Summary
- Anime series like Jujutsu Kaisen face criticism for unrealistic power scaling.
- Gojo and Sukuna are portrayed as extremely powerful, but strategic fights keep battles interesting.
- Jujutsu Kaisen introduces strategy to justify power levels and maintain viewer engagement.
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Power scaling in anime is always tricky and needs the perfect execution, otherwise it just looks ridiculous. Many anime creators often fail to justify the power level-ups of their characters. Due to this, many shonen anime have fights that are kind of predictable and boring.
Several people claim the same for Jujutsu Kaisen, where the power scaling seems to be pretty ridiculous. Fans seem to be divided on how power is portrayed in Jujutsu Kaisen. Some think that the series is becoming a classic shonen with power scaling problems, while others argue that how the series deals with power scaling is what makes the fights interesting.
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Power Scaling And The Problems That Come With It
Is The Power Scaling In Jujutsu Kaisen Uncompelling?
We have witnessed several classic Shonen series that feature a power system that seems completely broken. But some anime actually respect power scaling. A great example of it is the Demon Slayer, where the characters have to go through rigorous training and face dangerous enemies to be able to truly power up.
On the other hand, we have anime like Naruto, Bleach and even One Punch Man where power scaling is absolutely broken and ridiculous. The main characters in these animes are often blessed with overpowered abilities that make them superior to all other characters. However, Jujutsu Kaisen has its own take on overpowered characters, which actually makes it pretty interesting to watch the fights.
It definitely has some extremely powerful characters, like Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna who are perhaps the most powerful in the whole series. The way it shows the strategic fights against these godly characters is something that classic Shonen anime with a bad power scaling can’t do.
Gojo: The Most Powerful Sorcerer In The Present
Gojo Satoru managed to take all the spotlight just by being the most powerful Jujutsu sorcerer of the present age. His power is second to none and every sorcerer and every curse acknowledge this fact. This is why people are afraid to go against him and there is no doubt that Gojo can 1V1 every sorcerer, even if they are of a special grade.
His domain expansion, known as the unlimited void has the capability of pulling enemies into an endless vacant space where they are flooded with an overwhelming amount of information, making them vulnerable to the point that it’s a guaranteed win for Gojo Satoru. And it’s not just his domain expansion that is a menace to curses.
There’s no such thing as a fair fight. The world is all about balance. But in my case, I am the balance. – Gojo Satoru
Gojo can use other cursed techniques, like Limitless, Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, Cursed Technique Reversal: Red, and the deadliest one, Hollow Purple. Gege Akutami definitely made Gojo Satoru way too overpowered, but he didn’t let Gojo’s overwhelming power make the battles in the series predictable and in favor of our beloved blue-eyed sorcerer. This is especially evident when Gojo is fighting Kenjaku and other curses.
There is no doubt that Gojo can defeat all these cursed beings, but the curses actually managed to counter Gojo’s unmatched power through strategy and managed to seal him in the prison realm during the Shibuya Incident arc, which was something we definitely didn’t see coming. With Gojo sealed, he was out of the equation for a while, which completely shifted the power balance. His being sealed also allowed characters like Yuji Itadori, Yuta Okkutsu and Megumi Fushiguro to shine and prove they are worthy of being great sorcerers.
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Sukuna: The Greatest Sorcerer Of The Past
The king of curses Sukuna is just as big of a threat as Gojo is. It would be safe to say that Sukuna and Gojo hold the title of being the most powerful characters in the whole series. Sukuna uses Yuji Itadori’s body as a vessel and even if he isn’t at his 100% potential, he still is shown to easily overwhelm and defeat the strongest of opponents.
If you value your life, I suggest you kneel and beg – Sukuna
The first time we got a full showcase of what Sukuna is capable of doing is during the Shibuya Incident where he successfully manages to save Megumi after he summoned an extremely powerful Shikigami Mahoraga, which kills its summoner after fulfilling its purpose. However, Sukuna is able to skillfully defeat this Shikigami. Sukuna also fights another special grade curse, Jogo during the Shibuya Incident arc whom defeats him pretty easily.
Domain Expansions And Non-Sorcerers
At the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen’s power system is the unique ability called domain expansion. Every character has its own unique domain expansion which creates a barrier where their curse techniques are amplified and improved, and each hit is guaranteed to land. To successfully create a domain expansion one needs exceptional skills and a lot of cursed energy.
Now, since every domain expansion is different, some can be lethal while some are not so much. This is where the power scaling in Jujutsu Kaisen may seem a bit broken, as even the weaker characters can create a domain expansion way too powerful. Also, the fact that characters like Toji Fushiguro and Maki Zenin who solely rely on physical strength are able to dominate sorcerers who use powerful cursed techniques with just their physical abilities is where power balance problems arise.
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How Jujutsu Kaisen Tackles With Overpowered Characters
Yes, Jujutsu Kaisen’s power scaling might seem broken at times. However, the series has a very good counter and does a great job of justifying the power levels by introducing strategy into battles. Even when characters appear overpowered, the strategic approaches of weaker characters in their fights add depth and keep the battles exciting and interesting to watch. One great example is Maki who, despite being unable to see curses, has managed to obtain extreme physical prowess which makes her just as powerful as special-grade sorcerers.
There is no denying that Sukuna and Gojo stand as the most powerful characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. We also know for the fact that these two will eventually go against each other and how that fight will pan out remains a mystery because both of them are unmatched.
But how Gege Akutami has strategically planned out the fights so far makes the upcoming battles extremely unpredictable. Will Gojo finally lose? Between Sukuna and Gojo Who Will Win? Will Yuji Itadori be able to truly defeat Sukuna and free himself once the time comes? These questions are what keep us hooked and make Jujutsu Kaisen so interesting despite its broken power scaling.