Summary
Strength is one of the central components of theJujutsu Kaisenstory, where there is a lot of emphasis on the concept of ‘the strongest’. This facet is integral to the development of many of the series' most important characters, particularly Yuji, Gojo, and Sukuna, and was even one of the defining features for why many of the battles between some of the greatest heroes and villains in the story happened in the first place.
However, with every powerful character who changes the entire landscape of strength in the series, there are those who fall under the term ‘fraud’. This is one of the favorite words of theJujutsu Kaisencommunity, as many fans use it to describe those characters who werebuilt up to be legendary powerhousesby the narrative but failed to deliver on this promise. Though there is nuance to this, let’s take a look at those who fit this term the best.
Story Arc
Fearsome Womb Arc
Typically, even when a character inJujutsu Kaisenisn’t traditionally powerful, some make up for this lack of talent with an overpowered Cursed Technique.Megumi was the inheritor of the Ten Shadows; which is in contention of being the strongest Cursed Technique of all time alongside Infinity, but he was never really shown to do much with it. Despite being built up as the second coming of Gojo himself, Megumi’s actions throughout the series never really lived up to the hype.
I will become stronger. I’ll do anything it takes.
The true strength of the Ten Shadows lies in the final Shadow Mahoraga, but Megumi could never tame the Shikigami and was always willing to summon him for the most basic of threats. He would rely on the regular Shikigami, and although he was able to defeat a Special Grade Cursed Spirit in the Fearsome Womb arc with an incomplete Domain, his showings in the subsequent arcs made it clear that his potential may never truly be reached. In fact, he was missing for much of the series since his body was taken over by Sukuna.
Culling Game
In a series filled with monsters like Ryomen Sukuna and Gojo Satoru, to boast the title of having the highest Cursed Energy output in history certainly stands out. This was Ryu Ishigori, who was originally a sorcerer during the Edo Period but was reincarnated in the Culling Game, where his main claim to fame was the three-way gridlock battle against Yuta and Uro, where he performed pretty well. However, for someone with the greatest output and some ofthe greatest Cursed Energy Reservesin history, one would expect far more.
Do you tell a kid in front of a feast to calm down and eat slow?
The truth is that his Cursed Technique, while incredibly destructive, is very limited in terms of function, which could be seen in his battles. While Yuta certainly had to work to defeat him, he was never really in a lot of trouble during this exchange. However, the real reason why he’s labeled a fraud has to do with his interaction with Sukuna, where he was sliced to pieces without any real effort from a depowered King of Curses. This just shows that, despite having the best Cursed Energy Output ever, Ryu couldn’t step up to the strongest characters.
Perfect Preparation Arc
The main characters in the series to be called the strongest are Gojo and Sukuna, whose entire existence and resume speak for themselves. The only other person to ever hold this title was Kashimo, the strongest sorcerer of the Edo Period. However, in the modern era, Kashimo was the very definition of false hype, with fans of the franchise givingthe title of biggest fraud to him. Despite being built up as the only person who could rival Gojo and Sukuna, Kashimo died at the hands of the King of Curses with barely any effort.
Turn up the volume! Because this is a funeral for the living!
At that stage, Sukuna didn’t even have Reverse Cursed Technique and was still reeling from his fight with Gojo, but he still ended Kashimo with barely an effort. What’s even crazier is the fact that Kashimo couldn’t even defeat Hakari. Of course, he didn’t use the full extent of his Cursed Technique, but the very act of having a Cursed Technique that destroys your body after a single use is what made fans think of Kashimo as the series' most overhyped character. Gojo and Sukuna fought for 13 chapters, whereas Sukuna ended Kashimo in just 4.
This may be a controversial pick for some, and understandably so. Jogo was one ofthe 4 Special Grade Disaster Curses, so he was already going to be a huge problem for the heroes to deal with. However, the reason many consider him a fraud has to do with the only two combat showings he has ever had, in which he was humiliated. However, the counter-point here is that he only fought the strongest characters in the series.
It doesn’t have to be me smiling at the end. As long as Curses emerge as the true humans.
Jogo’s destructive potential is one of the highest in the series, as was seen in the Shibuya Incident arc, where he was able to increase the temperature of the surrounding environment drastically just by getting angry. However, his only bouts were against Gojo and Sukuna, both of whom humiliated him, proving that he couldn’t even touch them if they wanted to keep him at a distance. Sukuna even stated that Jogo is equivalent in strength to 8 or 9 fingers only.
