Gojo: Not giving Gojo a proper conclusion in Jujutsu Kaisen is Akutami's biggest masterstroke

Not giving Gojo a proper conclusion in Jujutsu Kaisen is Akutami's biggest masterstroke

Modified Oct 07, 2024 02:00 GMT

Gojo Satoru in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

Gojo Satoru's death in Jujutsu Kaisen was certainly jarring for more lovers of the series. In fact, it was quite unexpected too. To begin with, his fight with Ryomen Sukuna was probably the most anticipated battle of the series. Every single fan wanted to witness the "Battle of the Strongest", more so as it was teased early on when Yuji Itadori asked Gojo if he would win against Sukuna.

The actual battle did not disappoint in the slightest, but the sight of a deceased Gojo was heart-wrenching for many. Further, he was not allowed to rest as later in the Shinjuku Showdown, Yuta Okkotsu used his body as a last resort to fend off the King of Curses.

266 chapters later, with the announcement of the manga's conclusion, fans were hoping for a Gojo revival considering the character's popularity and that many of the believed-to-be-dead characters returned. However, this was something that didn't happen. But now, looking back, Akutami not giving Gojo a proper conclusion was a masterstroke on the author's part. Here's how.

Disclaimer: This article solely reflects the opinion of the author.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Akutami not bidding Gojo's character an appropriate adieu was an act of genius

Young Gojo Satoru in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

Passing away in chapter 236, Ui Ui took Gojo's body to Shoko Ieiri. Later, the plan for Yuta to use Kenjaku's Cursed Technique (CT) and swap bodies with his sensei was revealed and it left everyone horrified. Nonetheless, the plan reached fruition and Yuta transferred his brain into Gojo's body to continue the battle.

But even so, the technique being just a copy of the original soon failed as Rika was haunting Yuta's original body and not Gojo's. Following the conclusion of the Shinjuku Arc, there is no information about what was done to Gojo's body. Considering this, only assumptions can be made and theories formulated. Thus, it is likely that Gojo's body was preserved.

When looking at it from a different angle, Yuta made Gojo a weapon, and weapons are usually not buried, but put on display. Similarly, it is likely that instead of a funeral, his body was kept in Jujutsu High as a sign of what he fought for till the end.

But from a different viewpoint - Yuta's deeds were an act of empathy and over-reliance on him. He loved his sensei dearly and saw no other way than to weaponize him for his abilities. Sukuna was proving too powerful and with no options left, this seemed to be the only way.

In summation

There looks to be a fixation with constantly dissecting and interpreting Gojo's narrative in the most unfortunate way possible. His character was meant to mentor the students, a superpower that held up the Jujutsu Society, and someone who wanted to bring about a big change.

Ultimately, that is exactly what he did - he had a dream and his actions materialized it. As he wanted, he fostered strong comrades. His sacrifice, although unfortunate, was the necessary push his students needed to go shatter their limits. Gojo wanted to bring forth a new world, so he needed to shake the foundations of the existing system, i.e., he killed the higher-ups.

Jujutsu Kaisen creator Akutami had a vision for him and once it was on the path to being fulfilled, his role in the story concluded. Not giving him a proper ending was an act of genius as there was nothing more to add to his character. Furthermore, Gojo's existence wouldn't allow the story to progress, given his immense powers and influence on and in the story.