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Jujutsu Kaisen is a manga series with much to offer, and its characters are one of the biggest selling points. From Satoru Gojo’s sardonic personality and cool factor to the arcs of characters like Nobara, Yuji, and Megumi, this series has a wide variety of characters that make it very enjoyable. And Atsuya Kusakabe might be one of the most underrated in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Kusakabe is a character that can be easily forgotten as the story progresses due to the many different events. But his role as the 2nd year teacher, the way he carries himself, and the stark contrast he offers compared to the other teachers make him an intriguing character to analyze.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
Atsuya Kusakabe: Jujutsu Kaisen's other sorcerer without a Cursed Technique
The stark contrast
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Atsuya Kusakabe is a grade-1 sorcerer and 2nd-year teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High. He made his debut in chapter 83 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga and in the prequel movie that came out last year.
He doesn’t have any Innate Cursed Technique and relies a lot more on his swordsmanship skills and New Shadow Style, making him the only grade-1 sorcerer without a natural ability. This fact was revealed by Mei Mei during the Shibuya arc when she compared Kusakabe to Yuji.
That is all good, but the real value of Kusakabe as a character lies in what he offers as both a teacher and a sorcerer: contrast. From the very beginning of the story, readers and viewers are introduced to strong, capable teachers such as Satoru Gojo, who have no fear in the face of adversity and even have a bit of a psychotic element to this. Even characters such as Megumi, Yuji, and Nobara have this element going on.
However, Kusakabe proves to be very different in the sense that he doesn’t bite more than he can chew, and there have been occasions where he simply doesn’t engage in conflict and doesn’t want to lose or get killed. It may sound cowardly, but he has also shown that he will come through when push comes to shove.
It is refreshing to see a character that doesn’t have all the right answers or doesn’t constantly rely on having many strong abilities. He is simply a competent sorcerer who knows how good he is and when to engage in battle and when not to, adding to his qualities. In a world of arrogant characters like Gojo and Sukuna, Kusakabe is an anomaly of a person who is aware of his limits.
Knowing when to act
Kusakabe serves as the everyman of Jujutsu Kaisen, but he has shown himself as a capable sorcerer in the moment of truth. His saving the Kyoto girls from Kenjaku is probably his greatest feat, which shows that he still puts others ahead of him in the direst situation and is strong enough to put up a bit of a fight against one of the main antagonists.
While Nanami has gotten a lot of recognition (mainly because he has already extensively shown up in the anime adaptation) as the most human among Jujutsu Kaisen characters, there is a very good chance that the title will be rewarded to Kusakabe as Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, specifically the Shibuya Arc, progresses. He has already shown up in Episode 7 of the season.
Another aspect of Kusakabe is his deep knowledge of the Jujutsu world. It is evident that as a teacher, he is much more capable of imparting knowledge than Gojo. During the Shinjuku Showdown arc of the manga, his knowledge about teh secrets of the three main clans comes to light.
Final thoughts
Kusakabe is a fascinating character when analyzed and compared to the rest of the series because he is the everyman who knows his limitations. He is happy with his power level and wants to help people while not sacrificing himself in any stupid manner.
It is such a logical way of thinking that it is hard not to see a lot of people in real life having the same mindset if they lived in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, making Kusakabe very relatable.
Be sure to keep up with more anime news and manga updates as Jujutsu Kaisen progresses.
