Gojo and Sukuna are more similar in Jujutsu Kaisen than fans realize

The godlike powers of Satoru Gojo and Ryomen Sukuna form their striking similarities in Jujutsu Kaisen despite their apparent differences. The hero's public admiration contrasts with the villain's fear, yet both share the isolation and emotional separation that accompany godlike power.

The philosophies and actions they pursue alongside their emotional remoteness demonstrate one universal fact: complete power results in isolation. These characters are parallel entities who journey through an incomprehensible world. Gege Akutami uses these characters to create a poignant narrative about the dual impact of overwhelming power on the human essence.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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How Gojo and Sukuna reflect the same isolation through different choices in Jujutsu Kaisen

These characters demonstrate the closest resemblance through how they connect with their solitude. Both reached heights that separated them from everyone, creating an unbridgeable chasm between themselves and "ordinary" sorcerers. Gojo's famous declaration, "I alone am the Honored One," mirrors Sukuna's worldview with eerie precision.

Both achieved transcendence through overwhelming self-centeredness—what Kibutsuji Ryu describes as an "overwhelming sense of self and disregard for all others." This selfishness isn't portrayed as arrogance but as a necessary component of their power.

Their divergence comes not from their nature but from their choices. After Geto's death, Gojo deliberately restrains his potential by caring for his students, placing self-imposed limitations on his transcendence.

He channels his isolation into protecting others, particularly his students, hoping they might one day reach his level. This reflects his deeper desire to reform Jujutsu society and find equals who understand the burden of overwhelming power.

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Two roads to transcendence: Gojo and Sukuna’s diverging responses to the same existential isolation

Satoru Gojo (Image my MAPPA Studios)

Sukuna, conversely, embraces his isolation completely. He has discarded everything—including, seemingly, his original identity—in pursuit of absolute strength. His title, "King of Curses," has replaced whatever name he once had. Yet there's a tragedy in his perfection; in achieving unrivaled power, he has lost everything else.

His encouragement to Jogo to "burn everything" reveals his philosophy and loneliness. Their interactions with others further highlight this symmetry. When Gojo tells Jogo he's weak, it reflects his perpetual disappointment—he genuinely hopes to find peers approaching his strength.

When Sukuna tells the same opponent he's strong, it reveals his cynical expectation that true equals don't exist. Gojo actively seeks to create equals through teaching; Sukuna claims to scorn the very idea while unconsciously searching across centuries for someone who could understand his isolation.

Even their advice contains parallel wisdom. Gojo tells Megumi it's "okay" to be selfish, encouraging moderate self-prioritization to unlock potential. Sukuna tells Jogo to obliterate all restraints, advocating for the complete annihilation of identity beyond strength. Both recognize the same fundamental truth about power but offer radically different degrees of the same solution.

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Conclusion

Ryomen Sukuna (Image via MAPPA)

The ultimate tragedy and brilliance of Jujutsu Kaisen lies in this mirror-image relationship between its strongest figures. Sukuna and Gojo represent divergent responses to the same fundamental condition: the isolation of transcendent power. Their conflict is not simply good versus evil but competing philosophies about how the strongest should exist.

Gojo believes in using power to protect humanity while cultivating the next generation; Sukuna believes power justifies itself and creates its own moral framework.

Their battle represents more than a conflict between individuals—it's a clash between worldviews about the very purpose of strength in a world where the strongest stand fundamentally alone, looking out at humanity from heights no one else can reach.

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