clash between the reigning sorcerer supreme and the King of Curses. This fight was destined to be etched in the annals of history.
Spanning from Chapter 222 to Chapter 236, this battle exceeded all expectations. It featured a riveting exchange of blows and a display of immense sorcerous prowess from both Gojo and Sukuna. In Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 235, it appeared that Gojo had gained the upper hand, but the subsequent chapter unveiled a startling twist. It was revealed that Sukuna had not only emerged victorious, but he had seemingly achieved this feat without exerting his full power. While this outcome might be hard to accept, two primary reasons substantiate Sukuna's triumph.
RELATED: Jujutsu Kaisen: How Toji Changed The Future Of The Jujutsu World
How Did Sukuna Win?
First and foremost, Sukuna's dominance in the realm of Jujutsu sorcery is unparalleled. Unlike many other formidable characters in the series, he has a remarkable longevity of approximately 1000 years, during which time he has amassed an extensive reservoir of knowledge concerning cursed techniques and Jujutsu sorcery in its entirety. This wealth of experience allows him to comprehensively grasp any cursed technique he encounters, as was the case with Megumi's Ten Shadows technique.
Throughout the entire confrontation with Gojo, Sukuna appeared to be more on the defensive and was hesitant to launch direct attacks, particularly employing his own cursed technique. Instead, he relied heavily on Mahoraga to engage in combat on his behalf. While this aspect of the battle became a source of amusement among fans, Sukuna had his strategic reasons. It would later become evident that, since his cursed technique could not penetrate Gojo's Limitless, he essentially used Mahoraga as a blueprint.
First and foremost, Sukuna's dominance in the realm of Jujutsu sorcery is unparalleled. Unlike many other formidable characters in the series, he has a remarkable longevity of approximately 1000 years, during which time he has amassed an extensive reservoir of knowledge concerning cursed techniques and Jujutsu sorcery in its entirety. This wealth of experience allows him to comprehensively grasp any cursed technique he encounters, as was the case with Megumi's Ten Shadows technique.
Throughout the entire confrontation with Gojo, Sukuna appeared to be more on the defensive and was hesitant to launch direct attacks, particularly employing his own cursed technique. Instead, he relied heavily on Mahoraga to engage in combat on his behalf. While this aspect of the battle became a source of amusement among fans, Sukuna had his strategic reasons. It would later become evident that, since his cursed technique could not penetrate Gojo's Limitless, he essentially used Mahoraga as a blueprint.
Sukuna's Philosophy
Gege Akutami has demonstrated exceptional skill in crafting characters who inhabit a world where their unmatched strength naturally leads to feelings of isolation and loneliness. This theme is particularly central to the character development of both Gojo and Hajime Kashimo, whose incredible power sets them apart to such an extent that they even feel estranged from their allies.
In contrast, Sukuna, despite possessing strength that surpasses even these two characters, has never allowed alienation and isolation to define him. In a dream sequence following his clash with Kashimo, Sukuna elucidates that there was one individual who attempted to impart to him the concept of love and the reasons why he, of all beings, can never truly experience it. This was an idea he adamantly rejected.
RELATED: Jujutsu Kaisen 239: Kenjaku Under The Spotlight
Sukuna goes on to convey to Kashimo that it was a self-indulgent and erroneous perspective held by both him and Gojo to experience alienation. He asserts that it was their own fault for allowing such feelings to limit their power. Sukuna firmly maintains that their viewpoint was skewed, and there was no necessity for anyone to be on their level to comprehend what it meant to be loved. He expounds that through the countless battles they had fought and the adversaries they had overcome, they had garnered love and respect from those they had defeated, and this should have been sufficient to fulfill their need for connection.
Sukuna further elaborates that their strength was the very reason they were loved, and this was evident in the hundreds of individuals who willingly engaged in combat with them, aspiring to affirm their own prowess. By facing the most powerful individuals, they were, in essence, expressing love by dedicating their lives in pursuit of this validation. Sukuna reciprocated this love by honoring their wishes to meet their end at his hands, asserting that if this wasn't an expression of love, then he was uncertain what love truly entailed.
This moment serves as a remarkable and emotionally charged insight into the essence of Sukuna's character. He prioritizes strength above all else and remains resolute in not allowing emotions to define or constrain him. Sukuna's unrestrained pursuit of his desires underlines his staggering potential for growth and the relentless pursuit of even greater strength.
What Does This Mean for Gojo?
While undoubtedly the second-strongest character in the entire Jujutsu Kaisen universe, Satoru Gojo couldn't ever measure up to the King of Curses. Despite putting up an amazing fight, Gege Akutami made it quite apparent in manga Chapter 236, and beyond that Gojo never really stood a chance as Sukuna was yet to unlock his most powerful form.
Still, however, Gojo's legacy will always live on in the Jujutsu world. Even though he couldn't do what Sukuna did and adopt his philosophy on how he should live, Gojo did something that will inevitably spell the end for Sukuna. Because of the plan that Gojo set into motion from the very start of the series, there is now a new and even more powerful generation of Jujutsu sorcerers that carry forward his ideals.
From the start, Gojo wanted to reshape the entire Jujutsu world by creating extremely powerful allies that would take his ideals and defeat evil wherever they saw it, especially in ways that counter Sukuna's philosophy. With the next generation primed and ready to fight through Gojo's efforts alone, we must wait to see what this means for the King of Curses.
Where to read Jujutsu Kaisen Online Free?
Jujutsu Kaisen is available to read via Manga Monster. The series can be read by the fans on the Shonen Jump and Manga Monster website for free. The release date for the next Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter, Chapter 240, is set to be October 29, 2023.
