Jujutsu Kaisen: Is Gojo Satoru Really Morally Gray?

Of all the members of Jujutsu Kaisen's amazing cast, Gojo Satoru has to be the most popular. It's not often that a universe's strongest character is introduced at the very beginning of the story, and none of them act quite like Gojo. His self-awareness and devil-may-care attitude made him an instant fan-favorite -- but the more complex aspects of his personality have many wondering where exactly he stands on the spectrum of morality.

Morally gray characters are fickle by nature. They often keep their cards close to their chest and one can rarely tell if their true intention is to hurt the protagonist or help them. A few examples include Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter, Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series, Kylo Ren from Star Wars and Jujutsu Kaisen’s own Mei-Mei. By carefully straddling the line between good and evil -- at times crossing over in either direction -- these characters keep fans at the edge of their seats. It's never really clear what they want at any given moment, or where their loyalties truly lie.

Gojo Satoru's awakening "I alone am the honoured one"

By that standard at least, Gojo is far from being a morally gray character. He may be self-centered with a bit of a god complex, but his being on the good side has never been cast into doubt. In moments of weakness, Gojo has contemplated some truly awful things, such as the slaughter of an entire religious group, but thoughts alone aren't enough to judge his entire character. Fortunately he had Geto Suguru nearby to remind him of a jujutsu sorcerer's purpose, and that sufficed long enough for Gojo to figure out one of his own.

Ironically, it was Geto's betrayal that spurred Gojo on to his current path. Losing his best friend was the final straw after the events of Jujutsu Kaisen's "Hidden Inventory" arc that made Gojo decide to pursue a complete overhaul of the jujutsu society. It would have been short work for him to kill the oppressive higher-ups and replace them with people he found suitable, but he chose a subtler method to spark his revolution: education.

Apart from teaching, Gojo takes particular delight in rescuing those who would have otherwise been victims of the society he's trying to change. Both Okkotsu Yuuta and Itadori Yuji would have been executed by authorities had Gojo not intervened. He also protected Fushiguro Megumi, the son of an enemy and who seems destined for power rivaling his own, from exploitation by the Zenin clan. Under his guidance, all three have blossomed into jujutsu sorcerers worthy of continuing the fight Gojo started.

Gojo & Geto _ Title Image _ Jujutsu Kaisen Manga

Gojo's volatile personality doesn't make understanding him any easier. He's more relaxed and friendly with his students and friends, but he's a completely different person with enemies or the higher-ups he doesn't support. He relishes his invulnerability in battle, taunting his opponents and prolonging his inevitable victory for his own entertainment. He never bothers with proper courtesy or etiquette when addressing his superiors, but that might be a side effect of his strength and upbringing. Being the most powerful person in the world, Gojo never has to hide how he truly feels about someone.

It's this same strength that makes it difficult for Gojo to relate to those weaker than him. He tends to overestimate his students' strength and gives them tasks a little above their skill level, but it's never out of malicious intent. In fact, there's no one happier than Gojo when his charges manage to impress him. It's true that solely relating with Geto -- the only person who could match him then -- for a time brought out the worst in Gojo, but spending more time with his students seems to be grounding him.

Gojo is a complex man of many secrets but above all else, he values freedom and free choice for everyone he holds dear. He was willing to jeopardize his own mission to escort Tengen's new vessel if she didn't agree to the merger and condemned both Itadori's and Okkotsu's sentences. He tends to go to extreme ends for his ideals at times, but Gojo would never hurt an innocent. His casual disregard for rules and convention means his record may never be as squeaky clean as some would like, but if there's one thing Jujutsu Kaisen has tried to drive home, it's that none of its characters, apart from perhaps Itadori, are heroes in the traditional sense.

About The Author