 Damn monkeys. Geto Suguru has a savior complex. Jujutsu Kaisen deals a lot with religion and religious symbolism, and Geto is a prime example. Right away, we can look at what he wears for the majority of the series. A robe with a gold casaya, traditionally worn by fully ordained Buddhist monks. In volume zero, Geto is pretending to be this savior of cursed humans, as he quote cures non-sorcerers. One of the newly cured humans compares Geto to Buddha. He agrees with their sentiments, even though she is a monkey. Geto has always seen himself in this role. However, it's interesting, because if there's anyone in this series that would be compared to Buddha, it would be Gojo. As he is the one who reached enlightenment, and he became the honored one. A title shared with the Buddha himself. A line that is not meant to be arrogant, but instead just objectively true, as it was for Gojo. Geto being compared to Buddha here, and agreeing, turns him into this sort of perverted version of Gojo, and of the actual Buddha. Geto would also go on to suggest that they, the sorcerers, are the gods of their world. That they are higher beings. This symbolism continues throughout the series, and in chapter 70, even before his fall, the cover of the chapter is very symbolic, as it illustrates Geto as a sort of messianic figure to these curses, who are all bowing down, praying to Geto. Geto seems to be in a very particular pose. This pose is very similar to the Vittarika Mudra pose. It's a gesture attributed to the occasions where the Buddha quote taught the correct ways in life. Such as the Four Noble Truths. With the sun beaming behind Geto, he also resembles common depictions of Jesus Christ. This imagery suggests that Geto would essentially become a god or a savior for these curses, and possibly for sorcerers. It could also suggest that Geto capturing and taming these curses is maybe a way of saving them. Suggesting that their relationship is a bit deeper than just cursed spirit, and cursed manipulator. In the official Jujutsu Kaisen fanbook, Mangaka Gege Akutami even goes on to say that Toji's cursed spirit, called Geto, mother. In the hidden inventory arc, the young Geto's first line is that it's not nice to pick on the weak, referring to Utehime. Geto has a strong sense of duty and responsibility as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. For him, Jujutsu Sorcerers must protect non-sorcerers. Not only their physical health, but as he says, the containment of cursed spirits is of utmost importance for their peace of mind. Through this savior complex, he believes the very essence of Jujutsu, the very reason Jujutsu exists, is to protect non-sorcerers. Therefore, Geto believes all non-sorcerers are inherently less than Jujutsu Sorcerers, but he is reluctant to admit precisely that. Geto applies this morality, this inherent reasoning and logic to Jujutsu. That is where he and Gojo differ. For Gojo, Jujutsu simply is. There is no reasoning or responsibility that Jujutsu inherently has. Instead, the people wielding it are the ones who use it for whatever purpose they assign to it, not the inverse. Gojo doesn't believe that he is required to save people because he is the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer. He can simply exist with that title, and what he chooses to do afterwards is not a result of his power or the responsibility that he innately has, but instead a result of the choices that he will make. But this ideological difference doesn't impact their friendship. In fact, I'd argue it makes it stronger. The fact that the two can clash over their ideals even to the point of physically fighting each other, but still maintain tremendous respect and desire to be best friends, shows the strength of their bond. It also stresses that the friends come from two very different places. As the prodigy, the child of one of the big three Jujutsu families, Gojo has never been swayed by sorcerers or non-sorcerers. He understands that one's ability to perform Jujutsu does not determine one's strength or one's capability. He understands the power of money, fame, religion, and he has seen the power of non-sorcerers before. So for him, strength alone is paramount, sorcerer or not. Whereas Geto, whose parents are non-sorcerers, he has lived alongside and seen the preciousness of the weak first hand, and the damage that her spirits can do to the weak. So he sees non-sorcerers in a much different light. As Gojo and Geto are tasked to save Riko, the Star Plasma vessel, Geto approaches this mission with much more care and compassion than Gojo does. Geto is naturally more empathetic than his friend. The sorcerer regularly reflects on how he presents himself to superiors and juniors, and how one must address these people. Geto has thought about Riko's last days, and how she'll no longer be able to see her family and her friends. So he ensures that her final days are enjoyable. Compared to Gojo, Geto seems like he has worked tirelessly and thought endlessly about his purpose, his place in the world, and his impact in the grand scheme of things. Geto is the one spearheading this plan to bring Riko to Tengen, and seems to be coordinating a lot of their mission, with Gojo taking more of a muscle type role. So Geto continuously blames himself throughout the mission for things that go wrong. But as their mission progresses, he's able to give Riko the choice to either merge with Tengen or go back home, as discussed with Gojo. Riko's choice here would end up being her final words. Toji Fushiguro kills the girl and tells the sorcerer that he also killed Gojo, which enrages Geto. But instead of fighting, Toji is there first to talk. Almost like he understood exactly how to get under Geto's skin. Geto has always been confident in his abilities. He's confident enough to challenge the Gojo Satoru constantly. He and Gojo both call their duo the strongest. But I always thought that a small part of him knew that he was never truly at the level that Gojo was, or that Gojo could attain. The sick size is this lazy aloof sorcerer who's frankly born lucky. It just so happens that he is the one sorcerer in hundreds of years to be born in the Gojo family who wields both Limitless and the sick size. So there's so much more to be desired from the prodigy. And it's something that I think Geto always knew. And so when Geto and Toji talk, Toji goes on and on about how he killed Gojo. Toji repeatedly calls Gojo the sick size, and Toji goes on at length about how his plan was tailor made to take down Gojo. Geto was of course angry on behalf of his best friend, but it could be perceived that he was a bit annoyed that he was overlooked. The sick size was the big fish, the main attraction. Geto was an afterthought, and Toji handled him quite easily. No game plan needed. And to boot, after he defeats him, Toji tells the sorcerer something extremely personal. That despite his perception of weakness in their world, despite his savior complex, for all the quote blessings he has, he lost to a monkey who can't use jujutsu. A line that would go on to define Geto's pursuit. Gojo then seemingly returns from the dead with Riko's body, having defeated Toji. And all of the plasma star vessel people, all of these non-sorcerers, are here applauding their failure. These are the people Geto has dedicated his life's work to. The people he is supposed to save and protect. One of them nearly killed him and his best friend. He killed Riko, and these people are here happy and smiling. But Geto is still a jujutsu sorcerer, and reason determines his every step. So he can't bring himself to harm even these people, because they are non-sorcerers, and it's a sorcerer's job to protect the weak. We then skip to a year after these events, and Gojo, now seeking out his true potential, is learning how to become even stronger. This was his reaction to these events. To become so powerful that nothing could ever slip past him. He is widening the gap between him and Geto daily. Satoru became the strongest, as acknowledged by the sorcerer, and Geto was just Geto. Now going on missions alone because of Gojo's new status. The past year had curses spawn even more than usual, so Geto's workload grew. He always had Gojo around with him. But now he was alone, and the psychological impact of his ability was now taking its toll on the sorcerer. While Gojo's limitless allows him to manipulate space, to touch only the things that he desires and to repel the unwanted, Geto's ability was the complete opposite. It's a gruesome, exhausting ability without choice. An endless cycle of exorcism and consumption, he says. Geto doesn't simply just control these curses, he has to ingest these curses, that are created by non-sorcerer's negative emotions. He likens the action to ingesting a rag used to wipe up vomit. Geto has to do that over and over and over again. And for what? For whom? he asks. The only reason Geto continued to use this repulsive ability is because of his sense of duty. Duty is the thing that drives him. Responsibility gets him through every single curse that he must swallow. This is the price of power, the price of duty, the cost of saving the weak. And because he is the only curse manipulator, he has no one else to bear this burden with. Geto's entire motivation as a jujutsu sorcerer is that he is a sorcerer for others. He doesn't believe in the inherent power of jujutsu like Gojo for example. But after his encounter with Toji, the monkey king, he can no longer place all non-sorcerer's on the same level. He cannot categorize all non-sorcerer's as weak anymore. After all, he was nearly killed by a monkey. Gojo was almost killed by a monkey. And after all that, he was greeted by the plasma star vessel monkeys who applauded their failure. So if he can't discern who is worth saving anymore, who is he supposed to save then? What is his duty then as a jujutsu sorcerer? The preciousness of the weak, the ugliness of the weak. He says that he cannot distinguish whether the weak are predators or prey. These questions have been running Geto absolutely mad. You can see it in his face, in his eyes. That scene of him in the shower was animated perfectly. That absolutely tortured look and the only thing he can hear while juxtaposed with the sound of the shower head, those damned monkeys. His entire purpose has been challenged and he has nowhere to go, and no one else to turn to. In the following scenes, he meets up with Haibara and Yuki. Haibara, who is such a contrast to the dejected Geto, is this happy-go-lucky student, his eyes filled with wonder. Haibara doesn't ponder on things the way Geto does. He represents the goodness of jujutsu, the person Geto has always been, someone who feels good when he is giving his all towards something he knows he can help with. Yuki, on the other hand, shares some of the other aspects of Geto's character. She, too, has reflected profoundly on the state of jujutsu, curses, and its future. Yuki desires a world where curses don't exist anymore. And it's in this conversation with Yuki that Geto for the very first time learns that jujutsu sorcerers don't actually create curses, but instead it's the fault of every non-sorcerer for the existence of curses. Yuki also explains to him that a world without curses is nearly impossible. Geto then suggests killing all non-sorcerers. Yuki looks at him, but doesn't reprimand him. She simply continues the conversation, even citing it as the easiest route to a world without curses. She notes that this would force humanity to evolve, an idea that Geto would strongly believe in later on. Yuki also looks down on non-sorcerers, but she isn't as tortured as Geto is. And she isn't aware of the mental state that Geto is in. From an interview with the mangaka, they state that Yuki's words to Geto did not include her own intentions, but simply it was an objective reading of things. Hybara's death in the very next scenes that follow, coupled with Yuki's words, creates a fear in Geto. He begins to fear for his fellow sorcerers, he says. He realizes that sorcerers are in fact the ones who need to be protected. Sorcerers like Hybara go out of their way and put their lives on the line constantly for the people who create the very curses they fight to destroy. And for what exactly? For non-sorcerers peace of mind? For their safety? What about the safety of the sorcerers? The lives of the sorcerers? Do they not matter? What a paradoxical world they live in, where the strong must submit to the weak. These are the thoughts that are running through Geto's mind. Non-sorcerers often control every aspect of society. And so it's possibly not long until sorcerers are the ones who are hunted because these weak non-sorcerers have that ugliness to them. That's savagery. Geto's decision to adopt the two cursed human girls is an extension of these newfound beliefs. The treatment of these girls for Geto represented the ugliness of humanity, or of non-sorcerers to be more specific. On a grander scale, how to fear of their cursed abilities, the non-sorcerers lock these two in cages, physically abuse them, even threaten to kill them until Geto came along. You have no idea how sorcerers are treated, they would go on to say. If we look at the world at large, non-sorcerers outweigh sorcerers by such a vast margin, and yet sorcerers are the ones who are supposed to suffer. Geto has always been a sorcerer for others, and now instead of protecting the weak, he aims to preserve the strong. Geto fears that they will become extinct despite being the superior species. Many people blame Yuuki for Geto's change, but to me, this seems like the inevitable, albeit tragic outcome for Geto, considering the events that had happened in his life. Geto is an individual who relies on reason to keep him going, but if there are holes in his reasoning and in his logic, he will naturally try to unpack why. That is his nature. Geto starts to see the world for what it truly is, a morally great place where both sorcerers and non-sorcerers are capable of great good and evil. So he was naturally going to reach a point where he had to confront himself and his own reasons and biases. Geto had to face the root of his metamorphosis, and most of all, he had to face down that part of him that looks down on non-sorcerers. Yuuki only told him to make a choice. She let him know that he still had a choice. Geto chose to kill all non-sorcerers and to protect his jujutsu brother. In addition to that, Geto's loneliness was a big factor at play. Gojo meant a ton to Geto. Even when the two were no longer friends, Geto's daughters can only speak of Gojo and their relationship positively, stating that Gojo was Geto's only best friend. With Gojo no longer there to challenge his friends' ideas and accompany him while he was ingesting these curses, Geto felt increasingly isolated and perhaps even feared telling Gojo of some of these impulses. I think the final factor was that Geto realized that his strength could only take him so far. Once he acknowledges that he does not stand alongside Gojo anymore, and that Saturu alone is the strongest, he starts to feel powerless in his pursuit to protect the weak. He becomes envious that Gojo possesses the power to do the impossible, and he doesn't. Couple that with their friendship slowly withering, and it led to resentment for the world's strongest sorcerer. When he and Gojo meet in the city, Geto tells Gojo that such a world without non-sorcerers is possible because Gojo has the power to kill all non-sorcerers. When Gojo refuses, Geto asks his best friend, are you the strongest because you're Saturu Gojo, or are you Saturu Gojo because you're the strongest? With one line, he challenges his best friend's character. He touches on one of Gojo's biggest insecurities, essentially telling him that he is nothing without the power he was born into, that he doesn't have a mind of his own or ideals of his own, that he hides behind and is a slave to his own strength. It hurts even more coming from Geto, because their friendship was always based on mutual ground and understanding. Gojo always saw and respected Geto as someone of equal strength, and Geto never made mention of Gojo's tremendous abilities or of his lineage. He was friends with Gojo because they could understand each other past strength, because they could elevate each other. Geto was the only friend that Gojo ever had that could meet him on such a level, so Geto asking him this was destabilizing for the success. Gojo even used Geto at some points to be his moral compass, that's how deep their trust went, but it's that lack of autonomy that makes Geto's words cut even deeper. This was the final blow to their friendship. Geto begins to see his pursuit as honorable, citing that killing non-sorcerers is justice. The curse user had embraced this role with such conviction that he left all his humanity behind. In volume zero, you can really see how the years apart have changed him to the point where he would disinfect himself after even having contact with non-sorcerers to get rid of the quote monkey stench. He would note that monkeys are only useful if they could give money to him or curses. If they provide neither, Geto would kill them without blinking an eye. This is a man who couldn't be happy in this world from the bottom of his heart. But I think that dying with Gojo at his side was something that he was truly okay with. Geto said that there's nothing more important in life than self-affirmation. But that is what he's always been chasing. Throughout everything he does, all the stances he takes, he always needed to have full belief and conviction that whatever he was doing was for the right reason, that whatever he was doing affirmed the beliefs that he already had. No matter how these reasons have changed or how much they've been warped, his goal to kill all non-sorcerers as backwards as it was still had a level of logic and reason at its core. Geto didn't just change on a whim, those key events destabilized his reasoning and his logic. Non-sorcerers were always the problem. He changed once he finally accepted that that was his truth. Yuki told him that he still had time to choose. That was his choice. That's the kind of man Geto has always been. He only gave himself a reason. A man who desired self-affirmation. And in the end, a man who yearned for genuine happiness in a world he knew couldn't provide it to him. And so he tried by any means necessary to make that world all by himself.