Summary
In the world ofJujutsu Kaisen,where possessing Cursed Techniques separates the strongfrom the weak, Toji Fushiguro — once known as Toji Zenin — was an anomaly from the annals of recent history. Ostracized by the Zenin clan for his lack of Cursed Energy, Toji honed his skills in unconventional departments, attaining power far beyond that of most characters in the series as a whole.
As he abandoned his heritage and took on another name, Toji resolved to punish the world of Jujutsu Sorcerers inJujutsu Kaisenby any means he could find, andearned a reputation as a skilled assassin dubbedthe “Sorcerer Killer.” This was due to his efficiency in taking out incredibly powerful Jujutsu Sorcerers with relative ease, using the knowledge he had gained as a former member of the Zenin clan, as well as his inhuman physical prowess and battle intelligence.
The Gifts Of Heavenly Restriction
Born with a Heavenly Restriction, which can be described as a binding placed on a Sorcerer’s body or Cursed Energy in exchange for other abilities, Toji had innately incredible speed and strength. Similar bindings can be seen in the case of Maki Zenin —who was born with very low Cursed Energyand enhanced physical strength — or Kokichi Muta, who was born with very high reserves of Cursed Energy, but had a sickly, fragile body which made normal life impossible for him.
Toji’s case was quite unique, as he was born with essentially zero Cursed Energy. In exchange for eradicating any capacity to use jujutsu, Toji was given inhuman speed and strength, along with sharpened senses that allowed him to perceive Cursed Spirits. He also developed a resistance to curses, and could track Jujutsu Sorcerers or Cursed Spirits simply through footprints and odors. When revived by Granny Ogami’s seancein her grandson’s body during the Shibuya Incident, Toji’s lack of Cursed Energy prevented the technique from running out on its own, and permitted him to overwrite the will of her grandson to take control of his body.
Lastly,Toji’s lack of Cursed Energy allowed himto easily slip through barriers that were meant to restrict normal Jujutsu Sorcerers, Curse Users, or Cursed Spirits. He could even avoid being tracked by opponents, including a user of the Six Eyes in Satoru Gojo, which he used to his advantage. Many underestimated him in battle purely based on the assumption that he could not counter their Cursed Energy, allowing him to breeze past their defenses and obliterate them.
A Master of Cursed Tools
Able to freely interact with Cursed Spirits despite his lack of Cursed Energy, Toji primarily relied on Cursed Tools and conventional weaponry in combat, to fully exploit his superhuman speed, strength, and reflexes. Generally, Toji made use of bladed weapons such as swords, knives, daggers, and staffs, but he was also shown employing a handgun to kill Riko Amanai during the Star Plasma Vessel Escort Mission. All these weaponswere stored within his Inventory Curse, which he could compress and swallow to avoid being detected. He also kept a swarm of Fly Heads inside the Inventory Curse, which he often used as a diversion.
With this blend of Cursed Tools and normal weapons, Toji had an endless array of options to deal with any situation. If he desired stealth for surprise attacks, he would usually rely on conventional weapons which lacked Cursed Energy, making them impossible for opponents to track. On the other hand,when taking on powerful Cursed Techniquessuch as the Gojo clan’s Limitless, Toji was shown using a Special Grade Cursed Tool known as the Inverted Spear of Heaven, which allowed him to nullify the effects of said technique.
He was even able to modify his strategies to suit the nature of each battle he fought. When facing Satoru Gojo for a second time, Toji attached the Inverted Spear of Heaven to the Chain of a Thousand Miles, effectively turning the dagger-like blade into a long range weapon, with which he was able to counter the Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue and Cursed Technique Reversal: Red of the Limitless. It was only with the secret Colliding Limitless, Hollow Technique: Purple,that Satoru Gojo was able to defeat him.
Against Suguru Geto’s Rainbow Dragon, Toji was also shown using the Split Soul Katana, which was a bladed weapon in the style of a Japanese broadsword with a fur tsuba. The sword was able to negate all resistance in the path of its slashes to slice directly through a target’s soul, provided the user was capable of perceiving it. Beyond this, Tojiwas one of the few who could use the Special Grade Cursed ToolPlayful Cloud to its full potential by sharpening its segments, as he did in his fight against Dagon.
Beyond Special Grade
There is a sense of cruel irony in how Toji was cast out by the Zenin clan for his lack of Cursed Energy, but grew to become far more powerful than even its highest ranking members. Indeed, he may have been young and unable to adhere to the clan’s values, but Toji was able to easily exorcise the Special Grade Cursed Spirit Dagon, and utterly dominated him in the battle, which took place within Dagon’s own Domain. Such feats would have easily ranked him among the strongest characters in the entire world ofJujutsu Kaisen, with only the likes of Satoru Gojo,or Ryomen Sukuna, able to easily defeat him.
Toji’ssingle-handed defeat of Dagon indicatedthat his strength lay above that of a Special Grade. Furthermore, his intelligence, cool head, and astute planning have allowed him to beat more powerful foes in the past, as seen during the Hidden Inventory Arc ofJujutsu KaisenSeason 2. Hence, Toji’s strength was the product of his physical gifts, his mastery of Cursed Tools, and finally, his immense intellect, which raised him far above those who once scorned him.
