Modern sorcery's peaks surpass the Hein Era's, and Jujutsu Kaisen's Special Grades show how

Although Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen manga reached its end months ago, fan debates and discussions on social media continue to thrive. A particular topic that fans have debated about for a long time is whether the jujutsu sorcerers of the modern era are stronger than the Heian Era sorcerers.

The Heian Era has always been considered to be the Golden Age of jujutsu sorcery— a time period when cursed energy overflowed, and sorcerers were at their absolute peak. However, when we look at some of the absolute monsters that the modern era of Jujutsu Kaisen has produced, the notion of the Heian Era sorcerers being the strongest might need some reconsideration.

The Special Grade sorcerers in particular aren't just strong— they are borderline apocalyptic forces, as some of them are even capable of destroying the entire world by themselves.

Disclaimer: All opinions reflected in this article belong solely to the author. Reader's description is advised.

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Why Jujutsu Kaisen's Special Grades might be stronger than Heian Era sorcerers

Heian Era was the Golden Age of jujutsu sorcery, especially since it was described as a battlefield where sorcerers fought solely for survival. However, the idea that the Heian Era housed the most powerful sorcerers is certainly not true.

Sukuna represents the unrivaled peak of jujutsu sorcery of any era, and he is an undeniable force of nature. That said, apart from him, the other Heian Era sorcerers we have seen in action— Yorozu, Kenjaku, Uraume, Angel, and Takako Uroç haven't exactly demonstrated the overwhelming superiority that would be expected of them.

Take Uraume for instance. They're strong, and are certainly capable of dominating against the average jujutsu sorcerer of the modern era. However, they fought Kinji Hakari, who's not even classified as a Special Grade, to a standstill in a 1-on-1 fight. As for Takako Uro, she wasn't even capable of bringing down Yuta Okkotsu, a 17-year-old— that too, at a 2-on-1 advantage.

Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

It's difficult to assume Angel's actual power, especially since Sukuna remarked that she suffers from having a weak vessel. Yorozu, on the other hand, is a different case. She was one of the Heian Era's strongest, but she was utterly destroyed by Sukuna with minimal effort. As such, it's hard to imagine she would do any better against the likes of Gojo or Yuta.

Lastly, there's Kenjaku— an ancient sorcerer who has lived through every era and seen it all. He's regarded as one of the greatest minds in jujutsu history. However, when he actually went up against a modern Special Grade, Yuki Tsukumo, he was nearly crushed. If it wasn't for Kaori Itadori's Antigravity System, his entire existence might have been wiped out by Yuki.

There's also the case of Jujutsu Kaisen's Culling Game— which gathered the strongest sorcerers from multiple eras. Surprisingly, the ones who actually managed to survive and dominate the Culling Game, were 15-to-17-year-old sorcerers of the modern era.

Furthermore, if we look at the peak of modern sorcery, we'll realize where the gap lies between modern sorcerers and Heian sorcerers. For starters, no Heian Era sorcerer we have seen so far even comes close to Satoru Gojo's power level.

The only one who actually managed to defeat him was Ryomen Sukuna— and that was only after the King of Curses stole Megumi Fushiguro's Ten Shadows technique. If it wasn't for Mahoraga, it might not even have been possible for Sukuna to get past Gojo's Infinity.

As for Yuta Okkotsu, he fought two ancient and supposed Special Grade level sorcerers at the same time— a battle which he ended up winning as well. Then there's Yuki, who destroyed Kenjaku in close-quarters combat and nearly engulfed him, along with the entire world, by turning herself into a literal black hole.

If we pit these three Special Grades against the Heian Era sorcerers we have seen so far, none of them apart from Sukuna would stand a chance. Then there are the likes of Kinji Hakari and Yuji Itadori— two likely contenders for the Special Grade rank— who could undoubtedly dominate the battlefield against most Heian Era sorcerers. If we pit Gojo alone against the Heian Era sorcerers, he could probably wipe out almost all the top fighters all by himself.

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Final thoughts

The Heian Era might have had numbers, but when it comes to peak power, Jujutsu Kaisen's modern sorcery undoubtedly dominates. The strongest modern Special Grades— Gojo, Yuki, and Yuta— are simply on a level of their own. Even if we take Gojo out of the equation, it's safe to assume that the strongest modern sorcerers would overwhelm Heian Era sorcerers.

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