A major highlight of Jujutsu Kaisen is the relationships between characters: the bromance between Itadori Yuuji and Aoi Todo, the sisterly rivalry between Mai and Maki Zen’in, and Ryoumen Sukuna’s complicated respect for Megumi Fushiguro.
However, no relationship exemplifies Jujutsu Kaisen’s narrative and themes more than Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo. The recent release of Season 2 and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 has given anime-only viewers a glimpse of their importance.
The world of Jujutsu Kaisen is primarily inhabited by non-sorcerers, but it is filled with cursed energy resulting from negative emotions. Some people can control and manipulate this energy.
Those who use it to harm non-sorcerers are called curse users, and those who fight curses and curse users are called sorcerers. Gojo and Geto’s relationship is essential to understanding how these three groups relate to one another.
The Tragic Sacrifice of Riko and Toji Fushiguro’s Brutal Attack
Gojo and Geto met as students at Jujutsu High and often clashed due to their different backgrounds and ideologies. Gojo believed his power made him superior to non-sorcerers and did not take his duty to protect them seriously.
Geto, on the other hand, was more empathetic. Despite their differences, they were best friends who pushed each other to grow, becoming the two strongest sorcerers.
They were paired on a mission to escort a girl, Riko, who was to be sacrificed to merge with a sorcerer. Spending time with her, they grew attached. Meanwhile, the incredibly powerful Toji Fushiguro, known as “the sorcerer killer,” was contracted to stop her merger. On the day of the sacrifice, Toji penetrated a barrier set up by Gojo, leading him away to face off.
Fighting Toji, Gojo was left on the brink of death but later revived himself with Limitless after a humiliating defeat. Geto, deciding to intervene against the sacrifice, was too late. Toji shot Riko, and her brutal death profoundly impacted both friends.
Gojo and Geto’s Diverging Ideologies on Power and Protection
At the core of Gojo and Geto’s ideological divide is the use of power. Jujutsu Kaisen explores power as a force to create and destroy, and the ability to exert one’s will over oneself and the world. Sorcerers have strength over non-sorcerers, and the question is how this power should be used. Riko’s death led Gojo and Geto to drastically different conclusions.
For Gojo, his near-death experience and Riko’s death led to greater empathy and responsibility for non-sorcerers. Realizing his strength could determine countless lives, he decided to become the best sorcerer he could, focusing on preventing similar situations in the future, even if his methods were brutal.
In contrast, Geto’s empathy for non-sorcerers twisted into resentment. Seeing people move on from Riko’s death made him feel she was forgotten. He questioned the role sorcerers play in protecting those who can’t see curses and don’t understand the sacrifices sorcerers make.
This resentment turned into a violent desire to exterminate non-sorcerers after witnessing non-sorcerers torturing sorcerers for a curse ravaging their village. Pessimistic about coexistence, he destroyed the entire village, marking the start of many similar acts as he left the sorcerer’s life and started a cult to enact his vision.
These contrasting ideologies drive Jujutsu Kaisen’s narrative: should sorcerers (and in general, people with power) uplift and protect non-sorcerers, or dominate and even exterminate them? Gojo and Geto’s relationship is key to understanding Jujutsu Kaisen’s themes and ideologies, showing that paths to these ideologies can be unexpected.
The Legacy of Gojo and Geto’s Complex Relationship and Its Impact on the Series
The “Geto’s Past” arc, detailing this backstory, provides a foundation for everything surrounding it. When Gojo kills Geto, he fails to burn his body, which is later taken over by a cursed spirit called Kenjaku. Kenjaku, using Geto’s ability to capture and deploy cursed spirits, aims to upset the balance of the world with an intricate plan that will lead to the death of countless people.
Gojo shows his resolve to protect non-sorcerers by training the next generation of sorcerers at Jujutsu High. Among his students are Itadori Yuji, the vessel of the “King of Curses” Sukuna and the series’ protagonist, and Megumi Fushiguro, the son of Toji. He and his students remain prominent forces throughout the series, and so does Gojo’s relationship with Geto.
One of Jujutsu Kaisen’s core themes is the fickle nature of truth and morality, as stated by the creator himself. This break from shonen norms, where “good” and “evil” are often well-defined, is best exemplified in the relationship between Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo. The depth and intricacy of their relationship articulate this theme, showcasing how subversive and fresh Jujutsu Kaisen is.
