The Jujutsu Kaisen ending isn't bad, but boring, and it makes a major difference

When it comes to climaxes, the dark fantasy hit from Gege Akutami, Jujutsu Kaisen, managed to steer clear of outright failure but ended up in a precarious zone where its outcome was not terrible enough to cause upset but not satisfying enough to deliver on its potential.

While showcasing technical excellence, the final arc failed to maintain the emotional richness that was the series' signature, resulting in a hollow experience for the audience. The conclusion demonstrated competence yet failed to achieve the emotional impact required for lasting remembrance, thereby proving that well-executed endings can still miss the mark if they lose their emotional essence.

Disclaimer: The speculations and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author.

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Jujutsu Kaisen’s ending falters due to underdeveloped villains and hollow triumphs

The problem with Jujutsu Kaisen's ending stems from its complete omission of certain elements rather than any specific mistakes it made. Following the Shibuya Incident arc, the series experienced a major transition in both pacing and narrative concentration.

The Culling Games established Kenjaku and positioned Sukuna as the main antagonists but both villains lacked proper character development, rendering their defeats somewhat insignificant. Kenjaku stood as a mysterious figure because his main aim seemed limited to abstract evolutionary objectives, despite his intriguing background as the ancient sorcerer who entered the body of Yuji’s mother.

Itadori Yuji as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Meanwhile, Sukuna was portrayed as a terrifying force from the start, but he stayed a purely evil character without any character development beyond his desire to destroy. This superficial villain development directly impacted the emotional weight of the final confrontations. When our protagonists finally defeated these threats, the victories felt mechanical rather than triumphant.

The audience failed to grasp the importance of conquering adversaries whose motivations and backstories remained unexplored. On the other hand, the series My Hero Academia provided an in-depth character development for Shigaraki over time, which created real emotional weight for his final outcome, unlike JJK which failed to properly explore its antagonists.

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The ending of Jujutsu Kaisen undercuts its own strengths with rushed arcs

Perhaps what was more disappointing was the rushed resolution of character arcs for the supporting cast. After investing in characters like Nobara, Maki, Panda, and Inumaki, their conclusions felt perfunctory at best, with some of the characters receiving little more than a cameo appearance in the final chapters.

The bonds between the characters – one of the series' greatest strengths during arcs like Kyoto Exchange and Shibuya – were reduced to brief interactions without the meaningful dialogue or moments that defined earlier parts of the story. Furthermore, the post-Shibuya shift revealed structural issues in the storytelling.

Gojo, Yuji, Megumi, Nobara as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

The notorious one-month time skip rushed through potential character development, while the abrupt pacing of the Culling Games left little room for the emotional breathing space that the narrative desperately needed.

This frantic pace continued through to the ending, where final chapters, that should have been dedicated to resolution, felt like epilogue notes hastily attached to battle conclusions.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that earlier arcs demonstrated Akutami's capability for nuanced storytelling. The complex moral questions raised during the Shibuya Incident arc, the fascinating domain expansion concepts, and the genuine character growth seen in figures like Megumi and Yuji set expectations that the ending failed to meet.

The final "mission complete" tone and the sunset farewell scene came across as generic rather than earned, leaving readers with the feeling that they had witnessed the conclusion of a different story than the one they had invested in.

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Conclusion

Jujutsu Kaisen's ending represents a curious case study of how technical competence doesn't guarantee satisfaction. While avoiding catastrophic narrative choices, the ending's greatest sin was its safety – a reluctance to engage with the complex threads it had spun throughout its run.

The series that once boldly challenged shonen conventions, with its willingness to explore darker themes and consequences, ultimately retreated into familiar territory, delivering an ending that was neither memorably bad nor distinctively good.

For many fans, this middle ground proves more disappointing than a flawed but passionate conclusion, leaving them not with anger or joy, but with something worse: indifference.

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