Jujutsu Kaisen: The End of Gojo’s Dream

Chapter 270 is titled, “A Dream’s End” and some have interpreted this to mean that someone the Merger has happened or any such connotation.

However, those who have read the manga may have noticed

Yet this leaves the question: what does the penultimate chapter tell us about Gojo’s fate?

I Have a Dream

Mangamist’s video explains that the title of Chapter 270 is linked to Chapter 11: A Dream, where Gojo reveals his dream is to reset the Jujutsu world.

Satoru Gojo did express a desire to kill the Jujutsu Elders, angry that nothing has changed under their gaze.

However, Gojo knows that killing the Jujutsu Elders will not change the system, as more corrupt people would take their place.

That being said, the story does not seem to imply that removing the old elites from power is unnecessary.

Gojo did kill the higher-ups, knowing what happened after the Shibuya Incident will happen again, whatever the outcome of the Shinjuku Showdown.

The events of Chapter 269 in particular make it clear that the Elders, whether it is the ruling elite or the abusive schools and noble families, are actively responsible for endangering the lives of Jujutsu sorcerers, negligent to their potential and needs all in the name of preserving the status quo.

The origin of Gojo’s dream began with his Buddha-esque journey to awakening, where he saw the death of Riko Amanai, the Star Plasma Vessel for Tengen, and the way her death turned his beloved friend Suguru Geto to darkness.

Realizing the hole Geto left in his life, Gojo dedicated his time to nurturing students who would be the strongest, so that they will never be alone and, most of all, so he would not be alone too.

In Gojo, we see his wisdom: the loneliness of strength can only be healed with love.

Or does it hint to the end…?

“End of a Dream.” An ending where everyone atones and happy days continue

Kenjaku once said the space between dreams and reality is an enchantment (まじない) — a protection against evil

Expect nothing or the most meta-disturbing conclusion to his story ever#JJK270 pic.twitter.com/WlByfKOYNG

— Lightning (@lightningclare) September 22, 2024

In Chapter 160, Kenjaku visits one of Yuji’s occult club friends, Setsuko Sasaki, and mentions that the space between reality and dreams is a “curse” or “enchantment”, depending on the translation (this used to be “cursed realm”, according to TCB scanlations).

The Twitter user @lightningclaire postulates that the term is not a curse or cursed realm, the latter thought by the fanbase as more of a spiritual dimension (like where Jogo saw Hanami and Dagon in Chapter ), but rather refers to a “spell”.

Something like a Domain Expansion.

This means that “end of a dream” could also mean the end of Jujutsu Society itself, which also ties to Gojo’s dream.

The End of Jujutsu 

Tengen’s barriers remind me somewhat of Fullmetal Alchemist’s Father and how he blocked or controlled the flow of alchemical energy in Amestris, hence why alchemists cannot use alchemy against him since they use HIS energy to perform their attacks.

Although Jujutsu society is sinister in foundation, the barriers were a necessary separation so that the world outside could not experience the tragedies Japan goes through regularly.

Bearing this sacrificial role is also how Jujutsu sorcerers have been living and dying all this time, without ordinary humans knowing what is going on.

As we know, Bleach inspired Gege Akutami heavily and you could see it via Kido incantations, the use of Domain-like Bankai, Tengen being akin to the Soul King, a maimed or, in this case, mutated god that maintains a malicious balance, as well as the Merger Plan being similar to Yhwach’s desire to unite all three worlds to end the concept of death.

The Soul King in Bleach divides the worlds between the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo for the hollows, and, the Soul Society for the dead in order to prevent

I bring all this up because there are serious implications

Ever since Chapter 220, we have learned that the Culling Game seemingly signals the end of Jujutsu Society.

That is because even as far back as the start of Hidden Inventory in Chapter 66, we know that the barriers are essentially what create Sorcerers.

Curses will solely exist in Japan and since majority of the world’s cursed energy is created by humans in Japan, it also means it is a breeding ground for humans with the brains to properly use jujutsu, Jujutsu Sorcerers.

This also explains only a few humans outside Japan, such as Miguel’s village in Kenya, have the ability to use jujutsu.

Without Tengen’s barrier, not only will curses spawn worldwide but it will lead to untold chaos.

The profession of Jujutsu Sorcerer will be more complicated

Dreams and Domains

The term “dream” is also connected to the idea of innate domains, which are inner worlds every person is born with that reflects their souls.

It also makes sense that the body is the barrier that contains the innate domain.

This ties to Mahito and Kenjaku’s differences in the science of the soul: Mahito believes the soul exists before the body and shapes it while Kenjaku sees both concept as one and the same, which also explains how Kenjaku’s mastery of barrier techniques allow his body/soul, contained in his brain, to hold so many cursed techniques.

By the logic of Jujutsu, the end of a dream happens when the innate Domain expands through Domain Expansion.

The best reflection of this is with Yuji Itadori’s Domain Expansion, which we already covered.

Yuji realizes his Innate Domain and it so happens to reflect his dream as a person to live a meaningful life and that dream still carries over in the final battle with Sukuna in Chapter 266 as reality and Yuji’s dream world connect, albeit contained within the barrier.

The concept of dreams becoming reality can possibly transcend Domain Expansions through Fumihiko Takaba’s Cursed Technique, Comedian.

In Chapter 270, it seems that Takaba has “resurrected” Kenjaku by recreating him as his comedy partner, similar to how Takaba created an audience out of thin air.

Since Takaba’s Comedian warps reality, seemingly without a barrier or sign that it is a Domain Expansion, whatever he makes is not only tangible and “real” but perceived by the world at large.

Takaba’s dream has both “ended” and is never-ending because he still has his confidence as a comedian to keep up the reality he makes, therefore ending its abstract state as a dream/innate domain but it continues on, as if his reality is an ongoing dream.

So if the space between dreams and reality is a spell, Jujutsu if you will, and if Jujutsu is founded on Tengen’s barriers, what will happen next?

It’s odd that ever since Yuji’s domain expansion, the narrator hasn’t weighed in on anything that has happened. I wonder if Yuji’s domain is somehow still active? Or another persons dream within Yuji’s domain?

— Seth Vanzura (@svanzura) September 22, 2024

There is a comment from @lightningclaire’s tweet that made the observation that the narrator of the series has not said anything since Yuji expanded his Domain in Chapter 264.

In fact, it was exactly the comment on Yuji finally grasping barriers that ends the narrator’s role (for now?)

Which makes it seem like Tengen’s role is taken over by Yuji Itadori by virtue of Yuji finally having a grasp of the true shape of jujutsu.

Some would think the narrator is Tengen, although it would be hard to tell considering the narrator still made comments as late as Chapter 264 but then again Tengen was consumed by Sukuna as a cursed womb, so perhaps Tengen’s soul lived on during the battle.

Regardless, this is an interesting possibility or a subtle theme of Yuji, as the protagonist and bearer of the new generation of sorcerers, taking over from the status quo of the old, possibly leading to some innovations in jujutsu or the dangerous, miserable practice of being a sorcerer slowly improving.

Alternatively, the narrator’s absence after Chapter 264 could mean that the rest of the story is Yuji’s dream still ongoing, just as Takaba’s dream has not stopped after Yuta cut Kenjaku’s head off.

Perhaps we are slowly seeing the effects of that dream’s end.

Gojo’s dream is fulfilled as, after he died with the elders and remnants of the old world, Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara, Yuta, Maki, Panda, Inumaki, Todo, Hakari, Kirara, Miwa, Ui-ui and all the Jujutsu students can live more peacefully.

There is no more need for Star Vessels, Sukuna vessels, a restrictive New Shadow School, or the strongest sorcerers.

But what will be the outcome of the final chapter, where our main trio look for the last unaccounted Culling Game player?

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