Gojo truly did go all out against Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen, and a key lesson he learned earlier is why

Modified Jul 09, 2024 05:32 GMT

Gojo truly did go all out against Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen, and a key lesson he learned earlier is why (image via MAPPA)

Ever since Satoru Gojo and Ryomen Sukuna's historic fight came to a heartbreaking end in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 236, fans have been engaged in countless debates over several aspects of the battle. Out of them, the most recurring question is whether Gojo actually went all out against the King of Curses during their battle.

During his afterlife sequence at the airport, Gojo surprised the majority of the fanbase by praising Sukuna and claiming that he probably wouldn't have emerged victorious even if the latter didn't have the Ten Shadows technique.

While some fans still refuse to believe Gojo's claim that he gave it his all, it's important to remember that there's one particular incident in the Shibuya Incident arc that taught Gojo a valuable lesson: never to hesitate or hold back against his opponents.

Jujutsu Kaisen: How the Shibuya Incident taught Satoru Gojo a valuable lesson against his opponents

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In the Shibuya Incident arc, an unexpected development threw the entire Jujutsu society into chaos. Satoru Gojo was sealed into the Prison Realm by Kenjaku, which allowed the Cursed Spirits to wreak havoc on humans and sorcerers alike.

Gojo getting sealed is undoubtedly a worst-case scenario for the Jujutsu sorcerers, given that it was a known fact that the entirety of Japan itself would submerge in darkness if it actually ended up happening.

While Gojo did walk into the Shibuya station all by himself, knowing that it was a trap laid out for him, he didn't consider the possibility that the Cursed Spirits would actually manage to get the upper hand on him, at least in a straight-up fight. In fact, he managed to annihilate approximately one thousand transfigured humans in 299 seconds, all by himself.

Gojo and Sukuna's battle in Jujutsu Kaisen was one of the most groundbreaking fights in the animanga industry (image via Shueisha)

What ended up being his downfall, however, were his own emotions and feelings toward his former best friend, Suguru Geto. Unknown to Gojo, the ancient sorcerer Kenjaku had taken over his deceased best friend's body, which allowed the latter to momentarily immobilize Gojo and send him into a state of shock.

By the time Gojo could recover, he realized that he had already fallen for Kenjaku's trap. He was captured inside the Prison Realm, all because seeing his deceased best friend standing in front of him triggered a series of memories of the time they had spent together.

Of all the possible ways that the villains could use to gain the upper hand against him, Gojo couldn't imagine that they would go so far as to use Geto's body as leverage. In addition to this, the fact that he had himself killed and buried Geto's body made the latter's reappearance all the more shocking.

Satoru Gojo as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen (image via MAPPA)

In the end, Gojo's emotions and hesitation are what ended up being his own downfall in the Shibuya arc. After he got unsealed, Gojo seemingly felt responsible for everything that happened in Shibuya and considered it to be a fault of his own carelessness. Therefore, it's safe to assume that Gojo was unlikely to let his emotions get the best of him ever again.

Since it's impossible to know just how much time had passed for Gojo in the Prison Realm, it's likely that he spent the majority of his time there improving both his emotional and physical vulnerabilities, seeing as to how he seemed significantly stronger and wiser after he got unsealed.

This is evident from the fact that he almost seemed unfazed when he was attacked by Sukuna, who, at the time, possessed Megumi's body. In the month leading up to their monumental battle, it's also possible that Gojo would have come up with a plan that would allow him to both save Megumi and end Sukuna for good.

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Conversely, he may have also prepared to end both Sukuna and Megumi's lives if the situation called for it. Furthermore, Gojo himself proclaimed that he could go all out since he knew it was Megumi who Sukuna was in control of. He also said that he would worry about Megumi after he took care of the King of Curses.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Gojo was, in fact, not holding back against Sukuna in any form and that he actually gave it his all in order to kill the King of Curses. Although there's no doubt that Gojo cared deeply about Megumi, it's unlikely that the former would make the same mistake of letting his emotions get in the way of what needed to be done.

The Shibuya Incident taught Gojo that making even the slightest mistake or hesitation would have fatal consequences for both the world and himself. As such, there's no doubt that throughout his battle against Sukuna, Gojo showed no hesitation in killing the King of Curses, even if it meant sacrificing Megumi's life.