Last fall, the new action anime Jujutsu Kaisen exploded onto the scene. One character, in particular, became immensely popular among fans, due to his larger-than-life and whimsical personality. Of course, this is referring to Satoru Gojo, one of the most powerful, and yet childish sorcerers in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe.
Whether he is casually flexing his power, or acting like the immature teacher that he's always been, it's undeniable that Gojo has had a real, extreme impact on the story.
Warning! Spoilers for the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen ahead!
10 Spares Itadori, And Uses His Time Fighting To Analyze The Situation
The very first few seconds of the anime told us that Itadori was set to be executed, as the higher-ups feared Sukuna. The next episode showed viewers that Gojo was using his time fighting with Itadori to size up the situation. Once Gojo realized that Itadori really could control Sukuna at will, he determined that Itadori could be a valuable asset to them, rather than a weapon to be afraid of. And not only did he realize this in the midst of a fight, but he also saw the humanity in Itadori and spared him.
9 Advocated For Itadori's Life Instead Of Killing Him
Gojo makes it very clear from the beginning that he has quite a distaste for the elders of the Jujutsu school, going as far as to call them "cowards" for wanting to kill Itadori immediately. But Gojo's knowledge of Itadori's control over Sukuna came into play, stating that it would be more beneficial for Itadori to round up the rest of the fingers. Gojo's influence and expertise wins this time around, and Itadori's death sentence gets called off for the time being while they look for the remaining fingers. Even if it's for just a little while more, Itadori gets to keep living thanks to Gojo.
8 Took Itadori Under His Wing
After Itdaori's sentence was delayed, Gojo began to train him personally, seeing that he had complete control over his powers, while also teaching him some new skills along the way. As Itadori continued to be refined into a valuable weapon, Gojo continued to keep a close eye on him, making sure that his life as a vessel was well cared for and properly taken care of. Training ranged from hands-on field training to watching movies in a basement, but regardless of the method, Gojo took the time to make sure Itadori was learning.
7 Kept Itadori's Return From Life A Secret
In the fifth episode, Itadori is seemingly killed off ahead of schedule. But Sukuna uses a bit of his power to revive Itadori, and he returns from beyond the grave. Gojo is present when the dead body sits upright and begins talking again, and instead of rushing to tell everyone, he realizes that if Itadori's friends think that he's dead, then so do his enemies. By keeping Itadori's resurrection a secret, Gojo can move Itadori around without raising much suspicion. But on top of his new advantage, Gojo seemed genuinely relieved that Itadori had come back to life, showing that he cared for his student.
6 Made Itadori's Return From Death A Surprise
Not only was Itadori's miraculous return to life kept a secret, but the grand reveal to Itadori's friends was also made into a surprise. On top of this gag being downright hilarious, it was also a moment where Gojo openly circumvented the authority before him, with even the school's principal being left in the dark about Itadori's return. Gojo clearly knew that if the wrong people knew about Itadori's return to life, he could be in a lot more danger. By keeping him hidden, and his return to life a surprise, Gojo kept him safe.
5 Turns The Fight With His Foe Into A Teaching Moment
Gojo realizes that a teachable moment is about to happen in the middle of an assassination attempt on his life. He quickly leaves the fight and comes back with Itadori in tow to teach him about domain expansions, one of the fundamental principles of Jujutsu fights. To do this, Gojo insults, berates, and ridicules his opponent, baiting it into using its domain expansion. After Gojo finishes explaining the basics, he unleashes his own domain, overriding the previous one, yet again flaunting his extreme power in one of the coolest animated fights of recent years.
4 Openly Defies The Antiquated Authority
Gojo doesn't much care for the rules at the Jujutsu school, preferring to do things his own way. And his distaste is apparent, making it obvious at every opportunity he gets.
During the baseball game in Episode 21, the two principles of the Jujutsu schools are talking about whether or not Itadori should be allowed to live, and Gojo walks right past them, laughing, as he tramples over some ants. However, the ants remain completely unharmed, which is a direct metaphor for how Gojo views the authority at the school. He's indirectly making a threat by saying that he could trample them at any time but chooses not to.
3 Gojo's Hollow Purple Technique Leaves A Chasm In The Earth
If Gojo hadn't convinced the audience of his overwhelming power by now, then his next attack was sure to satisfy viewers, with his Hollow Purple technique. This visually stunning move was a combination of previous abilities that had been showcased before. When combined, they resulted in an absolutely devastating move that annihilated everything in its path. Todo warned Itadori not to take another step forward unless he wanted to get caught in the blast, but this also goes to show how calculated the move was. Indeed a masterful display of his combat prowess.
2 Never Takes Anyone Seriously Unless It Comes To Fighting
Possibly one of Gojo's greatest strengths is his laid-back and carefree attitude. He does not take anyone seriously, as he knows he currently cannot be contested in terms of raw strength alone. While much of his personality is lax and nonchalant, he does have his serious moments, especially when his students are threatened.
In Episode 18, when he realizes that the enemy's barrier is meant to keep him out, he encourages everyone to go on ahead while he works on removing it. None of his usual antics are at play here. Gojo may never take himself, or anyone else seriously, but when it comes to saving lives and expelling curses, he is always focused on the task at hand.
1 Joins In On The Pranks
Often after the episodes, there are brief, one-minute sketches. The sketch at the end of Episode 23 depicts Nobara, Itadori, and Gojo, as they attempt to disrupt Megumi from apparently being hit on. In this skit, Gojo plays a saucy music teacher, using his allure and his charm in hopes of dissuading his "romantic rival." In actuality, Megumi was just giving directions to the lost woman and was clearly unamused with Gojo's antics. This skit was easily one of the funniest moments to come out of the show, but it also played into Gojo's personality perfectly.