Toji, not Sukuna, is Jujutsu Kaisen's best-written villain

Modified Dec 21, 2024 17:30 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen had its best villain in Toji (Image via MAPPA).

Jujutsu Kaisen usually has Ryomen Sukuna as its most celebrated villain, and for a good reason when considering his imposing nature, feats, and charismatic personality. However, from a writing perspective, it is difficult to argue that Toji Fushiguro should hold the title of the best villain in the series since he reflects a lot of the main themes of the series.

Toji Fushiguro is a man with many flaws that can be quite relatable, making it a lot easier to understand his behavior and motivation than the likes of Sukuna and Kenjaku, who, a lot of times, seem disconnected from the current setting of Jujutsu Kaisen for being centuries old. Coupled with his consequences in the story, Toji is a reflection of the broken Jujutsu system and how a man can go on a downward spiral and never learn his lesson.

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

Explaining why Toji Fushiguro is the best villain in Jujutsu Kaisen

Toji Fushiguro as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

The first reason Toji Fushiguro works so well as the best villain in the series is because his mistreatment by the Zen'in clan reflects the problems in Jujutsu society. He is a villain that his own clan created simply because he was born without a Cursed Technique, with his massive strength being ignored since it didn't represent the status of his family, leading to him forsaking his last name and becoming the "Sorcerer Killer."

Moreover, his actions in the Hidden Inventory arc defined most of the series since he took the life of Riko Amanai, thus keeping Tengen from merging with her, who was the Star Plasma Vessel. His combat with Suguru Geto led the latter down a path of terrorism, thus becoming a much more notorious target for Kenjaku as the latter took over his body and started the main plot in the series.

There is also the fact that the likes of Kenjaku and Ryomen Sukuna seem borderline inhuman and impossible to understand in terms of motivation, while Toji's goals and shortcomings are quite human. He is an insecure man who wants to prove his worth against the ultimate sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, and ends up making several wrong decisions, such as abandoning his son Megumi Fushiguro after the latter's mother passed away.

More reasons why Toji is the best villain

A young Toji as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

Another element that makes Toji work as a villain in Jujutsu Kaisen is that he is the antithesis of sorcery since he doesn't have access to any of it and has to come up with his own strategies to break the system in a way. This was emphasized by how he managed to tire Satoru Gojo out for days before striking him down personally, highlighting his battle IQ and his understanding of sorcerers as enemies.

In a series where author Gege Akutami oftentimes struggles to make straightforward and clear battles, Toji's strategies are fascinating since they don't break the power system and make sense with the elements the author has established. This also works with the character's personality and serves to highlight the potential of Heavenly Restriction, which is something his clan didn't value and ultimately proved to be their downfall through Maki Zen'in.

Final thoughts

Ryomen Sukuna is always going to be heralded as the best Jujutsu Kaisen villain by most people, but Toji Fushiguro definitely shows some of Akutami's best character writing. It is a testament to Toji's brilliance that he didn't have a lot of time in the series and still managed to make such a big impact.

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Edited by Somava