Jujutsu Kaisen's best portrayal of a battle-crazed Shonen protagonist was its most hated villain

Jujutsu Kaisen, like many other Shonen series, features characters who are intense, have a thirst for battle, and often push their limits. Considering this from the series' lead point of view, they may be termed as battle-crazed Shonen protagonists. While series like Dragon Ball and Naruto present this through Son Goku and Naruto Uzumaki, Jujutsu Kaisen adopts a unique approach.

Gege Akutami portrays this battle-crazed Shonen protagonist in a twisted manner through Mahito, the series' most hated antagonist. Appearing as an unregistered Special Grade Cursed Spirit, he sided with the likes of Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon. Though he claimed to second the group's cause (create a new world ruled by Curses), he took pleasure in toying with and killing humans.

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Jujutsu Kaisen accurately portrayed the battle-crazed Shonen hero through its most detested antagonist

The archetype of the intense and battle-loving Shonen protagonist has become a common sight. A number of popular series feature such heroes who thrive in the midst of battle and often push their limits. Needless to mention, many Shonen have done it, given the kind of success they have achieved, like Son Goku, Naruto Uzumaki, Natsu Dragneel, and others.

But Jujutsu Kaisen presented a different take on this archetype — Akutami chose to portray it through the despicable and villainous Mahito. The Curse was one of the series' most disliked antagonists, closely embodying the aforementioned battle-crazy approach seen in Shonen heroes, albeit in a warped and evil manner. This is what made Mahito such a well-written character.

In their initial meeting, Mahito was thrilled to fight both Yuji Itadori and Kento Nanami. He believed he had found opponents who could go toe-to-toe with him and offer him the opportunity to evolve. This was further reinforced by the fact that Yuji could target his soul and actually damage him, which only fueled Mahito's interest in the boy.

Mahito vs Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

At the time, he didn't fear dying as, being pushed to the limit, he awakened his Domain. In a sense, it was a means of escape for him, and he got what he was chasing — to grow stronger. The next meeting was during the Shibuya Incident, where Mahito broke Yuji's spirit by killing both Nanami and Nobara before his very eyes. Such was the ruthless cruelty Mahito reveled in.

But the Shibuya Incident also changed Mahito towards the end. When he was on his last legs against Yuji, he realized the position he was in. His transformation was undone, Domain burnt out, Cursed Energy low, and he had no means of escape; the reality of death hit him. Previously, he had felt the same when he fought Nanami and Yuji, but his Domain awakening saved him.

Put simply, like a battle-crazed protagonist, he loved the thrill of fighting with his life on the line, but didn't want to die. His attitude reflected this classic Shonen hero trope, but given his sadistic and cruel nature, it presented itself with a dark twist. In Shibuya, that is exactly what happened — he was staring death in the face with all options of retaliation or escape exhausted.

At that moment, Mahito saw in Yuji an identical callous disdain that he had shown humanity. His attempts at escape cemented the fact that despite his swagger and expounding, he was just a timid, cruel, and hypocritical child on the inside. He took pleasure in hurting, but wasn't ready to face the ramifications of his deeds.

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Final thoughts

Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen presents a unique take on the typical battle-crazed Shonen protagonist archetype through Mahito, the series' vilest villain. Dissimilar to characters like Goku and Naruto, Mahito reflects the same qualities in a sadistic and selfish manner. Devoid of honour or empathy, his traits like thirst for battle, hunger to evolve, and obsession to push limits parallel a Shonen hero.

His true character is revealed during the final stages of the Shibuya Incident — he took immense pleasure in breaking Yuji's spirit, but when he himself was faced with death, he begged for mercy. Through Mahito, Akutami attempts to present a dark take on this Shonen trope, showcasing that it results in fear, cruelty, and emptiness when morality is left out of the equation.

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