Jujutsu Kaisen: Toji’s greed could have derailed Gege’s entire storyline (& it starts with Gojo and Geto)

In the intricate story of Jujutsu Kaisen, there is one character whose one action caused a ripple effect that led to the current storyline. Toji Fushiguro, also known as the Sorcerer Killer, was motivated only by greed or personal gain. His decision to kill the Star Plasma Vessel not only resulted in his meeting his end but also altered Gojo Satoru and Geto’s destiny.

But honestly, the Plasma Vessel arc in Jujutsu Kaisen could have gone differently if Toji Fushiguro had not killed Riko but just kidnapped her. The merging with Tengen was an important event, he just needed to avoid that from happening.

Now, if we consider this happened in an alternate timeline for Jujutsu Kaisen, Fushiguro’s decision would have stopped Gojo from peaking, and Geto would never have realised the true corruption in Jujutsu World and left Gojo. This would also affect Kenjaku because then he would have no body to hijack and ultimately, Culling Games would not exist.

In another scenario, if Toji’s greed had taken over completely and Gojo hadn’t survived or evolved, the consequences would’ve been disastrous. Rika is killed, and we all know what happens to Geto. The world would not have the support of the Reverse Cursed Technique and Limitless with Six Eyes combo of Gojo, and the current timeline would soon crumble.

With no Gojo, there would be no one to take care of Megumi. Over that, when Itadori Yuji would become a vessel for Sukuna, there would have been no one to save him from execution. Moreover, Kenjaku would have skipped the Prison Realm part and directly started his Culling Games. And when he would start it, there would be no one to stand as an opposing force strong enough to defeat him.

When Toji Fushiguro took the job of assassinating Riko, it was not as simple as he needed money. He was someone born into a clan (the Zen’in) that discarded him because of his Heavenly Restriction. That rejection festered into resentment, which later evolved into his "I don’t care about the world" attitude. His greed also stems from his innate need to prove himself to the Jujutsu world that bloodline and hierarchy meant absolutely nothing.

While his point was correct, he was someone with zero cursed energy and was powerful enough to shake the very pillars of the Jujutsu world; his choice of taking the mission cost them the loss of one of the powerhouses and the center of the modern Jujutsu world. When I watched the episode in which this event took place, I found myself questioning if it was necessary to kill two powerful characters just to evolve one.

If Gege’s story is about the thin line between heroism and villainy, Toji Fushiguro is the guy who dragged people across that line, kicking and screaming. Maybe Gege also wanted us to understand that there is someone to make us feel the weight of the decision that a higher authority took. Because if Jujutsu Kaisen is a chain reaction of curses, power, loss, and ideology, Toji is the match that started the fire.

In my opinion, Jujutsu Kaisen works so well because it allows characters to be flawed in deeply human ways. Toji isn’t evil in the typical anime sense. He’s not trying to destroy the world. He’s a man trying to prove something, to survive, to take back power in a world that spat him out. But in doing so, he destroyed a future that could’ve been hopeful.

Gojo and Geto were destined to change the system. They were idealistic, young, and powerful. Toji ripped that future away, and Gege wrote it that way on purpose. Toji’s greed didn’t just affect him, it fractured the entire jujutsu world. And when you rewatch the series knowing that, every scene hits harder.

Was There Ever Redemption for Toji in Jujutsu Kaisen?

From the way his character was written, it is highly unlikely that someone like Toji could get a chance for redemption. Maybe as a fan, I could argue that in death, Toji tried to make things right. When he faced Megumi, his son, there was a flicker of humanity. That moment, he asks Megumi’s name, then breaks the seance to avoid hurting his son, is a sign that maybe, if Gege had explored the father-son duo a little more, there could be a slight chance for redemption.

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Finally, Gege proved with his storytelling that he didn’t need to redeem Toji in Jujutsu Kaisen. Instead, he showed us that some damage is irreversible. Some stories spiral out because of choices that can’t be taken back. So, to answer the question about Toji’s greed could have potentially derailed the storyline. In a way, he almost did. And the only reason it didn’t collapse completely was because Gojo survived.

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