Jujutsu Kaisen villains show why the Jujutsu Society was doomed from the start

Modified Nov 18, 2024 04:30 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen villains show why the Jujutsu Society was doomed from the start (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Without a doubt, one of the most important aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen’s narrative is its villains, who are used as everything from foils to symbolic representations of various sorcery aspects. Each plays an incredibly unique role in the series and also has unique and memorable moments that exemplify why they’re so memorable to and beloved by fans.

However, each Jujutsu Kaisen villain also offers commentary on the pitfalls of Jujutsu Society, and what it can create as a result of the conservative mindset the ex-Higher Ups instilled. More specifically, each of the series’ four major antagonists Ryomen Sukuna, Suguru Geto, Kenjaku, and Toji Zen’in all highlight one reason why Jujutsu Society was always doomed.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s villains drive home the mistakes the ex-Higher Ups of Jujutsu Society made in their rule

Expand Tweet

Of these four Jujutsu Kaisen antagonists, Toji likely drives home the above point most directly and simply. By nature of assessing and nurturing talent only when Cursed Energy is present in an individual, Jujutsu Society directly created the events that would one day lead to its downfall.

This also highlights the arrogance the previous generation of Jujutsu Society had, viewing Cursed Energy and Cursed Techniques as superior to everything else in the world. Toji’s character also shows that this bias can even hold back genuine talents like Maki Zen’in who have no reason to be considered inferior other than their lack of Cursed Energy.

Suguru Geto is a similarly effective symbol for another reason why Jujutsu Kaisen’s Jujutsu Society was doomed from the start. Geto is the result of forcing sorcerers to sacrifice themselves for humans’ sake, even though the issues they solve aren’t their own fault. Geto also highlights what indoctrinating sorcerers from such a young age can do mentally as they watch their classmates and friends die one after another, unable to prevent such tragedy.

Expand Tweet

In addition to Geto himself, Kenjaku (who takes over Geto’s body) also highlights another aspect of why Jujutsu Society was doomed. As the former Noritoshi Kamo, it can be assumed that Kenjaku had high status since he could perform the gruesome experiments he did. More likely than not, higher-ups pushed Kamo (i.e. Kenjaku) to move forward with this research since it could potentially push Jujutsu Society forward.

Likewise, Kenjaku also speaks to how easily one can be corrupted in the pursuit of power, which Jujutsu Society encourages. By nature of constantly seeking out new jutsu and wanting to learn, Kenjaku is forced to leave death and destruction in his wake. His experiments as Noritoshi Kamo further highlight this point as described by Choso.

Finally and similarly, Ryomen Sukuna also symbolizes the corruption of the soul which this pursuit of absolute and ever-greater power leads to. Born as a human originally, Sukuna quite literally and gladly threw away his humanity to pursue the title of the strongest sorcerer in history. In doing so and being encouraged to do so by Jujutsu Society, he serves as a grim reminder of the fate that can befall anyone who calls themself a sorcerer.

In summation

Like Yuji's journey, the series' villains also highlight the biggest flaws within Jujutsu Society (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Each of the major villains in mangaka Gege Akutami’s original series serves as a representation of why Jujutsu Society is flawed and was doomed to fail from the start. Sacrifice, corruption, negligence, and the pursuit of power are the major flaws which each villain represents to varying degrees and in unique ways.