As one of the best ‘battle shonen’ series out there, Jujutsu Kaisen never fails when it comes to fights – here are the 10 best of them.
While Jujutsu Kaisen is not the first manga prioritizing fights, it definitely stands out as one of the most prolific. A big reason behind this is its fights. But unlike the drawn-out battles classic shonen fans are accustomed to, this manga’s clashes are fast-paced and to the point, making way for some truly exciting moments.
The series makes its vibe clear from the get-go when it pits the two strongest characters against each other. While the fight never amounts to much, given the circumstances, it does give us a hint at what to look forward to.
Since then, we’ve had countless fights in Jujutsu Kaisen. Not all of them worked, obviously, but a good number of them have solidified their places as some of the best shonen fights. And we, in turn, have picked the best of the best and chosen 10 most noteworthy battles from the series.
10. Megumi vs. Finger Bearer
We’ll start off the list with Megumi’s best moment. Tucked in the middle of the Death Painting Arc, this fight sees the young sorcerer clashing against a new enemy. As the name suggests, the Finger Bearer is a Curse in possession of one of Sukuna’s fingers.
Since the series began, we’ve gotten an inkling about Megumi’s hidden potential. It’s during this fight that we get to witness it firsthand. When pushed to the brink, he unleashes his incomplete domain expansion before giving the curse the fight of its life.
9. Yuji and Nobara vs. Eso and Kechizu
Another fight from the Death Painting Arc, this battle sees the other two first-year students clashing against the eponymous Death Paintings. Like in Megumi’s case, Yuji and Nobara show some awesome skills that have us cheering at our screens (or pages, if you’re reading the manga).
This is the first time Nobara uses Black Flash, instantly becoming a fan-favorite, while Yuji showcases his enviable physical prowess. Armed with MAPPA’s flawless animation, this fight is an unmissable part of Jujutsu Kaisen.
8. Kenjaku vs. Choso and Yuki
Now that Jujutsu Kaisen is so close to its ending, we can safely say that Kenjaku is a disappointing villain despite starting with a lot of promise. However, before the Shinjuku Showdown Arc ruins him, he makes his screen time worthwhile with sinister plans and one brilliant fight.
In the middle of the Culling Game, as Japan is thrown into disarray, Kenjaku decides to pay his old friend Tengen a visit. This leads to a battle between him against Choso and Yuki. From Choso’s Blood Manipulation to Kenjaku’s Domain Expansion to Yuki’s Cursed Technique, we get a bit of everything in this encounter.
7. Yuji and Todo vs. Hanami
While we get plenty of battles in the latter part of the manga, the first few arcs arguably have some of the best fight scenes. One of them can be found during the Kyoto Goodwill Event Arc, where Hanami invades Tokyo Jujutsu High and wreaks havoc.
When Megumi, Maki, Toge, and Kamo fail to defeat the curse, Yuji and Todo take the role to fight the Special Grade. Thanks to their ‘brotherhood’ and sleek choreography, we witness a magnificent fight before Gojo snatches the spotlight from his students and unleashes Hollow Purple.
6. Maki vs. Zenin Clan
Between the three great clans of the jujutsu world, we only get an insight into the Zenin Clan. To say they’re some of the worst people in the series wouldn’t be an understatement. So, it’s an absolute joy when we see Maki systematically destroy the rotten family until there’s nothing left.
Set in the Perfect Preparation Arc, the fiasco begins after Mai sacrifices herself to rid Maki of all her cursed energy and make her the perfect vessel for the Heavenly Restriction. Thus, a second Toji is born in the form of a vengeful Maki who doesn’t stop until she’s put the entire family six feet under.
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5. Yuji and Todo vs. Mahito
We can all agree that Mahito is the most infuriating character in Jujutsu Kaisen. He sadistically kills people, tricks Junpei, and torments Yuji to no end. And those are the stunts he pulls in a single season. In Season 2, he’s a lot worse.
After killing Nanami and almost ending Nobara in the Shibuya Incident Arc, Mahito gets his due at the hands of Yuji and Aoi. It was a long time coming and is worth the wait. It was made all the more amazing by the jaw-droppingly beautiful animation in the show.
4. Yuta vs. Geto
The only entry from the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie, Yuta vs. Geto is a significant fight in both their lives. For Yuta, it helps him unleash his true potential and leads to Rika finding peace. But for Geto, this is the last fight of his life before he’s killed by his best friend.
Given how incredible their individual abilities are, this fight is bound to be noteworthy. Not only do we see Yuta using Copy for the first time, but we also get to see Geto’s ultimate technique. The only downside to this fight is how it uses the ‘love conquerors all’ trope.
3. Gojo vs. Jogo, Hanami, Mahito, and Choso
Let’s be honest: every time Gojo uses his powers, he can be on this list. Fortunately (for other characters), he doesn’t get to use his skills much, as he’s imprisoned pretty early in the game. But before that happens, he gives one hell of a fight to the Disaster Curses.
The whole battle is just to stall and distract Gojo enough to capture him in the Prison Realm. That’s because the curses never had any hope of winning, to begin with, and Gojo doesn’t disappoint. Killing Hanami in cold blood and opening his domain for some microseconds, he makes sure to entertain us plenty before he’s gone from the series for a long time.
2. Sukuna vs. Mahoraga
Sukuna vs. Mahoraga is one of the most memorable fights in Jujutsu Kaisen for various reasons. Its anime adaptation found itself in the middle of a lot of controversies over animation quality and the animator’s workload. But despite all these, it still turned out to be one of the best offerings from the show.
Set in the middle of the Shibuya Incident Arc, this fight begins when Megumi summons (finally) Mahoraga, only to be instantly taken out by the Shikigami. Thankfully, Sukuna arrives just in time to save the young sorcerer and give us an intense battle that has us at the edge of our seats.
1. Gojo vs. Sukuna
Realistically, long-anticipated events often turn out to be disappointing, and many feared that might happen with the Gojo vs. Sukuna clash. But to everyone’s surprise and joy, this fight turned out to be the best of the bunch by a long shot.
Spanning over 10 chapters, it’s the longest battle between two individuals in the series and features everything you can think of. Multiple Domain clashes, repeated healing, sleek hand-to-hand combat, and endless trash-talking: you’ll find everything here.
Gojo vs. Sukuna is the highest point of Jujutsu Kaisen, ending in a conclusion so iconic that even those unfamiliar with the series know about it. And thus, the top spot on our ranking can only belong to this fight.
In honorable mentions, we’ll have to talk about Gojo vs. Jogo, Toji vs. Gojo, Yuji vs. Choso, Yuta vs. Ishigori vs. Uro, and Sukuna vs. Jogo. All of these fights are amazing, but we didn’t include some of them to avoid repetition (there are too many awesome Gojo and Sukuna fights). The others fell behind just by a hair’s breadth.
For more on Jujutsu Kaisen, learn more about Yuji’s Domain Expansion and find out how Sukuna dies in the manga. And if you’re looking for something similar to this, we have a ranking of the best fights in My Hero Academia.