Warning: The following contains major spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen manga!!!
Jujutsu Kaisenhas truly been the next generation of the Shōnen series, redefining the mold of the genre and bringing distinctiveness. Gege Akutami has carefully crafted each character within the narrative, andNobara Kugisaki’s return stands as a testament to the author’s brilliancein storytelling. Characters like Gojo Satoru, Yuta Okkotsu, and the series' protagonist are key reasons for its immense success.
WhileJujutsu Kaisenhas introduced a unique twist to the Shōnen genre by unexpectedly killing off characters and portraying them in distinctive ways, it has also missed opportunities to fully explore and develop characters who could have significantly impacted the story. Some characters were prematurely killed, while others were written in a way that failed to resonate with the audience, despite their potential. In doing so,Jujutsu Kaisenmissed the chance to capitalize on these characters' untapped potential.
10Kasumi Miwa
Despite Lacking Power,Jujutsu KaisenCould Have Taught Its Fans A Life Imparting Lesson With Miwa
With Kasumi Miwa,Jujutsu Kaisenadds to the controversy surrounding its female characters, even though Miwa had hidden potential. Miwa, who lacked an innate cursed technique, worked tirelessly to reach a level where she could exorcise cursed spirits and master theSimple Domain technique. Her character had the potential to deliver a powerful message—that mastering one skill can be more valuable than being a jack of all trades.
Miwa could have been portrayed as a hero who saves lives, including those of her friends, through her mastery of Simple Domain. Instead, much like Haibara, Miwa’s character was primarily used to underscore the harsh realities of the sorcerer’s world, ultimately sidelining a character with immense potential.
9Utahime Iori
There’s no denying that Utahime Iori is a side character inJujutsu Kaisen, as evidenced by her innate cursed technique.Utahime’s ability to enhance a sorcerer’s cursed energy by up to 120% proved invaluable, notably when she enabled Gojo to fire a Hollow Purple at 200% output during his battle against the King of Curses.
20 Best Gojo Quotes in Jujutsu Kaisen
Never at a loss for words, Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gojo had an exceptional gift of gab. It wasn’t all braggadocio, though, much was quite profound.
While her ability was effectively utilized, the series missed an opportunity to explore her potential as a romantic interest for Gojo—a pairing thatJujutsu Kaisenfans have already speculated about. Despite the series' focus on intense action, introducing a romantic subplot could have added diversity to the narrative, with Gojo and Utahime being an ideal match to fulfill that role.
8Toge Inumaki
The Cursed Speech User Is Much Stronger Than He Is Portrayed
WhileJujutsu Kaisenhas a range of characters with unique cursed techniques, none stand out quite like Inumaki’s. The sorcerer can influence anyone to do anything just by giving them a command, making it hard to imagine a more potent technique. Therefore, to balance such overwhelming power, it seems that Akutami introduced several limitations and protocols to keep Inumaki’s cursed technique in check.
Though Inumaki rarely gets much focus in the mainJujutsu Kaisenanime, he does get a little more time to shine inJujutsu Kaisen 0.
If not for the conveniently placed limitations that prevent Inumaki from becoming the strongest character inJujutsu Kaisen, his true potential might have been fully realized. Additionally, as the series progressed and the focus shifted increasingly toward the main characters, Inumaki was sidelined, despite the fact that hisabilities could have made him a crucial asset in laterJujutsu Kaisenarcs.
7Uraume
The Series' Last Standing Villain Alongside Kenjaku And Sukuna Proved To Be Of Little Value
Jujutsu Kaisenhad many opportunities to expand on the shorter narrative, with Uraume’s involvement in the series, particularly their relationship with Sukuna, being one such missed opportunity. Unlike Jogo, Uramue lacks a compelling reason for their devotion to the King of the Curses.The series could have delved into Uraume’s earlier interactions with Sukuna during the Heian era, providing a richer backstory and a more compelling motivation for their loyalty.
Additionally, her involvement during thefinal battle ofJujutsu Kaisenproved to be as invaluable as her belief in following Sukuna, underscoring the series' tendency to overlook the potential stories it could have explored, especially with characters whose depth and motivations remain largely untapped.
6Yui Haibara
A Character Who Could Have Further Enriched Geto and Nanami’s Character Development
Gege Akutami has never shied away from killing off characters, and while fans have come to accept this, none expected Yui Haibara’s death to be so sudden.Haibara’s demise serves as a prelude to Geto’s descent into villainy. Though it’s arguable that his death was portrayed to showcase the harsh reality of the Jujutsu business, the series could have taken advantage of this character and expanded more.
15 Best Jujutsu Kaisen Quotes Fans Can’t Stop Thinking About
The characters of Jujutsu Kaisen have spoken a number of thought-provoking and impactful quotes over the years, and these are ten of the best.
In doing so, the series could have provided a longer narrative, countering fans' frequent complaints about its brevity. Lastly, his longer involvement and later death could have significantly deepened Geto andNanami’s character development, especially given the pivotal choices they made following Haibara’s loss.
5Panda
Panda’s Third Form’s Potential Remains Unexplored
The second-year-high student at the Tokyo region of Jujutsu High, Panda, undoubtedly stands out as one of the unique portrayals in the series due to his appearance. However, the series has also revealed that Panda has two more transformations, with the Gorilla form being fully explored and its limits clearly defined. ButPanda’s third transformation remains shrouded in mystery, as the series has never cared to delve into its true potential.
WhenPanda switches to his “sister’s” core, he takes on a slender, feminine appearance, with a head resembling a broad Triceratops. Although Panda has hinted that this form could be incredibly destructive, highlighting his sister’s shyness leads to the destruction of others, leaving its true abilities unexplored. This transformation remains one of the lingering mysteries inJujutsu Kaisen.
4Jogo
Jogo’s Strength Was Hidden Due to His Unforeseen Matchups
The volcanic cursed spirit was introduced as one of the starting villains in the series, with the implication that he would remain a primary antagonist until the end. However, the series turned his character into a recurring gag. In the two major battles Jogo participated in, he faced off against two of the strongest sorcerers in existence: firstGojo, and then Sukuna. These matchups unfairly portray Jogo as a weak villain.
However, in reality,Jogo single-handedly defeated two of the grade-1 sorcerers, Kento Nanami and Naobito Zenin, which even led to this character’s eventual demise. Jogo’s eventual goal was clear: to revive Sukuna and bring the age of the cursed spirit. Had he not been killed during his fight against the King of the Curses, Jogo would have played a crucial role in aiding Sukuna and would have posed a significant challenge to the sorcerers in the final battle.
3Nobara Kugisaki
Jujutsu KaisenAlso Misses the Opportunity to Showcase a Primal Female Character
AlthoughJujutsu Kaisenstands out in many ways within the shōnen genre, the series ultimately shares a common trope withNarutoby featuring three main characters: two male and one female. Nobara Kugisaki, the female lead, unfortunately, follows the familiar pattern of being sidelined. Worse still, Nobara is absent for more than half of the series. Her ambiguous fate during the Shibuya arc, which left her out of the narrative until chapter 267, close to the series’ conclusion, frustrated many fans.
15 Strongest Jujutsu Kaisen Women, Ranked
One of Jujutsu Kaisen’s greatest accomplishments is its impressive cast of powerful women, and ten in particular stand out among the bunch.
Her sudden reappearance, after fans had already come to terms with her death, not only disrupted the narrative butalso undermined Nobara’s character development. HadJujutsu Kaisencontinued to feature Nobara after the Shibuya arc, allowing her to prepare for the final battle and potentially become one of the strongest female characters in the process, the series could have seized the opportunity to showcase a powerful, primal female character who isn’t sidelined, breaking the mold of the shonen series.
2Toji Zenin
Toji’s Anti-Hero Role Would Have MadeJujutsu KaisenEven More Interesting
Toji Zenin’s portrayal inJujutsu Kaisenis captivating, as he stands out as uniquely as Gojo Satoru within the series. While Gojo was born with an abundance of sorcery power, Toji was the opposite—a man with no cursed energy. His uniqueness could have disruped the life cycle of cursed spirits and sorcerers. However, instead of being explored as a force for change, Toji was primarily portrayed as a villain. His brief return during the Shibuya Incident, however, recast him as an anti-hero.
This was another missed opportunity thatJujutsu Kaisencould have capitalized on.Toji’s anti-hero return could have been extended, making the narrative even more compelling. He could have trained Maki, given their similar circumstances, which would have provided a more satisfying explanation for her sudden transformation. Additionally, developing the relationship between Toji and Megumi could have created one of the most poignant and emotionally resonant storylines in the series.
1Kenjaku
The Mysterious Villain Could Have Aided Exploring the Heian Era
AsJujutsu Kaisenapproaches its conclusion, it appears unlikely that the series will delve into the Heian era, which is often regarded as the golden age of Jujutsu. This is a missed opportunity, especially given the anticipation among fans to explore this fascinating period. Kenjaku, having lived for thousands of years, would have been the perfect character to explore this era. His perspective could have provided deeper insights into the Heian era and allowed for a more profound exploration of his complex motives.
Kenjaku was killed abruptly, leaving his true motives behind his intricate plans largely unexplored. Delving into the Heian era through Kenjaku’s perspective could have provided a foundation for understanding his intentions and ambitions. Additionally,Jujutsu Kaisenmissed the opportunity to showcase Kenjaku’s hidden power, which many fans believe could rival Sukuna’s.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
