Megumi was always Satoru Gojo without the Deus Ex Machina in Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen explores the themes of inherited trauma and the challenges of exceptional power through the intertwined stories of Satoru Gojo and Megumi Fushiguro. Gojo represents the ultimate jujutsu strength, yet his solitary life warns of what could happen to Megumi, who instead takes a path filled with hope.

Gege Akutami created Megumi as Gojo's reflection by giving him equal potential for greatness while directing him to choose an opposite life path. This deliberate parallelism reveals Jujutsu Kaisen's deeper thesis: True salvation emerges through human connection and vulnerability rather than through overpowering strength in our weaponized world.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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The parallels between the two legends in Jujutsu Kaisen

Megumi and Gojo share eerily parallel lives—both born with rare, powerful techniques and burdened by abandonment, violence, and crushing clan expectations. Marked as tools, not children, they were forced into adulthood prematurely: Gojo isolated by his Six Eyes, Megumi left to protect Tsumiki alone.

These traumas forged similar moral struggles; both questioned the value of protecting others, needing external anchors to stay grounded. For Gojo, it was Geto; for Megumi, Tsumiki. These bonds humanized them, offering fleeting solace. But their eventual losses shattered that stability, marking irreversible turning points in their lives and reinforcing the fragility of their emotional foundations.

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The cycle of inherited trauma

The tragedy of their dynamic emerges through Gojo's well-intentioned but ultimately harmful mentoring. Having learned that strength equals survival, Gojo projected this philosophy onto Megumi, inadvertently recreating the same isolation that defined his own existence.

When Gojo told six-year-old Megumi that being strong was the only way to avoid being left behind, he revealed his fundamental misunderstanding of what Megumi truly needed. This wasn't guidance—it was the perpetuation of generational trauma disguised as protection.

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Breaking the Chains: Death as Liberation

Satoru Gojo and Megumi Fushiguro as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Gojo's death during the Sukuna battle represents the symbolic breaking of this cycle. The pinnacle of jujutsu strength fell, taking with him the impossible standard that had haunted Megumi throughout his development.

More crucially, it eliminated the expectation that Megumi must become "the strongest" to matter. The Zenin clan's destruction, the higher-ups' elimination, and Gojo's death collectively freed Megumi from every institution that had commodified his potential.

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The Power of Choice: Yuji's Revolutionary Compassion

Megumi’s true salvation comes not from power, but from Yuji’s unconditional acceptance. Unlike Gojo, who framed salvation through strength and control, Yuji offers Megumi a choice—to live or die—without judgment, affirming his worth regardless. This act of compassion breaks the cycle of inherited trauma and restores Megumi’s agency.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s brilliance lies in withholding Megumi’s full potential to emphasize his emotional growth. His arc thrives not through solitary power, but through connection. Megumi's preference for teamwork above solitude shows her rejection of Gojo's solitary ideal while demonstrating that genuine power emerges from human bonds instead of mere control.

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Conclusion

Satoru Gojo (Image by MAPPA Studios)

The story demonstrates through Megumi's rescue how the idea of "the strongest" inevitably leads to destruction. Gojo's legacy reflects not his superior strength but his tragic isolation because it serves as a warning regarding the dangers of elevating people to untouchable statuses.

Megumi's survival represents hope that cycles of trauma can be broken, that strength shared is more valuable than strength hoarded, and that sometimes the bravest choice is to remain human in a world that demands you become a weapon.

Through Megumi's liberation, Jujutsu Kaisen argues that true strength lies not in standing alone at the summit, but in choosing to walk forward with others, vulnerable but never truly alone.

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