Gojo proves himself unbeatable as Sukuna wastes Megumi’s trump-card

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 once again proved that Satoru Gojo is the strongest character in the series and no one, not even Sukuna, has a fair chance of beating him. The battle between the two has gotten to a point where it is simply a show of strength for Gojo and an embarrassing display of arrogance for Sukuna.

In the previous chapter, Gojo and Sukuna expanded their domains for the fourth time, with Unlimited Void prevailing. Sukuna was hit by the Sure Hit effect of Gojo’s Domain but ultimately managed to summon Mahoraga. Before Gojo could destroy the Shikigami, it adapted to the Unlimited Void and started breaking down the Domain Barrier.

At this point, it suffices to say that the possibility of Megumi’s rescue or Sukuna’s triumph has dwindled to zero. However, as moths to the flame, readers continue to flock to this spectacle as mangaka Akutami strings them along for what is inevitably a guaranteed victory for Gojo. A thorough analysis of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230, titled Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown, Part 8, should help understand why.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 confirms that Gojo will continue to overpower whatever Sukuna throws at him, including Mahoraga

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 explained that Sukuna was not immune to the Can’t-Miss (colloquially known as Sure Hit) effect of Gojo’s Domain. However, he made Megumi’s dilapidated soul bear the damage of the attacks and used that experience to make Mahoraga adapt to Unlimited Void. This restricted Sukuna from using any other technique than those available inside his Domain Expansion, but he deemed the conditions worth the result.

However, Gojo deduced that Megumi’s soul only internalized the process and did not imprint the adaptation to his body, resulting in Sukuna having to summon Mahoraga every time he wanted to escape the Unlimited Void. But as he went to cast his Domain again, he started bleeding profusely and was unable to cast it. Sukuna explained that Cursed Techniques are located in the Right Prefrontal Cortex.

Gojo had to destroy and heal that part of his brain with Reversed Cursed Technique in order to cast his Domain again and again. Once was too much for anyone to handle, but Gojo has done that five times now, leaving him completely depleted.

Sukuna, after a frankly arrogant speech, went to expand his own Domain, but it exploded as soon as he cast it. Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 narration explained that while Megumi’s soul bore the burden of the Unlimited Void, the physical effect of the Sure Hit attack still needed to affect a physical target.

Thus, it affected Megumi’s physical body that Sukuna currently inhabited. While he was hit by Gojo’s Domain for less than 10 seconds in total, it was still enough to make him unable to cast his Domain again. Gojo rightfully laughed at Sukuna’s state and declared that he had to show off in front of his students. He then proceeded to beat the living daylights out of the King of Curses while Sukuna remembered Yorozu’s line:

“Ultimate Strength and the Solitude it brings…. I’ll be the one to teach you about love.”

Observations

The exact specifications of how Sukuna operates Mahoraga continues to be more muddled as the series progresses. However, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 does explain that when Megumi is using Mahoraga, the Shikigami needs to appear in its entirety, while when Sukuna is using its powers imprinted on his own soul, only the wheel appears above his head.

The Megumi panels in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 imply that he keeps sinking deeper within his own body with each minute this fight drags on, but Gojo seems surprisingly uncaring about it. As far as this chapter is concerned, both Gojo and Sukuna have lost their access to their Domains and likely their Cursed techniques.

Therefore, any ensuing battle will depend on physical strength and perhaps a portion of their Cursed Energy Reserves. And as of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230, Gojo has a clear upper hand in this department. He has been dominating in terms of physical speed and agility and has considerably damaged Sukuna’s body several times.

In their current state, Sukuna is more injured than Gojo, but the Curse is still seen smiling. His battle with Yorozu was mentioned twice in this chapter, implying that whatever he learned, or failed to learn, during that encounter will become crucial in defeating Gojo.

Analysis of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230

Given that a soul can not only break but also disappear, there must be a limit to how far Sukuna can utilize Megumi’s soul as a sponge to absorb the effects of the attacks before it becomes unavailable to him. Given that both Yuta and Yuji had plans to save the boy, it is possible that Gojo is trying to hit that limit as part of their design to rescue Megumi.

That will also explain his insouciant attitude towards hurting Megumi’s body and soul. While several people have, hopefully jokingly, theorized that he simply cares about Yuji and his other students more than Megumi due to the latter’s parentage and inability to bring out the best of his Technique, it is clear that Gojo does intend to rescue the boy.

However, it is also apparent that he had underestimated the extent of Sukuna’s cunning, a fatal mistake during this battle, and also was unaware of exactly how flexible Mahoraga’s usage can be.

One thing Gojo did get right on Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 was the limitations Sukuna has while using Mahoraga, likely because he researched it extensively while training Megumi. He used the opportunity to overpower Sukuna physically, which was possibly likely due to Megumi being physically far behind the likes of Yuji or Maki.

In that sense, both Gojo and Kenjaku were right to point out that Yuji was the perfect vessel that Sukuna abandoned for no reason, given that so far there has not been a single advantage he has managed to draw out of Megumi’s body or his Technique.

However, Akutami has carefully drawn Sukuna with a smile on his face throughout Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230. Whether Sukuna isn’t worried about a possible defeat because he has another Ace up his sleeves, or whether he is grinning simply because he has finally found a worthy opponent remains to be seen.

Final thoughts

It is unclear what the final lines of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 signify in this context. The quotation about Ultimate Strength being a lonely mantel applies to both Gojo and Sukuna and in a sense, finding each other is what rid them of the loneliness, even if it culminated in a fight to the death. This brings to mind Gojo’s words to Megumi that no matter how much of a team player one is, every Jujutsu Sorcerer dies alone.

On the other hand, the line about teaching someone about love can again apply to both of them, but it can be taken in two contexts. One, Sukuna plans to exploit Gojo’s love for his ward and to show how that can be a weakness, which seems to be a moot point at this stage since Gojo has sufficiently proven that he has no qualms about injuring Megumi, even fatally.

The second interpretation can be that Gojo is going to show Sukuna the importance of human bonds, especially with his students and colleagues, and how that can become a strength. Either way, Akutami has taken the fight to a point where it is apparent that Gojo can outmaneuver Sukuna at every turn, and there is very little chance of him losing this battle.

There have been so many false alarms as of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 230 that it is getting a bit ridiculous at this point. However, Akutami manages to make it engaging and logical in a way that fits the story and the characters both, making readers look forward to the next twist.

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