Jujutsu Kaisen’s two seasons took the anime community by storm. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, which is based on The Shibuya Incident Arc, featured some of the best fights and the most tear-jerking moments found in the manga. Although both seasons are over, there are some episodes that are too hard to forget.
The best episodes aren’t just composed of the most iconic fights, but they’re also pivotal to the overall story of Jujutsu Kaisen. Some of these episodes were simply a joy to watch, but others introduced important concepts and characters in the series.
10. Season 1, Episode 24 – Accomplices
Seeing Nobara, Yuji, and Megumi become better sorcerers by the end of Jujutsu Kaisen’s first season was satisfying. Megumi pushed himself past his limits and was able to activate his domain, even if it was incomplete.
Nobara and Yuji fought against two of the Cursed Womb paintings on their own, which are both formidable curses to fight for a bunch of first-year students who just got into Tokyo Jujutsu High a few months ago. The trio was able to do all of this on their own, without the help of their all-mighty sensei.
9. Season 1, Episode 2 – For Myself
The first episode of Jujutsu Kaisen was all about eating Sukuna’s cursed fingers, but the second episode gave Sukuna a beatdown. This was the first time fans were able to see a fraction of Gojo Satoru’s power, and they’ve grown curious about the man behind the blindfold ever since.
Yuji Itadori was also given a chance to become a student at Tokyo Jujutsu High. It’s far from normal, and he was almost executed at the start of the episode, but he narrowly avoided that fate, all thanks to Satoru.
8. Season 1, Episode 17 – Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event, Group Battle 3
Maki has been belittled by her own clan. Her own twin sister, Mai, told Miwa that Maki was a nobody and that it would be easy to defeat her. This was immediately proven wrong by Maki, who had superhuman strength and great combat abilities. This episode showed fans Maki’s strength and a glimpse of her backstory while she was living in the Zenin Clan.
Putting Maki aside, this episode provided commentary about the sexism that exists in Jujutsu society during Momo and Nobara’s fight. As women, both Maki and Mai were treated insignificantly by the Zenin Clan. This prompted Maki to leave the clan to prove her talents.
7. Season 1, Episode 10 – Idle Transfiguration
Mahito is terrifying, and this episode proved that he could shape up to be a grave threat later in the series. He was able to morph himself and shape people’s souls, which turned them into deformed blobs. It’s not just his cursed technique that was frightening. Mahito also had no regard for human life and treated souls as matter that he could merely shape.
But another highlight of this episode was seeing Nanami Kento fight Mahito for the first time. Fans could expect nothing less from Kento, and important concepts like “binding vow” and Mahito’s cursed technique were explained during their fight.
6. Season 2, Episode 5 – Premature Death
How could one of the strongest sorcerers, who was considered a Special Grade Sorcerer, became the most notorious curse user in history? The answer lies in the premature death episode of Jujutsu Kaisen. Jujutsu society is corrupt, and many innocent lives are sacrificed unnecessarily in the fight against curses.
This episode explained how Geto Suguru eventually became a cult leader who only cared about sorcerers. But many fans remember this episode for the “KFC breakup” that happened between Satoru and Suguru. Upon deciding to leave Tokyo Jujutsu High for good, Suguru decided to tell Satoru his decision in front of a KFC. It looks like no Jujutsu Kaisen fan will ever enjoy KFC ever again.
5. Season 1, Episode 21 – Jujutsu Koshien
Why is there a friendly sporting competition episode here? It’s not as important to the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen, or is it? This is a brutal anime about curses. High schoolers die or lose their limbs before they’re able to fulfill their potential.
Even the strongest sorcerers are not immune from death, as seen in the events of the Shibuya Incident Arc. This small game between Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High is a feel-good episode. It’s a reminder that, at the end of the day, these people who are being trained to kill curses are just kids in high school.
4. Season 2, Episode 16 – Thunderclap
Toji Fushiguro shouldn’t be here, but he was reanimated by a sorcerer during the Shibuya Incident Arc. With no memories of his past and only the feelings of bloodlust left, Toji killed indiscriminately and attacked anybody whose body was deemed to be the strongest within the vicinity.
So when he came across Megumi with an inherited technique from the Zenin Clan, Toji attacked. The fight between father and son felt like a remake of The Matrix, which had fans gripping the edge of their seats. This all could’ve ended badly, but Toji remembered who Megumi was to him and made a heartbreaking sacrifice in the end.
3. Season 2, Episode 13 – Red Scale
Yuji’s gripping fight against Choso was brutal, but fans were unable to look away. It’s a miracle that Yuji survived that long against Choso, and fans have to admire Yuji’s quick thinking. Just when fans thought that Yuji would win, Choso was apparently also a quick thinker.
He accurately predicted where Yuji’s punch would land. But what made their fight scene seamless was Choso’s realization of who Yuji was through the former’s cursed technique. Although the episode was brutal, it also gave more information about Yuji and his relationship to the Cursed Womb Death Paintings.
2. Season 2, Episode 21 – Metamorphosis
Seeing Mahito run away like a cowardly child or getting a glimpse of Todo Aoi’s delusions were both amusing, to say the least. After Mahito went on a killing spree against some of the most beloved characters in the series, Todo Aoi came to the rescue of Yuji.
Todo gave Yuji his fighting spirit back. Together with the power of a music video montage, Todo and Yuji defeated Mahito which sent him crawling away in fear of his life. Arguably, this scene drew more satisfaction from fans than in the manga. It looks like Mahito’s suffering is everybody else’s joy.
1. Season 2, Episode 4 – Hidden Inventory 4
Everybody loves Jujutsu Kaisen’s strongest sorcerer, but little is known about him and his friendship with Geto Suguru until the Hidden Inventory episodes. The fourth part of Hidden Inventory featured the fight between Gojo Satoru and Toji Fushiguro. This was truly the episode that proved that Gojo Satoru alone was the honored one.
But this revelation didn’t come without its costs. Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru failed to protect Riko Amanai when Toji attacked all of them, and this event fundamentally changed Satoru and Suguru’s view of jujutsu society.
What’s your favorite episode? Did we mention it here, or has it gone unsung? Tell us in the comments.
(featured image: MAPPA)
Published: Feb 16, 2024 03:59 pm