What happened to Gakuganji at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen? Explored

As fans may remember, Yoshinobu Gakuganji from Jujutsu Kaisen was painted as one of the most sinister characters from Jujutsu Tech due to his persistence in trying to get Yuji Itadori executed. However, as the series progressed, fans realized that he was a trustworthy character who was only trying to do what was best for society. So, what happened to Gakuganji at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen?

As revealed by the manga, Gakuganji remained as the Principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen. Following the battle against Ryomen Sukuna, he switched his focus to Tengen's barrier and safeguarding his younger Jujutsu Sorcerer subordinates.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga and reflects the author's opinion.

Gakuganji warms up to others at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen

Gakuganji as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Earlier, Gakuganji seemed too staunched and old-fashioned, unwilling to bend to other's needs. However, as the manga inched closer to its end, it subtly displayed the change in his nature. The first instance was when the manga revealed that he did not disclose Panda's secret after Masamichi Yaga's death.

Gakuganji had learned the process to create a Cursed Corpse like Panda. Such information could have been huge for the Jujutsu higher-ups. Regardless, Gakuganji decided to keep quiet and not leak the information his subordinate shared with him while at his death door.

The Underground Seal as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Another such instance came at the end of the manga. After the battle against Ryomen Sukuna was over, Gakuganji alongside Utahime Iori and Akari Nitta was shown discovering the remnants of Tengen among the remains of Sukuna.

With Tengen reduced to the shreds of his remnants, Gakuganji decided to use Sukuna's remains in an underground seal to keep up Tengen's barriers around Japan. While this would work for the time being, they needed to find a replacement. Hence, Akari and Utahime expressed the need to find countermeasures and alternatives.

Akari Nitta and Utahime Iori as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

However, Gakuganji told them there was no need to rush. While the manga did not properly explain what the Principal meant, he was shown implying that Utahime and Akari were young, hence they did not need to worry about the barrier. The Principal was certain they had time to spare.

Why did Gakuganji's nature change at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen?

Jujutsu Kaisen manga never truly explained why Gakuganji's nature changed but evidence suggests that he always had people's best interests in mind. While at the start he seemed shallow-minded trying to get Yuji executed, he was only doing so to protect the world against Ryomen Sukuna's torment.

Masamichi Yaga as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Later, as the manga progressed, he lost several subordinates to various conflicts. Out of those, he was seemingly most affected by his fellow Jujutsu Tech Principal Masamichi Yaga's death. The Jujutsu higher-ups deemed him responsible for inciting the Shibuya Incident by influencing his former students, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, leading to the large-scale conflict. The sheer lack of reason might have enticed Gakuganji to look after his fellow subordinates.