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There are plenty of Jujutsu Kaisen timelines charting the timeframe of events like The Culling Game or the Shibuya Incident down to the second. One that hasn't been explored is the entirety of the Gojo vs. Sukuna fight. It was a long time coming for both fans and the characters and was a beauty to behold from chapters 221 to 235 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
With the number of powers, mindbending feats, and absolute devastation wrought by the Strongest Jujutsu Sorceror and King of Curses, it can be easy to lose sight of what happened, who cast what ability, and what happened around them. With Jujutsu Kaisen's anime having a while to come before it gets to this point, a proper Jujutsu Kaisen timeline will help to properly examine the fight.
Disclaimer: The following article will contain spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen.
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Jujutsu Kaisen Timeline: The Gojo vs. Sukuna battle of the strongest sorcerers
Gojo's release from the Prison Realm
According to the rough Jujutsu Kaisen timeline provided by Yuji and allies, Gojo had been sealed in the Prison Realm for roughly 19 days since Halloween. That would put the date of his freedom on November 19th, 2018, in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 221. Gojo was released from the Prison Realm by Angel and Toge's combined strength at the back gate to Jujutsu High Training Ground No. 4 in the Kiroko Minne of Saitama Prefecture.
Gojo didn't appear there, however, instead teleporting directly to where Kenjaku, Sukuna, and Uraume were. After a bit of banter, Gojo attacked. Although Sukuna was able to save Kenjaku's life, Uraume was nearly killed by a single punch from Gojo. As Gojo had other matters to attend to, the final fight between the strongest duo was set for December 24th, 2018.
Though an often joked-about phrase, chapter 221 ended with Gojo confidently stating he'd win. The two combatants set out to prepare for the day, each in their own way.
Preparations for the day
Next on the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline was the preparations for the fight, covered in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 222. It was to be a one-on-one between the two strongest, and both needed time to prepare. Sukuna prepared by consuming his mummified corpse to compensate for lacking his final finger, as he'd need all the power he could gather for this fight.
Everyone else prepared as appropriate to them: Jujutsu High's powerhouses like Yuta, Maki, Yuji, and everyone else trained up as hard as they could. Kenjaku started turning his eyes toward eliminating the rest of the Culling Game players, and Gojo hatched strategies with the remaining Jujutsu High staff.
Per Chapter 261, Gojo prepared by slaughtering all the Jujutsu higher-ups to ensure Gakuganji can take over. Meantime, a backup plan was brainstormed per Yuta: have Rika consume Kenjaku, copy the body-swapping technique, and steal Gojo's body as a last resort.
December 24th: the battle begins
The battle for the fate of the Jujutsu Society officially began on December 24th, 2018, according to Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 223 in the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline. The first strike was a massive Hollow Purple from Gojo, boosted by Utahine Iori's innate technique, Solo Forbidden Area, Ichji's barrier and talismans, and Gakuganji's music playing.
The result was a 200% boosted Hollow Purple that tore across the 4.6km, or approximately 2.5 mile, distance between Shibuya and Shinjuku. It shattered many buildings, streets, and the skyscraper Sukuna was awaiting Gojo in. Although this destroyed two of Sukuna's reinforced arms, he's able to regenerate using reverse cursed techniques.
The two taunt each other, with Gojo calling Sukuna the "challenger" in their fight, whereas Sukuna's retort consists of calling Gojo a mere fish on the chopping block.
Shinjuku is destroyed as the clash begins
After taunting each other a little more, including Gojo promising to rip Sukuna from Megumi's body and Sukuna threatening to fillet Gojo like a fish, the two began clashing in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 224. The first clash was with fists until Gojo flung Sukuna through a skyscraper using Infinity and Blue.
Sukuna attempted to use Dismantle, failing to hit Gojo but slashing the skyscraper, and then Domain Amplification to bypass Limitless. Gojo countered by grabbing his fist and making them both fly through the skyscraper until they both clashed with cursed energy.
The skyscraper collapsed into pieces as they emerged unscathed, with only Gojo concerned about the fact that Mei Mei was broadcasting it live and the amount of destruction.
Domain Expansion clash
Chapter 225 is a little bit of a break from the fight until the end of the chapter on this part of the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline, mostly reaction shots of Gojo's allies theorizing who's going to win and how. One of the largest obstacles and turning points is both combatant's Domain Expansions and a big question asked by the heroes is why neither of them has tried to expand their domain yet.
In a shocking twist, Choso reveals that Sukuna can expand his domain without enclosing a barrier. This should be impossible, but unfortunately, it's proven true. The two expand their Domains at the same time: Unlimited Void and Malevolent Shrine collide, with Malevolent Shine extending outside Gojo's barrier and allowing Sukuna to tear it apart before slashing at Gojo's neck.
Gojo is on the defensive
With Gojo's Limitless being out of commission, that left him open to attack. Chapter 226 shows the results of that, with Gojo continually taking attacks from Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine. The constant slashes were healed by Gojo's Reverse Cursed Technique, but even that could not last forever. Teleportation wasn't an option since it relied on the Limitless technique.
Gojo used Simple Domain to counter the constant slashes, but that was a stalling tactic. He counterattacked by luring Sukuna with hand-to-hand techniques, then using Red to throw him into his shrine. This counter gave Gojo some breathing room.
This marked the point where the Gojo vs. Sukuna fight began heating up on the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline.
The Domain barrier shrinks
As the Gojo vs. Sukuna fight gets more intense in chapter 227 of the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline, Gojo begins to counter Sukuna's overwhelming advantages. It also requires more explanation since this is where both combatants begin doing more impossible things to keep the fight going.
The two change the conditions of their Domains: Sukuna uses a Binding Vow and touches Gojo directly to attempt to nullify Limitless. Gojo uses Falling Blossom Emotion to repel Sukuna's slashes as the Domain Barrier begins to slowly shrink down.
Double Domain collapse
According to Chapter 228 of the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline, the barrier shrank to double the output of Sukuna's Domain. The result of its shattering is a stalemate: Sukuna destroyed Gojo's Domain from the outside, and Gojo damaged Sukuna to where he couldn't maintain his Domain.
The barrier lasted three minutes, during which Gojo had the upper hand. The two began trading blows, using debris, their fists, and their speed, as Gojo tried to deduce what Sukuna's strategy was, thinking about how he could've used the Ten Shadows or Mahoraga inside the Domain and ended the fight quickly. He spies Mahoraga's halo as the chapter ends.
Unlimited Void hits Sukuna, Mahoraga is summoned
The turning point in the Gojo vs. Sukuna fight in the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline is Chapter 229. From a spectator's perspective, Gojo would win a pure Domain battle without Sukuna's Domain Amplification. The two Domains are expanded and blown apart again, but the second one catches Sukuna 0.01 seconds off with his healing and restoring his cursed technique.
It makes Unlimited Void activate and Malevolent Shrine collapse. Gojo destroys the immobilized Sukuna's heart and then goes in for the kill, but Mahoraga is summoned to assist Sukuna. In a feat one might call impossible, Mahoraga somehow managed to adapt to Unlimited Void as it began to fight Gojo.
Round 2 begins and explanations are provided
As a fair bit of explanation is required as to how Mahoraga was able to adapt that quickly, chapter 230 provides that explanation. The two Domain Expansion's effects canceled each other out a total of five times, though Sukuna shuffled the damage of Mahoraga's adaptation to Megumi's soul. Sukuna forced Megumi to adapt to Unlimited Void using the 10 Shadows.
Though Gojo boasts that he can open his domain again and Sukuna's aid would be nullified, unfortunately, that doesn't work. Gojo took too much damage to his brain by overclocking his healing abilities. While taunting Gojo and calling him painfully ordinary, Sukuna realized too late that he had suffered the same damage. Domain Expansions were rendered impossible for both of them.
A lethal countdown
Since Domain Expansions were out the window, Chapter 231 saw Sukuna and Gojo hitting each other with speed and fists. The key details of this part of the fight are as follows: Gojo's punches are enhanced with Blue, which doubles the damage; Gojo and Sukuna both hit each other hard with physical strikes; and then the two notice Mahoraga's wheel spinning.
It took five domain clashes to adapt to Unlimited Void. The wheel spins three times and needs three more spins to adapt to Infinity. This doesn't seem to bother Gojo, saying confidently that he'll kill Sukuna before that happens. Everyone else, on the other hand, is worried Gojo will kill Sukuna and Megumi.
Sukuna is knocked out, Mahoraga adapts to Infinity
There are two major turning points to this fight by the time of chapter 232: Sukuna takes too much damage and is knocked out by Gojo using Red and Blue hand to hand, and Mahoraga adapts to Infinity and slashes Gojo across the shoulder.
The specifics are as follows. Gojo and Sukuna go at each other, with Gojo using Blue primarily to distract from the Red he uses. Sukuna is put on the defensive with Domain Amplification but underestimates Red delaying its explosion. A huge Black Flash knocks Sukuna unconscious, but Mahoraga's halo spins on its side as it falls and causes Mahoraga to grab Gojo.
Mahoraga, Agito, and Sukuna vs. Gojo
The strongest summon, Megumi, had started its fight against Gojo by slashing at his shoulder. Gojo was starting to get tired, his wounds were healing slower, and his cursed energy output was dropping, but chapter 233 showed Gojo continuing to move and fight hard. Gojo explicitly remembers his defeat at the hands of Toji Fushiguro but is full of fulfillment and satisfaction rather than despair.
The fight is heavy and brutal, as Gojo is outnumbered by Mahoraga, Sukuna, and several summoned shikigami. The most prominent of which is the Nue: Totality - Merged Beast Agito, which continually pressures Gojo alongside Mahoraga. Sukuna also keeps appearing in Gojo's shadow until Gojo crushes the ground to banish him.
The allies argue as Gojo loses an arm
As the fight slowly but surely began to turn on Gojo, the students and other jujutsu sorcerors began to argue amongst themselves. Yuta, Maki, and Yuji want to aid Gojo since he's outnumbered. Mei Mei, Hakari, Kusakabe, and Kashimo all disagree and point out a few details: that Uraume is still a threat, Kenjaku needs to be prioritized, and Sukuna will need to deal with everyone else immediately afterward.
Chapter 234 continues the hectic situation Gojo finds himself in, with a few additional complications. Sukuna himself states that if he took Hollow Purple right at that moment, he'd likely die. Mahoraga manages to slash off Gojo's right arm and while that proves a problem, Gojo adapts by using Blue at maximum output to destroy Agito and begins restoring his arm.
Though Mahoraga had its halo spin for maximum power, Gojo only had 41 seconds left until Hollow Purple was able to be used again.
Hollow: Purple unleashed
Chapter 235 is the climax of Gojo vs. Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen. Several successive Black Flashes give Gojo enough steam to continue engaging. He begins his incantations and produces Red but throws it up in the air instead of at Mahoraga or Sukuna.
An attempt to destroy Blue failed as Gojo used Blue's field of attraction to boost and intercept Mahoraga. With Sukuna's attempt to intercept Red and Blue failing, the Purple exploded. The explosion disintegrated Mahoraga and heavily injured Sukuna. Gojo was also injured, but less so.
Kusakabe optimistically commented that Gojo regained his cursed energy output and won against Sukuna.
And the winner is...
Chapter 236 is infamous to many Jujutsu Kaisen fans and is considered a milestone for the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline. It's revealed that Gojo was bisected by a Dismantle technique targeting the world itself from Mahoraga as its last act before being disintegrated. Somehow, it was able to continue to adapt to Infinity and bypass it with this final act.
This was done off-screen, as it relies on Sukuna to explain what happened while saying that Gojo was the best fight he had ever experienced. It also shows Gojo reuniting with the dead, including the real Suguru Geto, Kento Nanami, Masamichi Yaga, Riko Amanai, Yu Haibara, and Misato Kuroi.
The winner of the fight was Ryomen Sukuna, but not without cost. Mahoraga and Agito were both obliterated, and Sukuna would continue to have trouble dealing with the rest of the jujutsu sorcerors from there as a result of damage inflicted in this fight.
Gojo Returns?!
As the final battle with Ryomen Sukuna continued, Choso sacrificed himself to save Yuji, and Aoi Todo returned to lend a hand. With Sukuna at his limit after taking a ton of punishment, Satoru Gojo showed up again in Chapter 261 as if back from the dead to lend even more aid.
As Chapter 261 showed, however, it's Yuta in Gojo's body. To explain, Yuta decapitated Kenjaku in chapter 243 and had Rika consume his corpse to Copy his innate technique. Even after Yuta got bisected by Sukuna, the fast work of Shoko, Arata, and Rin were all able to place Yuta's brain into Gojo's body.
The revenge match started with Unlimited Void again clashing with Malevolent Shine, as it did at the beginning of the original fight.
Final Thoughts: A fight for the ages
Gojo vs. Sukuna took the two strongest characters in Jujutsu Kaisen and finally put them against each other, which fans had waited for since the first skirmish between the two in the opening manga chapters and anime episodes. The fight became an instant classic worthy of a place in anime history, as this Jujutsu Kaisen timeline proves.
With chapter 261 bringing Gojo's body back for a rematch, many fans are hoping this will help finally end Sukuna's reign of terror. Even if it doesn't win instantly, everything since Gojo vs. Sukuna has pushed Sukuna to further and further extremes as his body and soul have begun breaking down from repeated damage.
Related Links
- Jujutsu Kaisen timeline: The Entire Shibuya Incident
- Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game timeline, explained
- Jujutsu Kaisen: How did Sukuna take over Megumi in the manga? Explained
