Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #268 of Jujutsu Kaisen.
While Ryomen Sukuna May have gone out with a whimper in the battle for the future of the Jujutsu Kaisen Universe, he certainly proved himself to be the strongest magician in the history of the world, no small feat considering he took on basically the entire jujutsu magician community.
in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter #268, the epic battle between the King of Curses and his opponents finally came to an end with Sukuna’s surprisingly underwhelming defeat. Namely, once Megumi regained his reason to live, he began to resist Sukuna from within. At the same time, Yuji continued his assault from the outside, and Nobara continued to “hammer away” his soul from afar.
Ultimately, a weakened Tsukuna split his strength between trying to regain control of Megumi and defending himself from Yuuji, proving powerless against Yuuji’s Black Flash strike that ripped Megumi from him and left him as a puddle of cursed energy. When offered a chance to live and reform himself under Yuji’s control, the once Koksur King of Curses chose to die as he lived violently unrepentant for the harm, death and chaos he caused over the centuries.
Sukuna fears no wizard living or dead
Sukuna believed the opportunity to go up against anyone who believed they could defeat him
Although Sukuna’s actual death was quite anti-climactic – perhaps a sign that creator Gege Akutami is in a hurry to tie up all the loose ends before the series finale – his performance in the lead-up to his death was nothing short of spectacular. It was a true testament to his power, skill, strength, intelligence and willpower. To be sure, throughout the series, fans have seen some amazing displays of strength and courage, however No one has taken on as many tall opponents at the same time as Sukuna.
Indeed, the only two other magicians that can be mentioned in the same breath as Sukuna in terms of power are Kenjaku and Gojo. While Kenjaku defeated multiple high-powered opponents, including the Special Grade Sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo, he feared fighting Gojo so much that he “hired” Tsukuna for protection. On the other hand, Gojo’s immense power meant that he was rarely pushed to the limit of his abilities, until he met Sukuna on the battlefield, and lost.
Sukuna took the best and nearly won
Sukuna’s defeat was ultimately due to his nature as a reincarnated curse
Sukona never ran from a fight; More often than not, he sent others running or straight to the afterlife. Guess Kenjaku allowed him to fight Gojo right after his release from the prison realm. In this case, he may have won before Gojo’s disciples had a chance to develop their multiple alternative plans.
Instead, Sukuna fought and killed Gojo – a feat that in and of itself proves his greatness. Then he took on the best of jujutsu magic, all of whom had time to prepare and strategize against Sukuna. He often fought multiple opponents simultaneouslyWithout a moment’s rest, and still exhausted. There has never been a more stunning individual display of power in manga. Ultimately, Tsukuna can only be defeated by himself, his former boss Yuji Itadori, who has become stronger thanks to the “memory” that Tsukuna imprinted on his body.
Sukuna arguably contributed to his own downfall by underestimating how his possession of Yuji would come back to haunt him. It is still to be noted, however, that Sukuna was not actually defeated: he was forced out of Megumi’s body, which left him in a weak and vulnerable state due to his nature as a reincarnation curse.
“You’re just lucky. Being born a thousand years later saved your life.” – Orome
If Sukuna fought in his original body at the peak of his power, as his loyal sidekick Oraum reminded everyone, no one in the Jujutsu Kaisen Universe could have beat him.