Jujutsu Kaisen: 8 Fights That Are Better In The Anime

Key Takeaways

• Jujutsu Kaisen’s battles captivate readers with unique abilities, preventing encounters from getting stale.
• The anime format enhances visual depictions of battles with more special effects and smooth movements.
• Powerful characters engage in intense battles with dramatic tones and dynamic destruction, captivating viewers.

Jujutsu Kaisen is known for its incredible battles, which can captivate readers and make them go from one page to another with curiosity and joy. The participation of sorcerers and cursed spirits, each with unique abilities, makes the battles unique and innovative, which prevents those encounters from getting stale. Gege Akutami demonstrated his skill at writing action scenes many times over.

While the manga was already impressive in its visual depiction of those clashes, the anime allows much more freedom and variety in depicting its effects. Starting with the addition of color and continuing on to the movements being fleshed out and smooth with more shots allowed per scene, the anime allows for a flashier presentation with a multitude of special effects that leave a strong impression.

8 Yuji/Sukuna Vs. Finger Bearer

The First Death

• Manga: Chapter 8
• Anime: Episode 4

The story of Jujutsu Kaisen does not hold back, immediately throwing the readers and watchers into the heat of a mortal battle. While the concept of killing a protagonist early on and resurrecting them later has been done before JJK, the brutal way it is done in the story at the end of this battle still allows the audience to feel a sense of dread.

The anime format perfectly captures the dark gray surroundings of the abandoned place where the battle is happening. It also portrays the Finger Bearer as an unnaturally moving creature, with each of its actions eluding an aura of creepiness. Sukuna’s smug sense of superiority is also conveyed more aptly in the anime.

7 Yuji/Nanami Vs. Mahito/Junpei

Witnessing The Cursed Depravity

• Manga: Chapter 29
• Anime: Episode 13

Mahito is one of the most memorable villains in Jujutsu Kaisen, and his strong introduction is a considerable element of his impact. He begins as incredibly manipulative towards Yoshino Junpei, orchestrating the death of his mother and pushing him towards a path of darkness and despair.

The battle begins with a short clash between Yuji and Junpei. The anime shows a better sense of scale and the destruction brought to the school. Junpei’s transfiguration is shown in horrific details, and Mahito’s metamorphoses is smoother, as is the choreography of his battle against two sorcerers.

6 Panda Vs. Mechamaru

A Clash Of Two Strangers

• Manga: Chapter 37
• Anime: Episode 16

Panda and Mechamaru clash during the Kyoto Goodwill arc. While there isn’t any abject hatred between the two sorcerers, they share a similarity of being visibly odd and distinct from others in their group, which can lead to alienation. Panda is much more peaceful and welcoming, while Mechamaru is prone to despair and self-hatred.

The anime presents a more colorful scene with green surroundings and a few temples that are broken during the battle. Panda’s metamorphosis into multiple forms is more impressive in the anime due to his glowing purple eyes and the onslaught of his wild, untamed side, adding tension to the battle.

5 Gojo Vs. Toji

The Cursed Against The Strongest

• Manga: Chapter 70
• Anime: Episode 27

The Hidden Inventory arc is a short prequel arc that sheds light on the youth of Satoru Gojo and his friend, Suguru Geto, a sorcerer-killer with no cursed energy who has trained for long enough to become one of the strongest fighters in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Unsurprisingly, when he challenges Satoru Gojo, an incredibly powerful sorcerer, their battle is bound to be a spectacle. Gojo and Toji’s clash in the anime is saturated with a bright golden tint that adds an aura of divinity and a stronger impact to Gojo’s counterattack that ends up annihilating Toji.

4 Gojo Vs. Disaster Curses

A Long And Tense Confrontation

• Manga: 84
• Anime: Episode 32

The Shibuya Arc marked a boom in popularity for Jujutsu Kaisen, and one of the reasons it was so intense was the removal of Satoru Gojo from the equation, leaving other sorcerers vulnerable. This resulted from a prolonged battle between Gojo and all disaster curses aimed to hold him in one spot for long enough for Kenjaku to trap him.

The anime added a layer of unabashed horror with its depiction of the grim setting of the railway, contrasting the people frozen in a single spot. This shows how quick the curses, and especially Gojo, are. The sequence of Gojo opening his domain for a fraction of a second was the highlight of this clash.

3 Yuji Vs. Choso

Avenging His Brothers

• Manga: Chapter 101
• Anime: Episode 37

Season 1 ended with a conflict between Yuji and Choso, with the latter blaming him and Nobara for his brothers’ deaths. An encounter was inevitable, and it happened during the Shibuya Arc. Choso began a hunt for Yuji in a competition against Mahito and Jogo and was lucky enough to discover Itadori first.

The battle’s theme is blood, in correlation with Choso’s techniques, and the anime perfectly represents it by creating a combination of dark crimson and bright azure, which symbolizes light. It is a very intense battle, locked tightly in close quarters, which makes it incredibly dynamic and destructive for both parties involved.

2 Sukuna Vs. Mahoraga

The Showdown Of Pure Chaos

• Manga: Chapter 118
• Anime: Episode 41

Ryomen Sukuna is arguably the strongest character in all of JJK, and he has a lot of powerful abilities at his disposal. However, at the time of the Shibuya Arc, he is bound to Yuji’s body and has very limited control. Due to Jogo’s interference, Sukuna can take over Yuji, leading to him wrecking chaos across Shibuya.

He fights against Mahoraga, a powerful familiar summoned by Fushiguro Megumi. The anime presents a battle between two powerhouses with incredible speed and pace, but the chaotic clash is better represented by the movements shown in the anime. Sukuna completely controls the flow as he is able to counter all of Mahoraga’s attacks.

1 Yuji Vs. Mahito

Battle Of The Foils

• Manga: Chapter 121
• Anime: Episode 42

The conflict between Yuji and Mahito is a testament to the latter’s cruelty and vileness. To rile Yuji up, he kills Nanami and severely injures Nobara, also reminding him of Junpei’s tragic death. The conflict culminates with the cursed spirit entering his true form and challenging Yuji once again, but he falls to the sorcerer in the process.

The anime does well in reflecting the dramatic tone of the fight, displaying countless examples of transfiguration from the cursed spirit, eventually leading to him assuming a new, more dangerous form. The battle of abilities between Todo, Yuji, and Mahito highlights the entire arc as it shows a hard-won triumph for the protagonist.