Ever since chapter 236, there’s only been one thing that Gojo fans have been praying for – the return of their favorite character in some form or the other.
Gojo Satoru’s death was hard to stomach, and naturally a ton of theories sprouted online as to how the strongest sorcerer of the current era could have survived the deadly slash by Sukuna.
These theories were debunked and dissed by the naysayers (at one point me included), as the general consensus seemed to shift to the fact that Gojo truly had passed on.
But, who can predict the wicked schemes of the cyclops cat!
It seems that Akutami has sprung as nasty surprise in JJK 260, as nasty as the one in chapter 236 – Gojo Satoru has probably returned to the battlefield.
Remember that news where the hosts of One Piece themed variety show were absolutely shocked to see a chapter that JJK editor Junya Fukuda was editing? I think this is what they probably saw!
Let’s take look at what happened!
Is Gojo Satoru back? Is he alive?
Leaked panels from Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 260 hinted that Gojo Satoru has come back to life and returned to the battlefield to face Sukuna once again!
However, a mysterious silhouette emerges from the dust and smoke, described by the narrator as the “ghost” of the strongest foe Sukuna has ever slain.
Given this description, Gojo Satoru immediately springs to mind.
I am assuming that the ghost was just a metaphorical term used by the narrator to describe that person, because according to Sukuna – Gojo shouldn’t be alive!
And then, we get a panel – showing the upper half of this character’s face. Honestly, it looks quite a lot like Gojo – with the white hair and that peculiar eye. It’s a callback to the time he returned against Toji probably.
Adding fuel to the fire, the editor’s comments declared “those eyes are unmistakable,” further implying Gojo’s return.
Naturally, it raises a lot of questions.
Sukuna had cut Gojo in half with his world cutting slash. So how exactly did Gojo survive.
While we will get our answers in the next chapter – there is nothing stopping us from doing a bit of speculation!!!
How did Gojo survive Sukuna’s slash?
Sukuna’s slash indeed was a deadly one, and Gojo was cut in half. In the airport scene that followed, it seemed as if Gojo had agreed to ‘Go South’ meaning, he accepted his death.
However, the developments in JJK 260 makes it feels as if Gojo indeed chose to go north and survive – either by his own volition or probably forced by others.
Ui Ui & Shoko to the rescue:
In the recent chapters we saw what an important role Ui Ui was playing in the battle. His teleportation technique was being used to transport the injured to safety – away from Sukuna.
When Kashimo entered the battle immediately after Gojo was cut, a lot of fans pointed out that his body was missing. Later, we get a confirmation that Ui Ui indeed had recovered Gojo’s body.
Since Shoko was present close by, I guess she could have been the one to heal Gojo.
However, it sounds easier said than done!
Gojo’s wound was nothing to scoff at. Reattaching the torso to your lower half is much harder than healing wounds from the battle. I am assuming it will require a lot of cursed energy output.
True, Utahime could have helped with Shoko increasing her efficiency and output, but would that alone be enough?
And then there’s the whole concept of Gojo’s body accepting or rejecting the RCT that is being applied.
Assuming that all of this goes well, this possibility could certainly be one of the ways that Gojo survived Sukuna’s attack!
A binding vow & Gojo losing an eye:
Among fans, the most popular and widely accepted theory surrounding Gojo’s return involves a binding vow. This theory suggests Gojo sacrificed one of his Six Eyes in exchange for healing his body.
The final panel from Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 260 depicting Gojo’s return lends significant credence to this theory, because Gojo’s eyes are depicted a bit differently in it.
Gege usually depicts his eyes in a lighter shade consistently. Check it out below:
On the other hand, in the panel from chapter 260, his eye has a darker shade – suggesting that he sacrificed either his eye – or the six eyes ability in order to be able to heal from his wounds.
The reason why this theory is widely accepted is because of the foreshadowing done for this moment. Remember Vivid Vice? The second opening from JJK season 1? It was filled with foreshadowing and symbolisms – and one of them pointed to Gojo losing an eye.
In a particular scene, we see the sunlight falling on Gojo’s left eye. This was taken by the fans as a hint that Gojo will lose an eye in the future!
The same left eye was again involved in a similar foreshadowing in the opening of the JJK game.
No points for guessing, but it’s the same left eye that has been depicted in a darker shade in JJK chapter 260, suggesting that Gojo indeed did sacrifice that eye, or his ability to use the six eyes in order to come back!
Sacrificing his six eyes would mean that Gojo is no longer the strongest – however, it would be a fitting conclusion to the rhetoric posed by Geto back in Hidden Inventory.
Was he Gojo Satoru because he was the strongest, or was he the strongest because he was Gojo Satoru?
Well, if Gojo indeed is back, then things set to get a lot more interesting in the upcoming chapters!!