Kenjaku deserves the reputation Jujutsu Kaisen fans give Sukuna

Modified Nov 13, 2024 04:17 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen fans perhaps should criticize Kenjaku for the same reason Sukuna is mocked for (Image via MAPPA).

Jujutsu Kaisen fans have been vocal on social media regarding the character of Ryomen Sukuna and how he relied on multiple plot conveniences to win in the final arc of the series, especially when it comes to him over-relying on Binding Vows. However, there is a strong argument to be made that that reputation should be given to Kenjaku and not the King of Curses.

While Kenjaku has a reputation for being a mastermind and a planner within the Jujutsu Kaisen community, it has to be said that he also had a lot of plot convenience.

There were some key moments and obstacles in the series he wouldn't have overcome if it wasn't for some lucky circumstances, which is something that a lot of fans never bring up.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

Explaining why Kenjaku has a lot more plot armor than Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen

Yuki and Kenjaku as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

The first example of Kenjaku benefitting greatly from plot convenience was the fight against Yuki Tsukumo during the Culling Games arc. It was during this battle that Yuki had the upper hand thanks to her Star Rage Cursed Technique and was about to take down the villain by creating a black hole.

However, it turns out that Kenjaku had the ability to manipulate gravity which he took from Kaori Itadori, giving him the exact same tool to survive and win this conflict.

Another example was how Satoru Gojo was too powerful for him to handle and it just so happened that the latter had the Prison Realm tool to trap the former while the story never foreshadowed this Cursed Tool.

Also, the person with the Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique, Suguru Geto, was Gojo's best friend, which gave him the edge to surprise the white-haired sorcerer so he could be trapped, giving him another moment of plot convenience.

There is also the fact that Mahito was born around the same time that Geto was born, with these two individuals having the abilities he needed to start the Culling Games.

While it could be argued that Kenjaku did his research on Geto, who had a reputation for years as a Jujutsu terrorist, it is far too convenient that this man and Mahito happened to exist at a similar time for the centuries-old sorcerer to use them.

More moments of plot convenience for Kenjaku

Kenjaku as seen in the second season of the anime (Image via MAPPA).

Satoru Gojo was always a major problem for Kenjaku in Jujutsu Kaisen because the latter didn't have the strength to defeat the former. However, when Gojo came out of the Prison Realm, Ryomen Sukuna just so happened to take over Megumi Fushiguro's body and struck a deal to work with Kenjaku, thus giving the latter an ally who could take care of his biggest obstacle.

There was also the fact that the Prison Realm being very heavy because of Gojo's sheer strength was never fully exploited against Kenjaku, which is another example of plot convenience.

Furthermore, it could also be argued that Kenjaku knowing that Jin Itadori was Sukuna's reincarnated twin brother was both a plot hole and a major convenience since the story never explains how he found that out.

Final thoughts

All in all, while it is fair to say that Sukuna got a lot of plot armor during the final Jujutsu Kaisen arc, there is also a strong argument to be made that Kenjaku had that in spades. While perceived as a master planner, there were many elements of his plan that were the result of sheer good luck.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande