Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #268 of Jujutsu Kaisen.
WhileRyomen Sukunamight have gone out with a whimper in the battle for the future of theJujutsu Kaisenuniverse, he most certainly proved himself to be the strongest sorcerer in the history of the world, not a small feat considering he took on basically the entire jujutsu sorcerers community.
InJujutsu KaisenChapter #268, the epic battle between the King of Curses and his opponents finally came to an end with Sukuna’s surprisingly underwhelming defeat. Namely, once Megumi regained his reason to live, he began to resist Sukuna from within. At the same time, Yuji continued his assault from the outside, andNobara continued “hammering away” at his soulfrom afar.
Ultimately, a weakened Sukuna splitting his strength between trying to regain control of Megumi and defending himself from Yuji proved powerless against Yuji’s Black Flash strike that ripped Megumi from him and left him as a puddle of cursed energy. When offered a chance to live and reform himself under Yuji’s control, the once cocksure King of Curses chose to die as he lived violently unrepentant for the harm, death, and chaos he caused over the centuries.
Sukuna Feared No Sorcerer Alive Or Dead
Sukuna Relished The Chance To Go Up Against Anyone Who Believed They Could Defeat Him
While Sukuna’s actual demise was rather anti-climactic– perhaps a sign that creator Gege Akutami is in a hurry to tie up all loose ends before the series finale – his performance in the run-up to his death was nothing short of spectacular. It was a true testament to his power, skill, strength, intelligence, and willpower. To be sure, throughout the series, fans have seen some amazing displays of strength and sorcery, butno one took on as many high-powered opponents at the same time as Sukuna.
Indeed, the only two other sorcerers who can be mentioned in the same breath as Sukuna in terms of power are Kenjaku and Gojo. While Kenjaku defeated multiple high-powered opponents, including theSpecial Grade sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo, he feared fighting Gojo so much that he “hired” Sukuna for protection. On the other hand, Gojo’s immense power meant he was rarely pushed to the limit of his abilities, until he met Sukuna on the battlefield, and lost.
Sukuna Took On The Best And Nearly Won
Sukuna’s Defeat Was Ultimately Due to His Nature as a Reincarnated Curse
Sukuna never ran from a fight; more often than not, he sent others running or straight to the afterlife. Suppose Kenjaku had allowed him to fight Gojo immediately after his liberation fromthe Prison Realm. In that case, he might have won before Gojo’s disciples had the chance to develop their multiple alternative plans.
Instead, Sukuna fought and killed Gojo – a feat that in and of itself proves his greatness. Then, he took on jujutsu sorcery’s best, all of whom had time to prepare and strategize against Sukuna.He often fought multiple opponents simultaneously, without a moment’s rest, and still persevered. There has never been a more stunning individual display of power in manga. Ultimately, Sukuna could only be defeated by himself, his former host Yuji Itadori, who became stronger thanks to the “memory” that Sukuna imprinted on his body.
While it’s possible to argue that without Megumi’s Ten Shadows technique (and Mahoraga), Sukuna could not have beaten Gojo, the latter admits that this is not the case and that Sukuna didn’t even go all out against him.
Sukuna arguably contributed to his own downfall by underestimating how his possession of Yuji would come back to haunt him. It still must be pointed out, however, that Sukuna was not actually defeated: he was forced out of Megumi’s body, which left him in a weak and vulnerable state due to his nature as a reincarnated curse.
“You merely got lucky. Being born a thousand years later saved your lives.” - Uraume
IfSukunafought in his original body at the peak of his power, as his faithful aide Uraume reminded everyone, no one in theJujutsu Kaisenuniverse could have beaten him.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
