Gojo surviving wouldn't have fixed the Jujutsu Kaisen ending

Modified Oct 21, 2024 02:02 GMT

Gojo surviving wouldn't have fixed the Jujutsu Kaisen ending (Image via Studio MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen ending was finalized on September 29, 2024, with the release of chapter 271, and soon became one of the most highly divisive manga conclusions in recent times.

Although My Hero Academia had ended only a month prior with mixed reactions, Gege Akutami's story— filled with almost no closure and mere teases of Gojo's return— managed to become one of the most hated manga endings in recent memory.

While Gojo's status as the central symbol of the series accompanies every discussion about how his presence might have theoretically changed the story, the final few chapters made it much clearer that the issues surrounding the Jujutsu Kaisen ending would have persisted even with Gojo present.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series and reflects the author's opinions.

Gojo's survival couldn't fully redeem Jujutsu Kaisen ending

Gojo as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen was one of the few stories that introduced numerous different plotlines running parallel to each other simultaneously amid the fight, which became the main focus of the story.

Although that is quite justified, given the story's status as a battle shonen, the overall narrative, the different characters' integral roles, and the non-existent finale that was supposed to bring all of the plot points together did not materialize.

The rather rushed feeling surrounding the Jujutsu Kaisen ending and its numerous last-minute reveals simply removed all the tension that had been built up throughout the entire series.

Gojo, inarguably one of the most integral characters and aspects of the story, was built up as a literal deus ex machina, who ended up simply becoming Sukuna's opponent and one of the few sorcerers who sought out change in the new generation.

Kenjaku as shown in the anime (Image via Studio MAPPA)

Although the Jujutsu Kaisen ending gave rise to numerous complaints, the main issue ended up being the abandonment of the numerous plotlines. This included Kenjaku's plan, which never came to fruition, despite his reputation as someone with plans within plans.

There was a complete disregard for Hakari, as well as the sudden revival of a few characters who were thought to be dead. All of this, combined with the lack of attention to Gojo's death, made the ending rather unfitting for a story that had been built up to be much more, according to the fandom.

Sukuna as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Gojo's death at the hands of Sukuna and Sukuna's death at the hands of the generation nurtured by Gojo made complete sense as a narrative, due to how the next generation essentially growing beyond Gojo had been built up since the first few chapters.

Though Gojo's survival might have satisfied Gojo fans and by extension, a large part of the fandom, the issues with the Jujutsu Kaisen ending, which mainly revolved around the poor execution of ideas, would have persisted without changing anything significant.

Final thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen manga ended with a total of 271 chapters without the announcement of the much-anticipated continuation. The anime adaptation of the series is currently ongoing, with season 3 set to be released sometime in 2025.

Although nothing about a part 2 or continuation has been revealed, it is still possible that an announcement will be made alongside the release of the anime's season 3.