Satoru Gojo was the heart of the series, the pivotal point of the manga, and the most popular character in whole Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK). Eventually, as all the loved ones were dying, it was time for Gojo to bid farewell in the series, when Sukuna cut him in half, killing him for the second time in the series. Sukuna isn’t Toji, so he blocks all the paths for Gojo to make a return, but there is always a question of “Is Gojo Still Alive”. Well, he might be, due to the Second Rebirth or Awakening. Let me explain!
Satoru Gojo’s Second Rebirth/Awakening Explained
JJK’s Relevance to Buddhism
In the magical world of Jujutsu Kaisen, the recurring theme of reincarnation, incarnation, and afterlife is quite common. There is always uncertainty with the character’s death in the series, as they can come back from the afterlife, either through the use of reincarnation or incarnation or simply a cheat.
One example of reincarnation is the King of All Curses “Sukuna” who came back to dominate the world of sorcerers after 1000 years. So, JJK is mostly related to Buddhism, meaning Rebirth, and Awakening is something that exists in the series as well.
In chapter 236 where Satoru Gojo dies in JJK, we see some specific keywords including “South” and “North”, symbolizing the Buddhist belief in coming back after dying.
The Four Sights
The Four Sights is a keyword used in Buddhism related to the history of Siddartha Gautama, and Satoru Gojo is heavily motivated by him in the JJK series. For some of you who don’t know Siddartha Gautama is known as Buddha.
He became a monk at the age of 29, which is the same age as Gojo in the series as of now. The four sights include:
- An old man in old age
- A sick man going through an illness
- A corpse in demise
- Asceticism – Self Discipline
These four sights were witnessed by Buddha himself, allowing him to learn about these things and follow his path to enlightenment. These events are very similar to Gojo in the series as well. This gives us a hint about Gojo returning as Bodhisattva. So, Gojo’s reference to the 4 sights of Buddha is as follows:
- In Chapter 236 of JJK, we found Gojo referring to him not dying of old age or illness, indicating the first and second sight of an old man in old age.
- In the second sight of Buddha, he saw a corpse’s demise, allowing him to learn about the truth of death. Looking back at Gojo’s death, he experienced it.
- The fourth sight is Asceticism, which means self-discipline and avoiding the things that distract you. This gave Buddha the ability or mastery over himself escaping suffering and achieving possibilities beyond one’s control.
Monk is known as Kesso in Japanese, having a hidden name in it. The first character of Kesso is Suguru in Kanji. So, this symbolizes Geto to be the Monk. Again, we can go back to Chapter 236 of JJK, where Gojo himself says that he wishes Geto to be here and slap his back, and then we also see Geto in his robe.
Also, Sukuna always mocked Gojo that he was neither the strongest nor the enlightened one that everyone thought him to be.
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva means a person on the way to awakening or enlightenment. This was used for Buddha, also known as Siddartha Gautama before getting the enlightened state. In JJK, Bodhisattva is Gojo, symbolizing that he won’t get enlightened or reach the next stage, till he teaches the students.
Gojo is 29, and Buddha also taught his students at the age of 29, teaching his students and while sitting under a tree, he gained enlightenment.
Gojo is similar here, as he is teaching students irrespective of his stature or his powers. Thus, he is also getting close to the stage of enlightenment.
The South and North – Gojo’s Direction in Limbo
Referring back to the start of the debate, where we mentioned South and North. In the manga, we can see Gojo and Geto together, facing North, and Nanami and Haibara facing South. This indicates that Nanami and Haibara are officially dead and Gojo and Geto aren’t technically dead.
Geto is still alive in his own body even though Kenjaku has control over the body. After listening to the voice of Gojo, Geto’s right hand took control and tried to kill himself. So, Gojo is also facing north and will make a return through Limbo.
Nanami also mentioned something strange about his death in Chapter 236. He says “Back then I didn’t hesitate in moving south”. Then proceeded to say that he wasn’t into past thinking and that would be ironic if he died betting in the future.
After hearing that Gojo was struck for a while.
Gojo’s Second Awakening or Rebirth
Gojo was selfish with his powers and himself and only wanted to fight the strongest, not thinking about the side effects or what would happen afterward. Thus, with the second awakening of Gojo, or his second rebirth, he will be enlightened, self-aware, and will realize his mistakes.
Gojo is facing North, meaning he still has unfinished business and to watch his students surpass unknown levels in JJK. All in all, taking North means making a return to finish the unfinished business. While south means, never making a return, as one is satisfied with his work while alive.
Is Gojo Still Alive?
As per Gojo’s similarities with Siddartha Gautama who later became Buddha, we could see Gojo returning as a second awakening or rebirth, being much more enlightened, and self-aware.
He will return as a Bodhisattva, where his students need him as a guiding body, only to come and train his students to surpass the level. In short, Yes, Gojo is still alive and will make a return in JJK (Jujutsu Kaisen), as we also don’t see him truly dying at the end of Chapter 236.
This theory is a courtesy of Definitely Azyn from YouTube. Make sure to check out his videos for enlightenment on JJK.
