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Gojo Satoru was first introduced inJujutsu Kaisenasan overwhelmingly powerful sorcerer, someone who seemed untouchable in both strength and attitude. His arrogance was painfully evident, and while he was charismatic, there was this haughtiness to him that fans enjoyed.
But Gojo wasn’t always the composed mentor seen in theJujutsu Kaisen’s present timeline. To understand Gojo’s evolution, it’s impossible to ignore the parallel journey of Suguru Geto, his best friend turned enemy. The two were inseparable in their youth,but after Hidden Inventory Arc, they walked completely different paths—Gojo toward nurturing the next generation, Geto toward destruction. Their divergence was the direct consequence of Riko Amanai’s death, and the realization that the jujutsu world was broken in ways neither of them had truly understood before.
Gojo’s Mindset Before The Hidden Inventory Arc
Strength Above All
Gojo’s ideology in his youth was simple—sorcerers exist to do their job. With his overwhelming talent,he saw himself and Geto as “the strongest,”two prodigies whose role was to execute missions as assigned. There was no deep ideological stance in his actions, no true investment in the future of sorcery or humanity. He had a job, and he did it better than anyone else. He was content with that. This outlook isn’t entirely surprising from a young boy who grew up being told he is incomparable.
I’m tired of being careful of weak people.
— Gojo to Geto over their basketball game
So, while Geto had moral convictions about protecting the weak, Gojo approached missions with an almost detached confidence. He wasn’t cruel, but his arrogance was unchecked. He saw power as the determining factor in all things. If one was strong, one could do as they pleased. If one was weak, their fate was simply to be protected—or discarded if necessary. This mindset was the foundation of Gojo’s early years, but Hidden Inventory Arc would tear it apart.
How The Star Plasma Mission Changed Gojo’s Outlook On Jujutsu Society
During the Hidden Inventory Arc, Gojo and Geto were assigned to protect Riko Amanai andescort her to merge with Master Tengen. It was supposed to be a straightforward mission, but it ended in tragedy. Normally, Gojo would’ve been more concerned about failing his mission (for the first time, perhaps) than Riko’s death. But both the boys had grown fond of Riko after going on vacation with her. Gojo refused to show it, but between their constant bickering, he had started to consider her a friend.
After her death,Gojo’s immediate fallout was rage. He unlocked his full potential in the aftermath, achieving a mastery over his abilities that solidified his title as the strongest. But strength wasn’t enough to change what had happened. He and Geto were supposed to protect Riko, even from Tengen, and they had failed.
The Time Vessel Association, a group of non-sorcerers, celebrated her death, treating it as a victory. This moment cracked something inside both Gojo and Geto, though their responses would be drastically different.
The Breaking Point of Suguru Geto
Geto had always believed that sorcerers were meant to protect non-sorcerers. Even though he considered them inferior, he still saw their protection as the duty of those with power. But Hidden Inventory Arc introduced him to a cruel realization:not all non-sorcerers were worth protecting.
Society should protect the weak and keep the strong in check. You see, Satoru, jujutsu exisists to protect non-jujutsu users.
— Geto in Hidden Inventory Arc
The Time Vessel Associationhad directly opposed the jujutsu status quo, ignorant of the actual implications of Tengen’s evolution. They didn’t admire sorcerers or recognize their sacrifices. They saw them as obstacles to their own foolish ideologies. This planted the first real seed of doubt in Geto’s mind. If non-sorcerers were so blind that they actively worked against those protecting them, were they truly worth saving?
This question continued to haunt Geto until his mission in a small village, where two young sorcerer girls, Mimiko and Nanako, were abused by the very people they should have been protecting. Here, Geto reached his breaking point. Non-sorcerers weren’t just ignorant—they were a hindrance. He decided that the only way to fix the world was to remove them entirely, leaving only sorcerers and curses. At least curses understood the hierarchy of strength.
No matter what anyone says, I really hate those monkeys. But I never held any hatred for those in Jujutsu High.
— Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen 0
By the time Gojo realizedsomething was wrong, it was already too late. When they finally confronted each other, Gojo was blindsided. Geto had always been his moral anchor, the one who set the rules of engagement. Seeing him abandon everything they had once stood for was like the ground disappearing beneath his feet.
Gojo’s Response to Geto’s Fallout: A Shift in Purpose
Geto’s fall forced Gojo to reevaluate everything. His friend had succumbed to the darkness, but Gojo refused to follow. Instead, he did something even more radical: he changed his priorities entirely.
For the first time, Gojo truly invested in the future. The tragedy of Hidden Inventory taught him that the jujutsu system was fundamentally broken. It wasn’t enough to be strong—he had to ensure that future generations would be strong as well. If he could cultivate the right students, perhaps they could change things from within. This was the birth of Gojo the teacher,the mentor who would later guide Yuji, Megumi, and Yuta.
I’m gonna reset this crappy Jujutsu world. It’d be easy to kill everyone who’s in charge. But someone else would just take their place. Nothing would change. And it’s not as if people approve of massacres anyway… So that’s why I’m turning to education. I need strong and intelligent allies. I need to foster them.
— Gojo
His arrogance never disappeared, but it transformed. He still knew he was the strongest, but now, his strength had a purpose beyond himself. Instead of being a tool for the jujutsu world, he sought to reshape it.
Gojo’s decision to become a teacherwasn’t just about training strong sorcerers—it was about nurturing individuals who could think for themselves, who wouldn’t be shackled by the old ways. He didn’t want another Geto. He wanted students who could forge a new path, one where tragedies like Riko’s death and Geto’s downfall wouldn’t repeat.
