Who Is Toji Zen’in in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Discover who Toji Zen’in is in Jujutsu Kaisen, including his abilities and what makes him a complex character.

Toji Zen’in as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA Studios)
Toji Zen’in as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Very few characters in anime leave as dynamic an impact with limited screen time as Toji Zen’in did in Jujutsu Kaisen. The confident and carefree character instantly won fans over with his charisma. So, who is Toji Zen’in in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Toji Zen’in was the father of Megumi Fushiguro in Jujutsu Kaisen and a feared assassin called the Sorcerer Killer. Let us dive further into his character.

Who Is Toji Zen’in in Jujutsu Kaisen?

As one could probably tell from his surname, Toji Zen’in was a member of one of the Big Three Families in Jujutsu Kaisen, the Zen’in Clan.

In spite of being born with no Cursed Energy, Toji was blessed with superior strength and senses, which made him one of the strongest individuals in anime and manga. He was initially a mysterious figure introduced in the Hidden Inventory Arc.

Tasked by the Time Vessel Association to kill the Star Plasma vessel and prevent Tengen’s merger, Toji was the first big challenge faced by Gojo and Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen.

While he lost his life in the process, he was one of the people closest to killing Gojo in the series. Toji was so strong that even after being revived by Granny Ogami in the Shibuya Arc, he could overwrite her technique on nothing but fighting instinct.

Why Did Toji Zen’in Change His Last Name in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Megumi Fushiguro and Satoru Gojo as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen (image via MAPPA Studios)
Megumi Fushiguro and Satoru Gojo as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen Iimage via MAPPA Studios)

Many might wonder why Toji was referred to as Toji Fushiguro throughout the series rather than his family name, Zen’in. This was because, despite his superior strength, he faced heavy discrimination and abuse in the Zen’in family.

Being a traditional family that favored high Cursed Energy potential, the Zen’in family was very harsh with anyone who did not exhibit talent in this area. Toji was born with a Heavenly Restriction that made him an individual with zero Cursed Energy.

Due to his ostracization, he ended up leaving his clan. After his departure, Toji met a woman and married her. Though her first name remains unknown, Toji adopted her Fushiguro surname to break his connection to the Zen’in Clan. He also went on to have a child with his wife and named him Megumi Fushiguro.

Interestingly, Maki shared the same Heavenly Restriction as Toji but chose to massacre her clan in response to their mistreatment of her and her sister. Toji, on the other hand, simply paid no mind to his clan despite already having the power to wipe them out. But does this mean he was a good man?

Was Toji Zen’in Good or Evil in Jujutsu Kaisen?

While Toji was classified as an antagonist in Jujutsu Kaisen, was he a good or evil person? The answer to this is just as complex as Toji’s morality.

Toji’s actions in Jujutsu Kaisen were never driven by personal malice; they were simply part of his profession. Having been cast aside by his family and Jujutsu Society, he made a living as a mercenary-for-hire.

He had also shown moments of empathy towards his son, such as when he saved him in the Shibuya Arc and guided Gojo toward him right before death. As mentioned above, Toji had chosen to spare his clan, which indicated he could have gone softer with his wife.

However, this does not mean that he was a good person either. While it could have been shaped by his traumatic past and losing his wife after Megumi’s birth, Toji was still a cold-blooded killer.

His motivation might have been money, but he had still killed a young Riko Amanai as part of a contract. He came close to killing Gojo and had committed enough crimes to earn his title of Sorcerer Killer.

Jujutsu Kaisen
Satoru Gojo as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Hence, Toji’s character was a nuanced one that constantly showed his underlying motive for freedom from societal constraints. He embodied a morally gray character affected by the flaws of the Jujutsu world.

Did Megumi Find Out Toji Zen’in Was His Father in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Unfortunately, even after the end of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Megumi never found out that Toji Zen’in was his father.

Soon after his wife’s death, Toji felt he was reverting to his old, ruthless self. Due to this, he sold Megumi to the Zen’in Clan. Since Megumi had inherited the Ten Shadows technique, he trusted his son would be treated better than himself. Additionally, right before death, he informed Gojo of his son’s whereabouts, which led to Gojo adopting Megumi.

Due to Toji’s absence in Megumi’s life, the latter never realized who his father was. After Toji Zen’in’s brief return in the Shibuya Arc, he confirmed Megumi’s identity and killed himself. This might have tipped Megumi about his father, but he was never able to pursue clues since Gojo was sealed and Jujutsu Society was in chaos.

After the end of the Shinjuku Showdown, Megumi read Gojo’s last letter, which mentioned that his father was dead and was killed by Gojo himself. Laughing it off, Megumi put the matter to rest

This implied that Megumi was not curious about his father’s identity and was satisfied with the friends and mentors who had helped him in life.

Powers and Abilities of Toji Zen’in 

Toji Zen’in was one of the most impressive fighters in Jujutsu Kaisen and had several abilities:

1) Heavenly Restricted Body

Toji Zen’in as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Toji’s Heavenly Restricted Body took him to the pinnacle of physical abilities. To make up for his lack of Cursed Energy, all his senses were elevated. He could track any target, even sorcerers, while his pain tolerance was abnormal. In battle, Toji could easily overpower the Disaster Curse Dagon. This was due to his immense speed, strength, and reflexes.

2) Equipment

To complement his fighting prowess, Toji used a variety of Cursed weapons and spirits. Using the Inventory Curse as his storage, Toji used to store both normal weapons and Cursed Tools for battle.

His primary tools included the Split Soul Katana, the Inverted Spear of Heaven, the Chain of a Thousand Miles, and the Playful Cloud. He could wield each of them perfectly while nullifying curses and beating them down with raw power.

3) Intellect and Experience

Toji Zen’in was a very smart person who would patiently wait for his opportunity to strike. In the Hidden Inventory Arc, he sent countless assassins before himself to make Gojo lower his guard. Since he had no Cursed Energy, he could sneak inside the barrier and attack him by surprise.

This gave him an element of unpredictability since Sorcerers typically believed Cursed Energy was the strongest power. Due to the number of missions he had taken and his reputation for killing Sorcerers, Toji had a lot of experience.

His nature as a veteran helped him adapt quickly during battle. This helped him in defeating Geto’s technique and countering Gojo’s limitless in their final battle.

Conclusion

To conclude, Toji Zen’in was a compelling and multi-layered character. He represented the challenges and triumphs of living life on one’s own terms in Jujutsu Kaisen. There are several debates on whether he was truly a villain, but his story showed the resilience of a man outrunning his family’s long shadow.

While his stay in the series was short, his impact on the lives of other characters and fans was immense.


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