Jujutsu Kaisen fans put unrealistic expectations on Geto (& it belittles his trauma)

Jujutsu Kaisen has introduced many characters who ended up becoming topics of discussion and debate months after the manga officially ended in September 2024. Among the numerous characters, Suguru Geto and his plan to wipe out the non-sorcerers are often discussed as a rather badly executed plan, while simultaneously being an unachievable objective.

Although Suguru Geto might've been one of the strongest, as well as one of the more analytical sorcerers present within the series, it should be noted that his plans were formulated after his morals and worldview were systematically eroded away. Given the signs and the systematic breakdown of Geto's psyche, his "plan" can more likely be labeled as an outburst.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series and reflects the author's opinions.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Geto's and Gojo's tragedies are both products of a broken system

Suguru Geto as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA)

Suguru Geto was first introduced in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which served as the precursor to the Jujutsu Kaisen series. While his role towards the earlier parts of the series was directly that of an antagonist hellbent on "cleansing" the world of non-sorcerers, the Hidden Inventory arc delivered the much-needed degradation of his character.

Suguru Geto and Gojo served as the main duo for the Hidden Inventory arc, with both of them serving as antitheses of each other. While Gojo's pedagogy as the heir of the revered Gojo clan made him into a rather arrogant sorcerer without a proper moral compass or respect for rules, Geto, on the other hand, served as a more level-headed sorcerer. Born to non-sorcerer parents, he held rules in high regard while having a rigid moral compass driving him to "protect the weak" who couldn't combat curses.

Satoru Gojo as seen in the anime (Image via Studio MAPPA)

The events of the Hidden Inventory arc gradually reversed their personality traits while simultaneously developing the two sorcerers into embodying their respective abilities. While Gojo awakened the extent of his abilities, ascending into a messiah-like figure and consequently inheriting the "blessing" born out of Toji in the form of Megumi, Geto's moral compass and drive towards protecting the weak ended up being decayed. This was signified by him inheriting Toji's worm-cursed spirit.

The non-sorcerers who contracted Amanai's assassination served as the prime crack in Geto's moral code. His gradual ingestion and absorption of curses slowly but steadily degraded his mental strength. Unfortunately, Geto's doubts towards his goal of "saving the weak" kept on decaying.

This decay accelerated with the death of Haibara, who was sent on an unachievable mission, delivering the message that sorcerers are supposed to lay down their lives for the safety of non-sorcerers without much concern.

Haibara as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA)

Eventually, Geto accepted another mission, which ended up in him discovering two preschool girls who were being abused by non-sorcerers for crimes they didn't commit. This event served as the final breaking point of Geto's "code," which ended up in Geto exterminating the entire village that was comprised of non-sorcerers.

It is important to note that all of the events transpiring until Geto's breaking point also hold significance to his and Gojo's techniques. While Gojo fully manifested his Limitless technique, allowing him to create a barrier between himself and everything else, he also grew distant from Suguru Geto in the process.

Similarly, Suguru Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation, which required him to absorb cursed spirits, ended up with his own emotions growing more turbulent. The torment from his negative emotions manifested itself as a violent outburst.

The two girls as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Eventually, Geto, in a way, went insane and formulated the plan to exterminate all non-sorcerers. Although the plan was fated to fail simply due to Gojo's overwhelming existence, the extermination of non-sorcerers was the only solution that made sense in Geto's broken and turbulent mind.

While Geto's violent outbursts might seem like an overreaction, it should be noted that they highlighted a major defect within the Jujutsu sorcerer system. Given the post's perilous essence, the deaths of sorcerers had become commonplace, with any kind of grief or proper "care" being sidelined.

Sukuna as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

The outburst that Geto demonstrated further exemplified the absurdity of the system that wants sorcerers to simply die for non-sorcerers. This was accelerated by the growing distance between his close friends, as well as the lack of proper care from higher-ups.

All of the events later culminated in Geto dying to the jujutsu sorcerer Gojo, which cascaded into Gojo dying to the curse Sukuna. This further pushed the narrative of Geto having become a curse, with Gojo embodying the essence of a sorcerer, both products of the broken system.

Final thoughts

Suguru Geto's story ended within Jujutsu Kaisen 0, with the Hidden Inventory arc serving as a brief prequel revealing the slow buildup to his fall from grace. While Geto didn't receive any kind of extra panels since the Hidden Inventory arc, with chapter 236 being an exception, it is possible that anime-original scenes reveal more about Suguru Geto's struggles.