Summary
As one of the biggest and best modern anime series,Jujutsu Kaisenhas many moving parts that have gone on to make it such a beloved franchise. For many people, the characters are the best aspect, as Gege Akutami has created some of the most lovable, powerful, and nuanced characters in the entire anime/manga industry, something that holds true for the villains just as much as it does for the heroes!
From the very first chapter of the series, Sukuna was built up as the most dangerous curse in the history of the world as well asthe strongest sorcerer of all time. While he is loved by a large portion of the fanbase, some seem to think that he was a lackluster final villain for a few reasons, so in this article, let’s take a look at whether Sukuna was an underwhelming antagonist inJujutsu Kaisen.
Debut Date
June 25, 2025
Since his very first mention in the series, Sukuna was essentially synonymous with strength and power. Known far and wide as the strongest sorcerer of all time, he was feared across the entire Jujutsu world, so much so that his 20 fingers were designatedSpecial Grade Cursed Objectsto be kept under protection so that his resurrection would be impossible. They were so strong that even Gojo couldn’t destroy them.
Gojo even spoke to Yuji about how no other character could possibly match up to Sukuna aside from himself, which was proven in Chapter 223 of the manga where the strongest sorcerer of all time began his battle against the strongest sorcerer of today. Gojo’s strength was almost just as legendary but fans had gotten many more glimpses of his true power throughout the series, so they knew the eventual battle between these two powerhouses would be incredible to witness.
This battle surpassed all the expectations that people had of it, showing the pinnacle of Jujutsu sorcery in all offensive and defensive respects on a level that others simply couldn’t reach. Gojo showed the extent he could push his Cursed Technique and his skill in hand-to-hand combat, while Sukuna showed his mastery over Jujutsu andhis unparalleled knowledge of Cursed Energy, which ended up being the deciding factor in the bout.
Sukuna managed to defeat Gojo in their long-awaited battle, proving that while it was a close fight, he was indeed the strongest character in all ofJujutsu Kaisen. However, his trials would not end there. As soon as the fight ended, Kashimo jumped into the fray to satisfy his dream of fighting the strongest sorcerer ever, which ended swiftly but marked the entry of the rest of Jujutsu High as they all worked together to take down the King of Curses.
No matter what era it is, you Jujutsu sorcerers are a pain.
Despite almost being beaten to death and having most of his abilities greatly weakened as a result of his fight against Gojo, Sukuna was still able to defeat just about everyone else who came in to fight him. He was a one-man army who singlehandedly took down 11 of the world’s strongest sorcerers one after another. He was onlydefeated in the end by Yujidue to how much he underestimated him and finally succumbed to his injuries.
For a character who has always been built up as the strongest and whose sheer power is the defining aspect of their character, Sukuna exceeded all hype and expectations! Gege showed that he was worshiped by people and feared as destruction incarnate for a reason; he was the most powerful person to ever walk on the face of the Earth and evena sorcerer of the caliber of Gojocouldn’t defeat him. His strength was teased in the initial parts of the series, but the Shinjuku Showdown arc cemented Sukuna as the strongest sorcerer in history.
As A Final Villain
Did Sukuna have thematic relevance?
Many of the fans who consider Sukuna to be a bad final villain often state that he had no thematic relevance to the plot other than just being a powerful villain. However, this isn’t true! Aside from being the pinnacle of strength thatgave meaning to Gojo’s existenceas the strongest sorcerer of the modern age, Sukuna also represented an ideal that went against that of Gojo and Yuji.
This is because Sukuna was always a person who was built up as the strongest and only ever relied on himself, and so, was completely alone. The only relations he had in his life were Kenjaku, whom he just worked with to fulfill a common interest, and Uraume, who he just kept around because they were a great cook. However, he reveled in this loneliness since he loved never having to rely on anyone but himself.
A system that isn’t based purely on strength is boring if you ask me.
This flew in the face of everything that Gojo and Yuji represent. Gojo, despite being the only other person near the strength of Sukuna, hated the loneliness he felt due to his power, sohe fostered the strength of the newer generationso that everyone could rely on one another. Yuji is someone who believed the same thing and was altruistic enough to always want to sacrifice himself to save others.
Sukuna’s battles against each of these two essentially represented a clash of ideals, where the mindset that survived was the superior one to have. Although he defeated Gojo alone, it was only through the combined efforts of the rest of Jujutsu High that Yuji was able to put him down for good, showing that Gojo was right all along. Yuji, who once had Sukuna in his own body, finally defeated Sukuna by beating him out of the body of someone else, perfectly wrapping a bow around Sukuna’s storyline, confirming that he is one of the greatest villains in the anime industry!
Jujutsu Kaisencan be streamed onNetflixandAmazon Prime.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Based on Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Mappa’s battle shonen anime envisions a world where Jujutsu Sorcerers battle against entities born out of Cursed Energy. One day, a teenager named Yuji Itadori is dragged into this conflict when he eats a possessed finger.
