Spoiler Warning: This article includes heavy spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
Not only diehard fans who have been following the Jujutsu Kaisen manga but almost every JJK fan learned about their beloved Gojo sensei’s death. However, author Gege Akutami continued to tease Gojo’s comeback with hints, cover art, and whatnot during the manga’s final days. While Yuta took over Gojo’s body and resurrected in the final saga, he went back to his own body at the end. So, that made fans get hyped, expecting Gojo’s return at last. But, did that actually happen? Well, let’s find out how Akutami sensei continued to hint at Gojo’s comeback in the manga and ended up enraging his fans in the end.
Does Gojo Come Back to Life in the End?
In JJK chapter 269, it was confirmed that Yuta Okkotsu had returned to his own body with the help of Rika. So, naturally, it made almost all fans question the whereabouts of Gojo’s body and whether his part is completely over in the series. As Gege didn’t directly disclose the details about Gojo’s current status, fans started to look for hints that the author sneaked in.
As such, in the same chapter, the fans spotted an unusual panel with a big clock while the sorcerers were talking. What was special about this clock was that it specifically mentioned the “2:21” time of the day. So, what does this indicate you ask?
Longtime fans would remember that chapter 221 is when Gojo made a comeback to the JJK manga after getting stuck inside the Prison Realm. Hence, this made the fans believe that Gege is directly hinting at Gojo’s return in upcoming chapters, as there is no way he decided to draw this particular time in the clock.
Fans Disheartened Over Akutami’s Handling of Gojo’s Fate
The above theory continued to increase the hopes of the fans, whether Gege intended it to be this way or not. Along with this, there was also a musical video of Avant (the opening song of the JJK Phantom Parade game) by Eve, which is believed to be packed with a lot of foreshadowing for the climax of JJK. The most popular being that it hinted at the return of Nobara, and it happened. So fans found a lot of clues and started to theorize about Gojo’s comeback and didn’t let their hopes down.
The predictions for Gojo’s return didn’t stop at all, be it from the fans’ side or the author’s. All this aside, numerous characters whom we thought to be dead, such as Nobara and Higuruma, making a comeback from the grave extended the hope of the fans.
Moreover, Jujutsu Kaisen’s official X account continued to post Gojo’s panels in the countdown to the final chapter. As a result, fans clung on every last bit of hope that Gojo would return.
But in the end, all this hope and excitement didn’t lead to a miracle but a massive disappointment and outrage among fans. As expected, JJK didn’t bring Gojo back to life in the final chapter. The way Gege Akutami handled and disrespected Gojo’s fate by not giving him a proper farewell has triggered the entire fandom.
This has made them call out the author for picking up the sensei death trope in Shonen manga but making it worse. So, do you think this was bad writing from Gege for Gojo, a character with unreal stardom? Let us know in the comments below.
Aparna Ukil
