Jujutsu Kaisen Confirms Sukuna Still Had To Get Serious - Even Against Gojo

Summary Ryomen Sukuna's battle with Gojo was just the beginning - he held back his true power.

Sukuna's Divine Flame attack proves he's a step ahead of his opponents, with more tricks up his sleeve.

Despite his minor role in the early story, Sukuna solidifies himself as the strongest character in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Jujutsu Kaisen's Ryomen Sukuna has been called the King of Curses, and he can easily be described as the strongest character in the series. His epic battle with Gojo seemed to be the closest Sukuna has ever been to losing, but considering all the other techniques and powers he has shown after, it's possible that the King of Curse still has to get fully serious.

Despite his early designation as the King of Curses, Sukuna has played a rather minor role in the story. While word of his resurrection sent shock waves through the Jujutsu sorcery community, more pressing threats such as the rise of Mahito's malevolent prominence, and Kenjaku's plan to usher in a New Golden Age of Sorcery dominated the thoughts and actions of those dedicated to protecting humanity from the evils of cursed energy.

Indeed, as the story ramps up to its final confrontation, there is a reasonable argument that Kenjaku - the evilest sorcerer in history - was the more dangerous sorcerer. Kenjaku has been influencing the history of the world for centuries. His machiavellian efforts included Sukuna's eventual resurrection - and with Gojo locked up in the Prison Realm, there was little need for Sukuna to do much.

The Battle with Gojo Was Only the Beginning of Sukuna's Dominance

The King of Curses Still Had to Show His True Power

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It was only after Gojo's return that Sukuna became vitally important to both Kenjaku and the story. Indeed, even if Kenjaku was defeated, there was no way that Gojo would allow Sukuna to walk the Earth freely. Gojo's return made Sukuna excited with the prospect of fighting the current "strongest", and contemplate what strategies he should deploy to facilitate his victory.

Sukuna significantly decreased any of his vulnerabilities to Gojo through his possession of Megumi, which gave him access to the Mahoraga, a shikigami of unrivaled power. Nevertheless, he knew that even Mahoraga would not be enough. Therefore, he devised the asymmetrical "world cutting slash" strike that ultimately defeated Gojo. This seemed to be the peak of Sukuna's power, but the following developments in the story proved this may not be the case.

Sukuna Was Still Keeping His Strongest Technique in Reserve

Divine Flame Was Sukuna's Best Trick, but He May Have More

After the battle with Gojo, Sukuna has been under constant attack from the strongest jujutsu sorcerers alive. In fact, Sukuna immediately revealed his true form, proving he didn't need to use that against Gojo. He bested the reincarnated Kashimo, survived the Angel's Jacob Ladder attack, beat Yuta, chased away Miguel, and held off Yuji, despite his barrage of Black Flashes. More importantly, in chapter #259, Sukuna unleashed his secret cursed technique, Divine Flame, a sure-kill attack that creates a huge thermobaric explosion that annihilates anything in a large area.

While the manga clearly explains that Sukuna could not use Divine Flame against Gojo due to the quick adaptations required by their Domain battle, it's still impressive that the villain keeps being one step ahead of his opponents, with each new chapter teasing that he has still not used his full powers. Some fans are even finding this a little disappointing, as it appears that the story has been stuck repeating the same thing over and over again, with the heroes getting close to beating Sukuna only to find our he has another trick up his sleeve.

Until the fight with Gojo, Gege Akutami did little to reveal Sukuna's true abilities. Most sorcerers had heard the stories of his abilities, but no one - except for Kenjaku and a few sorcerers from the past whom he helped resurrect - actually experienced Sukuna up close and personal.

I'll Show You What Real Jujutsu is. - Ryomen Sukuna

It's not even sure that Kenjaku - of all people - truly understood Sukuna's abilities. Having a partner as awesome as Sukuna significantly advanced his plan to return sorcerers to their former prominence. Ultimately, Sukuna's recent ability to counter an army of sorcerers determined to see him dead and defeated demonstrates that he is just as formidable as the history books suggest. Akutami truly made sure that his villain could shine at the end of the story by packing him away on the sidelines for much of the series.

Sukuna is currently so potent, that not even the world's best sorcerers have been able to stop him. Indeed, by most accounts, Sukuna seems to have held off his power even during his battle with Gojo. While some fans may find Sukuna's current dominance in Jujutsu Kaisen repetitive, it can't be denied that he has truly established himself as the strongest character in the series.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.