Gege Akutami’s hit Shonen Jump manga, Jujutsu Kaisen, never shied away from giving Sukuna the spotlight he deserved as an iconic villain. Ever since the beginning of the story, he has been portrayed as the primary antagonist. Crowned with the title of Ryomen Sukuna, the ancient sorcerer was known as the King of Curses, known for his unparalleled mastery in Jujutsu sorcery. It took all the mages during the golden age of Jujutsu Sorcery, the Heian Era, to finally kill the monster. However, his power was divided among his fingers, which caused chaos even after a millennium. He was finally incarnated in the modern era through Yuji Itadori, and that was the beginning of countless tragedies.
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Sukuna stayed dormant inside Yuji’s body for most of the series, occasionally showing up and wreaking havoc in the most crucial circumstances. What he did in Shibuya finally crossed the line, as countless people lost their lives because of his exaggerated display of power. As an evildoer, of course, Sukuna wouldn’t care about those lives anyway. Things take a turn for the worse during the latter part of the Culling Game Arc when Sukuna takes over Megumi’s body. He finally fights Satoru Gojo and the rest of the sorcerers during the Shinjuku Showdown, the final Arc of the series. However, although Sukuna was present for a majority of the story, Mahito, a powerful cursed spirit from the first half of the series as fans know, embodied more despicable traits worthy of the true best villain of the series.
Mahito Made Fans Hate Him (In a Good Way)
Sukuna has always been a godly figure in the series, one who stands above all, and his arrogance is backed by his unparalleled power. He relished in power and dominance above all else and looked down on the weak. Unlike him, Mahito kept evolving the entire time he was in the series. Born from the negative emotions of humans, unlike Sukuna, who was a proud sorcerer, Mahito viewed the world differently. He also thoroughly enjoyed messing with people’s emotions with his twisted and sadistic plots. As a manipulator of souls, he never understood the concept of humans having a “heart.”
Mahito is powerful and creepy at the same time, an enviable and underappreciated villain quality in Jujutsu Kaisen, as his twisted acts easily get under the skin of the audience. From the way he manipulated Junpei Yoshino, it all seemed clear that he wanted nothing more than to break people both emotionally and physically. Mahito’s humanoid form made Junpei trust him more easily, and Mahito took full advantage of his trust. Tormenting Junpei didn’t benefit him anyway, except for making his boring life a little more interesting. Mahito represents the true nature of negative human emotions, which is why he feels more connected to the themes of the story.
Mahito Pushed Yuji to the Brink Like No One Else Did
Mahito not only challenged Yuji’s skills as a sorcerer but also his beliefs during his tenure as a Jujutsu Kaisen villain. After killing Junpei, Mahito killed Nanami Kento right in front of Yuji and then gave a fatal wound to Nobara Kugisaki. Watching the people he cared about fall one-by-one, broke Yuji mentally, which is exactly what Mahito was aiming for. However, these losses also forced Yuji to grow, ultimately shedding his innocence and coming to terms with his true self and his purpose in the world.
Mahito forced Yuji to question his actions and what it means to be a sorcerer who exorcises Curses indiscriminately. The concept of right or wrong varies depending on the person. According to Yuji, killing curses is the only right thing to do, but Mahito forces him to realize that he’s doing the same thing as him. Just as sorcerers don’t feel guilty for killing curses, the opposite is also true. Yuji’s “I’m You” is one of his most iconic moments in the series, and he comes to the realization thanks to this twisted villain. Yuji also understands that in the grand scheme of things, his role is nothing more than that of a cog that keeps the machine going.
Although he understands that he and Mahito are cut from the same cloth (despite being polar opposites), he knows that’s his only role in the brutal world of Jujutsu. There’s no doubt that Sukuna also tormented Yuji, especially after the destruction of Shibuya, but he never made the boy question his beliefs. Yuji was nothing more than an insect in Sukuna’s eyes, which he could crush easily. By contrast, the Mahito was more of a foil for the young sorcerer, and even an experiment or a toy, which he became obsessed with, something Western comic book fans appreciate greatly. Mahito could more easily be compared to the Joker from Batman than typical anime villains, and for good reason: it created a compelling dynamic that’ll be appreciated even years after his demise.
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