Ranking these flashy, intricate battles can be tricky, as power-scaling is a constantly shifting concept in a story where the definition of “strength” varies in every fight. For instance, any season 1 fight involving Yuji Itadori or Megumi Fushiguro will inevitably feel low-stakes compared to the battles they’re forced to partake in during season 3’s Culling Game arc. Similarly, the iconic Sukuna vs. Mahoraga fight was a formidable match-up during season 2’s Shibuya arc, but our expectations surrounding Sukuna’s true form will likely ramp up in the anime’s upcoming fourth season.

While the anime is far from over, here are 10 best fight scenes from the MAPPA adaptation that make excellent use of dynamic animation, battle tactics, and show-don’t-tell character writing.

[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen anime and Jujutsu Kaisen 0]

10

Satoru Gojo vs. Jogo (Season 1)

Image: MAPPA

Jujutsu Kaisen’s Season 1 fights look very different from its successors, thanks to Sunghoo Park’s preference for saturated colors and intense character shading. Although this early season lacks the breezy dynamism of later seasons, several fights stand out, including Yuji Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki vs. Eso and Kechizu (whose four-way match-up pays off rather well). Although Satoru Gojo is often at the center of the most hyped combat, his first fight with Jogo is a masterclass in suspense.

Anticipating an ambush, Gojo casually sidesteps Jogo’s sudden attacks and demonstrates the full scope of his Neutral Limitless: Infinity, an invisible barrier that essentially renders him invulnerable to attacks. This is also when Gojo unleashes Cursed Technique Reversal: Red and then counters Jogo’s domain with his own, Unlimited Void. Apart from establishing Gojo as a formidable wild card, this fight is the first in-anime instance of him removing his blindfold and blasting an opponent with Limitless.

9

Yuji Itadori and Aoi Todo vs. Hanami (Season 1)

Image: MAPPA

Easily one of the best fights from the first season, the primary draw of Yuji and Todo vs. Hanami lies in stylistic synergy. Yuji’s agility takes Hanami by surprise at first, and Todo intervenes a while later to nudge his new best friend toward distraction-free combat. Under Todo’s guidance, Yuji delivers his very first Black Flash, which translates into an exhilarating visual moment where the young sorcerers counter Hanami’s efforts to heighten the stakes.

Todo’s cursed technique, Boogie Woogie, finally gets the opportunity to shine: By clapping his hands, Todo can instantly trade places with a target of his choosing. With Yuji in the mix, this displacement-based fight sequence feels incredibly cathartic, especially when the usually mellow Hanami is forced to absorb a barrage of blows. Yuji brings everything to a head with three exceptional Black Flashes, closely followed by a fourth. This is a special power of friendship moment cushioned by Todo’s astute understanding of battle tactics and Yuji’s uncanny ability to adapt.

8

Yuta Okkotsu vs. Suguru Geto (Jujutsu Kaisen 0)

Image: MAPPA

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 often gets overlooked because it’s a prequel film, but it is essential to our understanding of Suguru Geto, who makes his first appearance in the Hidden Inventory flashback arc. Apart from providing crucial context for the Geto-Gojo dynamic, the film introduces Yuta Okkotsu and maps his traumatic journey as a Special Grade sorcerer. The cursed spirit Rika Orimoto becomes an indispensable part of Yuta’s arsenal, and this climactic fight with Geto at the end of the movie becomes the foundation for his binding vow to Rika in exchange for uncapped power.

Yuta’s lack of experience is contrasted with Geto’s Cursed Spirit Manipulation, which allows him to store and unleash cursed spirits at will. Despite this gulf, Yuta leverages Rika’s boundless cursed energy to destroy a large number of Geto’s curses while challenging his distorted worldview and megalomania. Faced with Geto’s threat of using Maximum: Uzumaki! (which combines Geto’s cursed spirits into one), Yuta maximizes his power in what he believes is the ultimate act of love and self-sacrifice. With Rika’s full might, Yuta brings the battle to an end, inadvertently contributing to the film’s most tragic death.

7

Satoru Gojo vs. Jogo, Hanami, and Choso (Season 2)

Image: MAPPA

The sealing of Satoru Gojo brought about a watershed moment in jujutsu society, enabling Kenjaku to carry out his grand schemes. This fight takes place moments before the sealing occurs, reminding us why Kenjaku and his allies needed to keep Gojo sealed. The initial setup was to exhaust and distract Gojo inside the Fukutoshin Line Platform in Shibuya, which was teeming with innocent civilians.

The lead-up to this is brilliant, as Gojo demonstrates his explosive attacks outside the station by exorcising Hanami, who is brutally crushed against the subway wall. Before that, Gojo also wards off Jogo and Choso’s attempts to bypass his Infinity, ripping Jogo’s arm off before heading inside. As dozens of humans transfigured by Mahito emerge from a train car, Gojo makes the split-second decision to activate his Domain Expansion for 0.2 seconds so he can neutralize as many transfigured humans and cursed spirits within that narrow window while not permanently damaging the brains of any civilians. Unfortunately, the physical and psychological burnout from this move, coupled with the shock of seeing Geto alive (or at least his body), leaves one of the greatest sorcerers vulnerable to Kenjaku’s ambush with the Prison Realm.

6

Megumi Fushiguro vs. Reggie Star (Season 3)

Image: MAPPA

Megumi has always been a strategic genius. Season 3 lets him shine in this fight against Reggie Star and his allies after negotiations between the two parties break down. After two detonations and one chase sequence, Megumi lures Reggie inside an abandoned school gymnasium to activate his incomplete Domain Expansion, Chimera Shadow Garden. This sequence’s visual flair is undoubtedly the episode’s highlight, allowing us to better appreciate Megumi as a deuteragonist capable of wielding wit and on-the-spot thinking during the most unpredictable battles.

Reggie’s cursed technique, Contractual Re-Creation (which allows him to reproduce any contract or receipt in reality), poses an intriguing challenge to Megumi’s Ten Shadows Technique. That said, Megumi makes use of every loophole to turn the tide in his favor and steers the fight towards heart-thumping hand-to-hand combat. MAPPA recreates handheld, shaky cam mechanics during this scuffle, which Megumi ends with a deadly finishing move courtesy of Divine Dog: Totality. The purpose of this fight feels more poignant after, as Reggie’s final comments about the ironic futility of the Culling Game make Megumi re-evaluate what he knows about the enemy.

5

Yuji Itadori and Aoi Todo vs. Mahito (Season 2)

Image: MAPPA

The reason for yet another Yuji-Todo team-up this high up has little to do with the complexities of the fight itself. Rather, the emotional payoff of seeing Mahito chased like a hare in the snow in the end is so cathartic that it feels like the only silver lining in the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident. Yuji is completely consumed by grief at the start of this fight, having seen Mahito kill not only his mentor Nanami Kento minutes prior but also his close friend Nobara, moments before Todo shows up. And so, Todo jumps in with a tough-love pep talk and uses his Boogie Woogie to disorient Mahito.

Then comes a defining moment in their friendship: Todo explains that the logic-defying nature of death can never be understood, but it is a jujutsu sorcerer’s duty to push through until answers are found. This, combined with the possibility of Nobara’s survival, reignites Yuji’s will to go on and combat evil. From this point on, the fight widens in scope with kinetic displays of strength and strategy, which ultimately allow Yuji to control Divergent Fist and disrupt Mahito’s battle plans. Once again, with Todo’s help, Yuji lands a direct hit with Black Flash and blasts Mahito until he is no longer able to vomit transfigured humans. This fight also concludes with Yuji’s realization that he and Mahito are two sides of the same coin, foreshadowing season 3’s “cog” symbolism.

4

Satoru Gojo vs. Toji Fushiguro (Season 2)

Image: MAPPA

The absence of cursed energy makes Toji Fushiguro an unpredictable variable in season 2’s Hidden Inventory Arc, where he fights Gojo on two separate but equally memorable instances. The first fight is a ruthless ambush laid down to bypass Gojo’s Limitless, which allows Toji to land a fatal blow on the sorcerer and kill the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko Amanai. This tragedy permanently alters the trajectory of Gojo and Geto’s lives, numbing them into adopting extreme worldviews to help cope with the cruelty of jujutsu society.

Gojo achieves enlightenment on the brink of death, allowing him to heal his grievous wounds with Reverse Cursed Technique (RCT). Gojo’s rebirth, although triumphant, is tinged with the concerning risk of a teenage sorcerer pushing himself to the limit. He amasses overwhelming power and sidesteps Toji’s unconventional attacks with ease, finishing things off with Hollow Purple, a combination of Gojo’s Red and Blue cursed techniques. Toji’s death also comes with the silent plea that his son, Megumi, be exempted from the exploitation of the problematic Zenin clan. Gojo eventually takes Megumi under his wing, which is an extension of his newly formed philosophy of protecting the younger generation of sorcerers.

3

Sukuna vs. Mahoraga (Season 2)

Image: MAPPA

Sukuna wreaks unimaginable havoc during the Shibuya incident, triggering Yuji’s survivor’s guilt. Right before he hands over control back to Yuji, Sukuna clashes with Mahoraga after Megumi summons the shikigami. The visual language of Sukuna’s destruction in the episode reaches its peak with this fight — roads crack under the weight of the attacks, and entire buildings are leveled during this catastrophic event.

Sukuna uses a combination of battle cunning and devastating blows to slash Mahoraga with Dismantle, and comments on the shikigami’s cursed tool, the Sword of Extermination. Mahoraga surprises Sukuna by rapidly adapting to his offensive blows and even manages to send him crashing across Shibuya. While Mahoraga promptly counters everything Sukuna throws at him, the King of Curses figures out the limitations of Mahoraga’s adaptation ability and activates Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine with an escape route. The ensuing attacks lead to the loss of innumerable civilian lives, and Sukuna annihilates Mahoraga before he can regenerate. This is a brilliant, albeit demoralizing, showcase of Sukuna’s powers when he is not even at full capacity.

2

Maki Zenin vs. The Zenin Clan (Season 3)

Image: MAPPA

The annihilation of the Zenin clan at the hands of Maki Zenin is the most visually inventive episode of Jujutsu Kaisen’s third season. The Zenin legacy has been misogynistic for decades, compounded by their generational cruelty towards those born without cursed energy. This is less of a fight and more of a brutal rampage led by a woman punishing her oppressors, brought to life with frenetic camera movements, tense interludes, and stylized references to Kill Bill. The grief of losing her sister, Mai, who sacrifices herself to boost Maki’s Heavenly Restriction, spurs her to carry out her sister’s chilling final words: “Destroy everything.”

The rest is pure catharsis. The fights culminate in astounding set pieces like the decimation of the Kukuru Unit and Maki’s showdown against Naoya Zenin, whose jaw is shattered with such force that we’re treated to an X-ray of it in slow-motion. None of these visual flourishes diminishes the weight of Maki’s trauma, as her actions bring about the end of a clan that has ruined the lives of innumerable innocents. This memorable episode also establishes Maki’s enhanced abilities as a genuine threat to whoever makes the error of underestimating her on the battlefield.

1

Yuta Okkotsu vs. Ryu Ishigori vs. Takako Uro (Season 3)

Image: MAPPA

The season 3 finale of Jujutsu Kaisen is a marvel for many reasons. It is an exceptional feat of visual storytelling that allows MAPPA to flex its grasp over chaotic battles and brings the season to a deeply satisfying close. The conflicts caused by the Culling Game reach feverish levels once Yuta faces off against the special grade cockroach curse, Kurourushi, and is immediately forced to participate in a three-way battle against Ryu Ishigori and Takako Uro.

Both sorcerers bring interesting elements of physicality to the fights, pushing Yuta to his absolute limits in such a high-stakes battle. These shenanigans lend to the recreation of iconic manga panels, such as when Yuta, Ryu, and Uro simultaneously unleash their Domain Expansions, triggering a barrier collapse. There’s ample space for thoughtful rumination as well, as the burden on Yuta’s shoulders feels heavier than ever, given his dedication to making things easier for his friends. He also mulls over Uro’s warning about unchecked sorcerers like Kenjaku, who turn into “calamities” due to their massive egos. There’s considerable gravity to the episode’s conclusion — while the sheer beauty of battle saturates our senses, it never loses sight of character complexity and the toils of the path ahead.