Summary
- Gojo Satoru emerges as the world's strongest sorcerer after defeating Sukuna, but the battle is not yet over as he still has to face the ancient sorcerer Kenjaku.
- The upcoming battle with Kenjaku is expected to be different from the previous death match, as Gojo will likely have the support of his students and face multiple opponents.
- While Gojo winning the battle against Kenjaku seems predictable, a defeat or sacrifice related to Gojo's power or technique would create more tension and make the plot more engrossing. However, Gojo should ultimately remain the strongest sorcerer to maintain the plot's balance and fulfill his character's arc.
The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 235, "Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown, Part 13" by Gege Akutami, John Werry, and Snir Aharon, available in English from Viz Media
The battle of the strongest sorcerers has finally reached its end in Jujutsu Kaisen, after proving to be the most hair-raising death match of the series so far. Chapter 235 saw Gojo Satoru successfully drain Sukuna of all his strength after the pair spent thirteen consecutive manga chapters at each other's throats. Gojo has more than proven his worth, well and truly earning the title of the world's strongest sorcerer.
Though, the battle is far from over. Not only is Sukuna still alive and standing, but Gojo is yet to face the ancient sorcerer Kenjaku. While the modern Gojo is leaps and bounds ahead of Kenjaku in terms of strength, achieving two wins in a row may not necessarily be the most interesting conclusion for the sorcerer's character. While he is the strongest and technically should be able to be defeated, consistent wins for Gojo will eventually lose their appeal.
Gojo Will Face Kenjaku Next
There's no doubt that currently, Sukuna's defeat is still speculative. While Gojo has certainly won the battle of the strongest sorcerers, the King of Curses is still alive, and as such could still pose a threat. However, after Gojo's ultimate Purple Hollow attack, Sukuna is unable to heal quickly, has lost many of the 10 Shadows including Mahoraga, and has sustained enough damage that he can't fight back. As such, it's relatively safe to assume Gojo can now move on to his next opponent.
Kenjaku has been terrorizing the jujutsu society for centuries, trying to achieve his master plan but always being stopped by a user of the Six Eyes technique. Now Gojo has escaped the prison realm and prevailed over Sukuna, Kenjaku is once again targeted by a sorcerer with the dreaded power to foil his plans. However, this battle will likely be very different from the death match between the King of Curses and Gojo.
This time around, the sorcerer will most likely attack with a variation of his students. Maki, Yuta, Itadori, Hakari, and many more of Gojo's pupils have been waiting on hand since he started fighting Sukuna. Rather than be a 1v1 battle, Kenjaku will probably see himself facing many opponents at once—especially considering Gojo is not currently at his prime. He will need backup after being drained by Sukuna, and he has plenty of students strong enough to aid him in defeating the ancient Kenjaku.
Gojo Winning Again Isn't Interesting
Gojo Satoru is officially the strongest sorcerer, so by all logical means, he should win a battle against Kenjaku, a weaker sorcerer. It is in character for Gojo to win, but his constant triumphs will eventually feel worn out. Gojo has only been seen to be defeated once in his past, and even then it wasn't true defeat. The sorcerer actually became stronger through this, and it acted as a necessary event to make him into who he is today.
Throughout Jujutsu Kaisen, there have been two main threats to the characters: Kenjaku and Sukuna. Battles between sorcerers and these curse users have been highly anticipated since their introduction, with fans consistently thinking up new, interesting theories about how the villains may meet their demise. However, if both are defeated in the same way by the same sorcerer, this is repetitive and tiring for the plot and would lead to an unsatisfying ending.
While Gojo is the strongest and as such shouldn't be able to be touched, something needs to happen to him to hinder his chances with Kenjaku. This doesn't necessarily mean Gojo should die, but a sacrifice relating to his power, innate technique, or physical strength would make a battle with Kenjaku leagues more riveting. While outright beating both the series’ antagonists is an impressive feat, and lines up with Gojo's characterization, the idea of the sorcerer’s defeat creates far more tension and is more engrossing to the audience. This is something that would shake the jujutsu world, and affect the plot in the long term, rather than taking a simple route.
Gojo Should Remain the Strongest Sorcerer
With all this in mind, it's just as important to the plot that Gojo protects his title and remains the world's strongest. His entire characterization revolves around being undefeatable and feared by many, and any other conclusion could break the plot entirely. From the moment he was born, Gojo sent the world of jujutsu into an unbalanced frenzy, with the existence of his strength alone creating more formidable curses.
As such, everything about Gojo hangs on him staying the strongest and continuing to prove himself as such. Thus, being defeated by a weaker sorcerer such as Kenjaku is out of the question. If Gojo met his fate with a sorcerer closer to his level, such as Sukuna, his title would remain relatively protected. The King of Curses is so close to Gojo's level of strength that death or defeat by his hands would maintain his status. However, being defeated by Kenjaku would undo everything mangaka Gege Akutami has established throughout the manga.
On top of this, Kenjaku's host body is Geto Suguru—Gojo's best friend. Geto's body got taken over by the ancient sorcerer after Gojo eliminated his friend and failed to responsibly dispose of his body. As such, defeating Kenjaku is the only way Gojo can ensure Geto is properly and respectfully put to rest. He seeks retribution for Geto and needs to correct the mistake that reanimated his friend's corpse. Thus, beating Kenjaku is just as essential to Gojo and Geto's character arcs, giving both the end they deserve.
From here, the conclusion to the manga could go in either direction. If Gojo wins his battle with Kenjaku, peace will be restored, and he will have avenged his best friend while remaining the strongest sorcerer. However, this would feel overdone and not result in the exciting end to Kenjaku that fans are anticipating. On the other hand, Gojo should win to protect his character. Since his birth, he's been the strongest, and throughout the manga, he's been repeatedly shown to protect this title. If he now loses to a weaker character, especially fighting alongside his students, his entire characterization would be lost.