Gojo and Sukuna ruin Jujutsu Kaisen's powerscaling in an unforgivable way

Modified Nov 22, 2024 07:30 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen would have been better if Gojo and Sukuna were weaker (Image via Shueisha).

Jujutsu Kaisen has been defined by the characters of Ryomen Sukuna and Satoru Gojo and their roles as the strongest sorcerers in the series. Their strength is a major aspect of their characters and, to a degree, their motivations, which perhaps, in hindsight, could have been a problem throughout the manga.

Sukuna and Gojo hold special places in the lore of Jujutsu Kaisen and are also quite charismatic but their superior strength when compared to other characters makes the conflict less exciting. That is because they don't have a challenge until the last part of the manga when they face each other and the aftermath but even this could have been handled a lot better.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

Explaining why Jujutsu Kaisen would be better if Gojo and Sukuna were weaker

Gojo and Sukuna are the peak of power in the series (Image via MAPPA).

The idea of Satoru Gojo and Ryomen Sukuna being the strongest sorcerers in the entire series isn't a problem and presents some interesting situations, such as Kenjaku sealing the former in the Shibuya Incident arc, but rather the difference when compared to others. Even when contrasted to Special Grade Sorcerers and Curses, these two characters can easily defeat them, making the situation a lot less exciting.

The only way Sukuna and Gojo can coexist during the majority of the series is when the former is trapped within Yuji Itadori and the latter is sidelined or sealed from the main story. Therefore, they can only maintain the stakes in the series by being pushed to the side, with them only allowed to go all out when the story is already in the final arc.

Author Gege Akutami had a flashback arc titled Hidden Inventory where Toji Fushiguro planned a series of situations to wear out Gojo and kill him but even that situation made the latter stronger. He learned constant Reverse Cursed Technique so he doesn't get tired anymore, removing a scenario where he could have been pushed to his limits without facing someone of Sukuna's caliber.

More details regarding this problem

These two characters shaped the entirety of the story (Image via MAPPA).

There is also the fact that Gojo and Sukuna could have ended the series at several instances in Jujutsu Kaisen but there had to be multiple plot conveniences for that to be avoided. Gojo could have defeated Sukuna and Kenjaku when he was released from the Prison Realm or at least taken down one of them but he chose to give them a month to prepare.

Moreover, the Shinjuku Showdown arc had them fighting each other, Sukuna wins and then faces the main cast in back-to-back battles. As evidenced, Hiromi Higuruma survived and Maki Zen'in withstood two Black Flashes and kept fighting, Sukuna wasn't going all out, which, in hindsight, looks like a plot convenience.

In many ways, Akutami had to constantly come up with situations to keep these two characters from ending Jujutsu Kaisen. It is a waste because they are two of the main driving forces of the plot and have very few moments where their abilities are truly challenged in a meaningful manner.

Final thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen stood out for several reasons, and Sukuna and Gojo's characters were a huge selling point. However, they were so above the rest of the cast in terms of power that there was a lack of tension when they were involved in the battle.

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Edited by Bharath S