How Jujutsu Kaisen's Geto Still Appears in the Anime After 0

Warning: Contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Jujutsu Kaisen volumes 11 and 16-23.The Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie left one question that wouldn’t be addressed until later: how is Geto still alive in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime? The movie heavily implied that Geto died in the end, yet the anime, which takes place a year after the movie, still featured him as an antagonist. There’s an explanation for why that is, although it only recently appeared in the Shibuya Incident arc of the anime.

At the end of Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Gojo confronted a heavily wounded Geto with a clear intent to kill him for everything he’d done, but the movie never actually showed Gojo killing him, so there’s a bit of ambiguity as to whether or not he truly died. The Jujutsu Kaisen anime, which takes place a year after the movie, has Geto as an antagonist, so at a glance, it would seem that Gojo spared Geto and let him escape because of their old friendship.

As for his injuries, it’s possible to use cursed energy to heal wounds and regrow limbs, so Geto could have found someone to do that for him, which could be why he looks the same in the anime, save for a scar across his head.

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Geto’s True Identity In The Jujutsu Kaisen Anime Is The Story’s True Villain

None of that is the case, however, as the reason Geto is still around in Jujutsu Kaisen is that he’s not Geto, but Kenjaku, an ancient sorcerer who’s survived into modern-day by implanting his brain into other people’s bodies, with Geto being his latest victim in the aftermath of Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Geto having his body taken over by someone was recently revealed in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, although at the time of writing, the anime has only covered the basics of the situation.

Kenjaku is the true antagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen, with his goal being to fuse everyone in Japan into a massive cursed spirit just to see what happens. Kenjaku has been taking over people’s bodies for centuries to realize his goals, including the ancestral Noritoshi Kamo, with Kenjaku then using his body to create the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings. Not only that, but in the aftermath of the Shibuya arc, it’s revealed that Kenjaku once possessed the body of Yuji’s mother, possibly even giving birth to him, and it’s heavily implied that Yuji’s superhuman abilities were the result of Kenjaku wanting to create a perfect vessel for Sukuna, although Kenjaku lost interest in Yuji and Sukuna desired Megumi as a vessel.

Kenjaku Is Much More Powerful Than Geto

Something that makes Kenjaku such a dangerous villain in Jujutsu Kaisen is how much more powerful he is than Geto. In addition to possessing the same abilities as Geto, someone who was seen as being in the same league as Gojo, he can use reversed curse energy to heal himself and can even use Domain Expansion. Not only that, but Kenjaku can use the cursed techniques of his previous hosts, with one ability being his Antigravity System, which adds even more versatility to his arsenal. Add in his incredible physical abilities, and Kenjaku more than establishes himself as a powerful enemy more than deserving to be Jujutsu Kaisen‘s central antagonist.

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Why Kenjaku Had To Possess Geto In Jujutsu Kaisen

There are many reasons why Kenjaku chose Geto specifically for a possession target. The most important reason, of course, is that Kenjaku needed Geto’s Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique to take control of Mahito and Tengen and use their powers to increase the number of sorcerers in Japan and eventually fuse everyone into a singular cursed spirit. Not only that but by wearing the face of Gojo’s best friend, he was able to put him in a state of shock that allowed for him to be sealed in the Prison Realm, something Kenjaku had to do as his plans would never have worked if Gojo was free to fight him.

Kenjaku serves as a great antagonistic foil for Geto. While Geto saw humanity as something that needed to be eliminated, Kenjaku sees it as something that should be preserved, if only for the sake of his own goals, and while Kenjaku doesn’t appear to have any compassion for anyone, Geto, despite his actions, does care about other people, deep down. All in all, Kenjaku’s character serves to make Jujutsu Kaisen a vastly different story from Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and with the manga set to end soon, those differences are likely to become even more apparent in the upcoming months.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s Kenjaku Twist Still Holds Up as One of the Series’ Best

Kenjaku’s use of Geto’s body was hinted at, but still surprising when the series confirmed it

The unique twist of Kenjaku taking possession of Geto’s body is still one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s most shocking and well-written twists. No one saw this curveball coming, since Geto’s death was practically confirmed by the ending of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film. In one of the final scenes of the film, Geto lay slumped against a wall, bleeding out, and asked Gojo to “at least curse me a little at the very end,” implying that the character was at the conclusion of his life. There was no evidence to suggest Geto survived the events of JJK 0, making the Kenjaku twist surprising.

Fans might have been excited, but confused, to see Geto again in season two of Jujutsu Kaisen, but these feelings did not last long as it quickly became clear that the person inhabiting Geto’s body was someone else entirely. One of the biggest hints at Kenjaku’s usage of Geto’s body was the long, prominent scar across his forehead, something that was never present before Geto’s death at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen 0. To especially observant viewers, the scar likely tipped them off that something was not quite right with Geto’s sudden reappearance, and Gojo himself did not fall for the trick either.

Kenjaku’s Reveal To Gojo Remains One Of The Series’ Most Emotional Moments

Gojo’s shock and heartbreak at seeing Kenjaku’s misuse of Geto’s body is emotionally impactful and devastating

Geto was Gojo’s best friend, and their tragic falling out understandably left a marked impact on the strongest sorcerer. When he came across his best friend in Shibuya, he could not have been more shocked, because he had watched the man die in front of him in Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Although Gojo was initially surprised, he quickly discovered that the man standing before him was an imposter, not his old best friend. During this scene, Gojo’s Six Eyes helped him sense that Geto had not come back to life, and that someone was using his best friend’s body for evil instead.

In a way, Kenjaku’s trap did work on Gojo temporarily, because it stunned the sorcerer so much that he froze and Kenjaku was able to trap him in the Prison Realm, something he never could have accomplished under normal circumstances. Most of the time, Gojo acts pretty calm and collected in public regardless of how he feels, so his outwardly stunned reaction and emotional outburst at Kenjaku is a testament to how much he truly cared for Geto and how dedicated he is to ensuring his best friend rests in peace, even after all he has done.

The Kenjaku Twist Brought Out A New Side Of Jujutsu Kaisen’s Strongest Sorcerer

Gojo was disgusted and shocked by Kenjaku’s actions, making him easier to defeat

Until this moment, Gojo had been presented as virtually unstoppable and invincible, able to beat any curse without so much as breaking a sweat. Arguably the series’ second-biggest twist behind Kenjaku controlling Geto’s body was Kenjaku trapping Gojo in the Prison Realm using the element of surprise. For perhaps the first time ever, viewers witnessed Gojo’s weakness: his bond with Geto, used against him in such an awful way. Gojo’s emotions took control in this scene, making him a vulnerable target for Kenjaku to capture. Kenjaku’s tactics throughout this plan showcase his intelligence, his careful planning, and his horrible cruelty.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and all episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen are streaming on Crunchyroll!

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is a supernatural action anime that follows high school student Yuuji Itadori as he battles against magical curses. After Yuji selflessly saves a classmate by taking a curse into his own body, he is discovered and trained by a powerful sorcerer named Satoru Gojo. Gojo, who also happens to be a faculty member at a high school, enrolls Yuji there to help him and other students prepare themselves against the supernatural forces that plague humanity.

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Release Date

October 2, 2020

Seasons

3

Writers

Hiroshi Seko

Directors

Sunghoo Park , Shōta Goshozono

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