If you’ve already finished watching all the episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen that have been released so far, then you might have contemplated reading the manga. It will take a while before the next season comes out, and then immersing yourself in the tragedies of the manga is starting to look like a good idea.
As somebody keeping tabs on Jujutsu Kaisen’s manga, I can say that some volumes are better than others. That doesn’t mean the ones ranking lower are bad. They’re just not full of too many exciting or significant events. But the best among these volumes contains memorable chapters with explosive fights and shocking revelations.
26. Volume 1: Ryomen Sukuna
This isn’t the first time a shonen hero has had to consume an oddly disgusting object to get a power-up. Yuji, prior to eating Sukuna’s finger, was already strong. The consequences of eating a cursed finger don’t really mean much until he is threatened with execution by the mysterious world of sorcery.
We get to meet Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, and even Sukuna in these few chapters. But this is just the start of everything. We’re just getting to know the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, but the first few chapters wouldn’t be enough to get you invested in its story.
25. Volume 0: Binding Darkness
“Binding Darkness,” which comes before the first volume, introduced us to the concept of how curses are formed. Although this is only confirmed in a later arc and becomes Geto Suguru’s villain origin story, the first few chapters already gave us a hint on how curses work.
This dynamic between humans and curses was skillfully shown through Yuta and Rika’s story. There’s no explanation given there, but it’s curious that Yuta has one of the most powerful curses latched on to him in the form of his childhood friend.
24. Volume 2: Fearsome Womb
“Fearsome Womb” made Jujutsu Kaisen fans witness a drop of Gojo Satoru’s power in these few chapters. It’s pretty much game over once Satoru activates domain expansion, which makes him such a formidable foe against evil sorcerers and curses alike.
But Satoru also showed off a bit by fighting Sukuna, who possessed Yuji Itadori for the first time. Not only is Satoru strong, but he also knows how to throw fists. Eating crinkly fingers does have consequences, but luckily for our main character, Yuji’s immune from the control of Sukuna.
23. Volume 3: Young Fish and Reverse Punishment
Jujutsu Kaisen’s has a lot of bad people, and that includes school bullies and curses who have the ability to think for themselves. Yuji was fortunate to have found the right people, but Junpei, a lonely high schooler, didn’t have the same luck.
This volume introduced Mahito, one of the most scorned and dangerous villains in the earlier arcs of the manga. His manipulation of Junpei is part of what made him a threat, but seeing Mahito’s ability to disfigure souls was what made him a dangerous curse. This arc was brutal, but it was necessary for setting Mahito up to be one of the best villains in the series.
22. Volume 7: The Origin of Obedience
We finally get to see Nobara, Yuji, and Megumi’s teamwork in action when they investigate the Cursed Womb Death Paintings in these chapters. An important detail in this volume was that we found out that Megumi actually has a sister, which we’re sure will make an appearance in the latter events of the series.
For first-year high school students from Tokyo Jujutsu High, their teamwork is good enough to eliminate two Cursed Womb Death Paintings. This was no easy feat for Yuji and his gang, which makes this chapter rank above the other earlier volumes.
21. Volume 6: Black Flash
The Kyoto Goodwill Event was invaded by curses, and it’s up to the Tokyo Jujutsu High sorcerers and Kyoto Jujutsu High sorcerers to band together against them.
Even if Gojo Satoru finishes everything off, seeing the students do their best to fight against the curses was an exciting thing to read. In particular, seeing Yuji and Todo Aoi fight alongside each other is a good blend of goofy and satisfying.
20. Volume 4: I’m Gonna Kill You!
The sixth volume introduced us to Nanami Kento and context regarding domain expansions, black flashes, and cursed energy. Aside from that, the chapters also gave us epic fights between Mahito and Nanami.
There’s nothing to dislike about these chapters except a character’s demise because a rescue came in too late. But we got the fundamentals of sorcery and a few great fights, all thanks to a frustrated salaryman who returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
19. Volume 10: Evening Festival
The Shibuya Incident was traumatic not just for all the sorcerers involved but also for the fans of Jujutsu Kaisen. The Evening Festival is the calm before the storm of events to come, and it started off by revealing Kokichi Muta as the traitor within Kyoto Jujutsu High.
Everything that followed was just total chaos from here on out, but at least the Shibuya Incident Arc opened in a very exciting way. This volume showed that the sorcerers were blindsided by the events to come, which is a good way to move the plot forward.
18. Volume 20: Sendai Colony – Height of the Feast
This volume doesn’t come until the Cullin Game Arc of Jujutsu Kaisen, but it’s as predictable as you’d expect from the bloodiest arcs in the manga. Simply put, there’s a lot of killing, and a lot of minor characters are getting killed.
In order to get more points for the games, Yuta has to fight several evolved sorcerers, thanks to Kenjaku. Some of these participants might have more cursed energy, but these chapters prove that it’ll take more than talent to win the Culling Games.
17. Volume 5: Kyoto Sister School Goodwill Event
What makes the Kyoto Goodwill Event volume so good? Even if it was supposed to be a fun event for young sorcerers, curses managed to gate-crash Tokyo Jujutsu High and cause a lot of destruction.
The chapters in this volume were able to show the different cursed techniques of each student from the two sister schools, and they were also able to unravel complex family ties between some characters. Who would’ve thought Maki and Megumi were cousins when one of them practically has no cursed energy?
16. Volume 16: The Shibuya Incident – Gate Close
After the bloodbath of the Shibuya Incident, Volume 16 was a rather calm way to end the messy arc. It was quiet, but necessary for all the readers to recover from the series of tragic events that unfolded in the past chapters.
But Yuji and the rest have no plans to stop, and rescuing Satoru seems to be one of their main priorities. It’s also in this arc that we get to understand the Zenin Clan and why Toji did his best to keep Megumi away from them. Overall, this volume was a necessary pause for the even bigger storm coming.
15. Volume 8: Hidden Inventory
Gojo Satoru’s past and high school life were featured in the “Hidden Inventory” volume. Needless to say, we could only wish for him to be reunited with Geto Suguru. These couple of “besties” were the happiest in their youth, but not for long. After a mission gone wrong, Gojo Satoru was killed in one of the chapters by Toji Fushiguro.
It’s both a curse and a blessing to be born “the strongest,” and for Satoru, that only meant having to get stronger than he already was. These chapters provide important context about Gojo Satoru, and this volume also contains the manga’s most iconic panel of Gojo Satoru proclaiming that he alone is “the honored one.”
14. Volume 9: Premature Death
But if Satoru and Suguru’s friendship was so strong, what went wrong? How did Geto Suguru become the worst curse user in history? After finding out the truth behind curses and the death of another friend, Geto Suguru had enough of non-sorcerers.
This volume was interesting because it showed the downward spiral of Geto Suguru. It was a saddening fall from one of the world’s special-grade sorcerers to a cult leader who kills non-sorcerers wantonly. What makes these chapters fascinating is that, despite all he’s done, many readers still justify Suguru’s actions.
13. Volume 12: The Shibuya Incident – Summon
Some sorcerers can teleport as a cursed technique? Choso’s brothers were the curses Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji killed early on? Oh, and Yuji’s related to the Cursed Womb Death Paintings? These are things we didn’t think would be revealed in the events of the Shibuya Incident, but they’re welcome realizations.
There were also many great fights to be had in this Jujutsu Kaisen volume, including Choso and Yuji’s fight. MAPPA did a spectacular job at bringing this fight to life, but we were all shocked to find out that Choso was Yuji’s brother in Chapter 106 of the manga.
12. Volume 13: The Shibuya Incident – Thunderclap
Imagine having your dead father come back to life to fight you and chase you all over Shibuya, only to realize that you’re his son and that he has to die in order to protect you from his bloodlust. The only thing worse than all of that is not knowing that your assailant is actually your estranged father.
Aside from revealing who Megumi’s real father is, we also got to see Toji Fushiguro tear a curse down with brute strength. This volume’s a good read, based on shock value and fight scenes you can’t look away from.
11. Volume 14: The Shibuya Incident – Right and Wrong
The only thing that went wrong in these chapters was the deaths of two beloved characters. It was a painful volume to read through, and Mahito easily became one of the series’ most hated characters.
But what made these chapters great was Yuji himself, who chose not to give up in the face of constant loss. He lost an important mentor and, later on, a friend in these chapters from just one curse he couldn’t kill. It’s heartbreaking, but important for Yuji’s character development.
10. Volume 15: The Shibuya Incident – Transformation
Arguably, the anime did better by adding a touch of Todo Aoi’s delusional music video. But in these chapters, we get to see Mahito transform into his most deadly form. Despite this, Yuji and Aoi still gave Mahito his well-deserved beatdown.
Yuji was able to master black flash, and through this, he was able to beat Mahito. The teamwork between Yuji and Aoi was strong, and revenge against Mahito was satisfying, to say the least.
9. Volume 11: The Shibuya Incident – Gate Open
A lot of terrifying things happen in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, but the start of the Shibuya Incident was practically the beginning of the end. Not even three chapters in, Gojo Satoru has already been sealed in the prison realm, all because of Kenjaku in Geto Suguru’s body.
It’s a terrifying thought to have the strongest sorcerer out of the picture while curses run amok, but it was a good way to raise the stakes in the arc.
8. Volume 18: Fever
It’s actually possible to be suspended from Tokyo Jujutsu High, and Hakari is proof of this. But since Tokyo Jujustu High and sorcerers all over Japan are strapped for allies, even a rogue high school sorcerer would have useful arms. It also helps that he has unique cursed energy and a cursed technique that relies on luck.
Yuji’s great at persuading people to side with him, mainly because he’s likeable. Even somebody like Hakari managed to get onboard with Yuji, and it only took a few punches for him to finally agree to joining forces with Yuji.
7. Volume 17: Perfect Preparation
The Perfect Preparation volume showed that Maki Zenin isn’t to be messed with. She’s practically as strong as Toji Fushiguro was, and she was able to singlehandedly take down her clan on her own.
What makes Maki’s growth as a sorcerer admirable is that she was able to become extremely strong, even if she was undermined for being a woman in a family that didn’t want her. What they did to Maki and Mai was cruel, but the Zenin Clan got what they deserved in these volumes.
6. Volume 18: Tokyo Colony No 2. – Incredible Luck
Kashimo was introduced in these chapters as one of the strongest contenders in the Culling Game. He was also an ancient sorcerer revived during these games by Kenjaku, so expectations were riding high on him. So it’s a little silly that a suspended high schooler like Hakari is able to match up against him.
The hype and expectations that were placed on Kashimo were reasonable. Later on, it will be proven that he’s definitely strong, but not the smartest on the battlefield. Even if Kashimo might not live up to expectations, we’re shown a bit of Hakari’s power during their fight, which will be important for later chapters.
5. Volume 19: Tokyo Colony No. 1 – Angry Man
The Culling Game is now in full swing, and some powerful sorcerers have risen due to Kenjaku’s influence. Hiromi Higuruma, a frustrated lawyer turned sorcerer, was one of the best sorcerers to emerge in the game.
Normally, many wouldn’t even bother with risking their lives in the Culling Games. But Higuruma’s backstory proves that there are many good reasons to go into the Culling Games, especially if you’re frustrated with a corrupt society that you can’t change.
4. Volume 22: Sakurajima Colony – Resurrection
Naoya wasn’t a good character in life, but he became a curse in death. Volume 22 showed him resurrected as a curse, and he became stronger than ever. Regardless, it only took Maki a few chapters to beat him and prove why she was definitely stronger than him.
All the spotlight was on Maki during this volume, but it’s well-deserved given all she’s had to put up with in her clan. It’s a wonder what Gege Akutami will be using her for in the story later on, but the strength she showed in this chapter proves that she’s a strong contender in the final chapters of the manga.
3. Volume 23: Stars and Oil
There’s nothing worse than a meaningless sacrifice. In her plan to have Kenjaku consumed by a blackhole, Yuki Tsukumo used her cursed technique at her expense. It was a devastating loss, but Kenjaku wouldn’t be a dangerous villain if he could be so easily stopped.
But one of the best things to come out of this volume was Choso and his commitment to keep living as a human instead of as a curse.
2. Volume 24: Fearsome Womb – Recurrence
One of the sickest plot twists in Jujutsu Kaisen is contained in this volume. We now understand why Sukuna was obsessed with Megumi, and it was all so that he could possess Megumi and take control of his Ten Shadows Technique.
If that wasn’t enough, Sukuna also killed Megumi’s family in these chapters. His chances of survival are slim, but even if Megumi takes control of his body again, things wouldn’t be the same. He might not even have the full functions of his cursed technique anymore.
1. Volume 25: Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown
But there’s hope now that Gojo Satoru has been unsealed, right? Despite Megumi getting possessed by Sukuna and many other characters dying in the process, Gojo Satoru, “the strongest,” was finally back in action.
As he declared, “nah, I’d win.” This is one of the best promises ever made in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. It would be very disappointing if he broke that promise and got sliced in half instead.
(featured images: Gege Akutami)
