Warning! Contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2.

Summary

• Toji Fushiguro outsmarts Satoru Gojo, masking his presence to break through his techniques.
• Gojo's defeat highlights his vulnerabilities, adding depth and intrigue to his character.
• Toji's display of Heavenly Restriction sets Maki up as a potential successor to his power.

Satoru Gojo is one of the most powerful characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, but the second season's superb third episode shows that there is one other incredibly impressive character that can take him down. That character is Toji Fushiguro, Megumi's father who was introduced in the season premiere. But while he has been present in the story up until this point, he hasn't shown his full power until the latest episode.

Season 2, episode #3 of Jujutsu Kaisen features the culmination of Toji's plan to kill Riko, the Star Plasma Vessel. After wearing Gojo down with the constant threat of attack, he strikes the moment Satoru finally lets down his guard, stabbing him through the chest from behind. This isn't enough to kill Gojo, but it does show how Toji can mask his presence from Gojo's Six Eyes technique.

Toji then reveals that he can summon a variety of powerful cursed objects from his Shikigami, including some that can break through Gojo's Limitless Cursed Technique. But perhaps his most impressive skill is his physical ability, which due to a Heavenly restriction enables him to move at speeds much higher than a normal human could and also to strike much harder.

Toji's Monstrous Full Power Let Him Crush Gojo

Jujutsu Kaisen created by Gege Akutami, season 2, episode #3 "Hidden Inventory 3"

All of these qualities combined enable Toji to defeat Gojo in a brutal fashion despite the young sorcerer's powerful abilities. While Gojo's Six Eyes technique would normally be able to let Satoru sense Toji's presence, Fushiguro lacks Cursed Energy due to his Heavenly Restriction, which stymies that technique. In addition, while Gojo's Limitless Cursed Technique would normally stop any blow from hitting him, Toji's cursed tools are able to pierce through it and hit him. But perhaps the biggest thing that enables Toji to defeat Gojo is his keen and tactical mind, which outplays the younger sorcerer at every turn.

This mind is able to take advantage of the young Gojo's cockiness and manipulate him into a position where he is much weaker than he normally would be. It also enables him to trick Gojo into leaving himself exposed, both at the beginning and end of the battle. And, of course, it is also what leads Toji to eviscerate Gojo's body after striking what seems to be a killing blow, leaving the sorcerer apparently lifeless at his feet.

Of course, fans know that Gojo likely isn't really dead since he is still alive in the future of the story, but the fact remains that Gojo lost this fight in an extreme way due to Toji's supreme physical abilities and strategic planning. More than anything, Gojo's loss adds more complexity to Gojo's character, showing that he too is still always evolving and getting stronger from his experiences.

Jujutsu Kaisen Showing Gojo Lose to Toji Makes Him More Interesting

Gojo isn't as invincible as Jujutsu Kaisen initially lets on

While Gojo's strength and cockiness make him a fun character to watch, the entire Hidden Inventory Arc shows a new side to his character, highlighting weaknesses no one would have ever thought he had. Gojo losing this fight makes his character so much more interesting to watch as it shows that he isn't entirely unbeatable as he initially seemed. The anime actually made this point even better than the manga, by extending Gojo and Toji's fight effectively adding details that the manga left out just like in Jujutsu Kaisen's season 2 premiere.

More importantly, the fight against Toji also brings about a crucial enlightenment in Gojo, as he finally understands the very core of sorcery. This leads to Gojo inventing his strongest technique yet, called Hollow Purple, which becomes one of his signature moves and an indispensable technique that can defeat even the strongest of foes.

Gojo's Defeat Against Toji Highlights the True Power of Heavenly Restriction

Maki is on her way to reaching the same heights as Toji

Toji's full strength displayed in season 2 proves the potential of Heavenly Restriction and the exact advantages it possesses in the world of jujutsu. Other than Kokichi, Maki is the only other sorcerer in the series with Heavenly Restriction and may grow into Toji's eventual successor. Maki's physical combat abilities suggest she certainly possesses the potential to do so which could see her growing into a key player in the series in the future.

Overall, Toji is easily one of the most challenging opponents Gojo has faced in the series and the anime does an excellent job of not only adapting the fight but also enriching it further. Jujutsu Kaisen's anime helps to better emphasize the incredible power of Toji Fushiguro, the only man to actually have defeated Satoru Gojo in a fight thus far in Jujutsu Kaisen and only time will tell if fans will ever get to see another sorcerer on his level.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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