I Hate You, but I Love You, but I Hate You: What’s So Appealing About Geto?

Summary:

• Suguru Geto is a type of character who turns to the dark side.
• Fans have controversial feelings about him.
• Geto might be the best character Gege has ever written.

With the new season of Jujutsu Kaisen and more perspective that we’re getting on Geto after the movie, fans are talking more and more about this character. Since villains and antagonists are known for being fan favorites, it’s not a surprise, but let’s try to understand what’s so compelling about Geto.

Who is Geto?

Geto was originally a jujutsu sorcerer and a close friend of Gojo. They both used to be students at a jujutsu academy and shared the same views on life. However, Geto’s experience made him hate non-sorcerers and lose any shred of sympathy he has ever had for them. The absolute lack of respect he feels for humans even permeates his language: he calls non-sorcerers “monkeys”; they’re not even people to him.

This “fallen angel” trope has always attracted a lot of fans, there’s just something about seeing a nice character turn into a bizarre and hideous version of themselves. And Geto is no exception. But “Geto bad” is not the only reason for loving him.

Love me, hate me

A number of fans feel rather surprised by their emotions. Some say that Geto is one of their favorite characters (or even the most favorite) in Jujutsu Kaisen, and yet they don’t even like him. How is that possible?

Geto is not the epitome of niceness. The Jujutsu Kaisen movie alone provided plenty of reasons to hate this character, and he’s still extremely popular.

Some fans try to analyze him and think that maybe he’s not that sinister. Him calling people “monkeys”, for example, might be considered a coping mechanism. It’s difficult for him to kill people, that’s why he chooses to see non-sorcerers as clueless animals instead of human beings.

We should not forget that Geto is just a fictional character, and not liking him personally doesn’t necessarily have to prevent you from enjoying watching him. He’s not real (we’re sorry, Geto stans) and will never be capable of hurting you so the atrocities he commits don’t seem this horrible.

On top of that, it’s difficult to deny that Geto is an incredibly deep and well-written character. Fans even say that he is one of the best characters created by Gege, and the author has put great effort into writing him. The way his personality, his emotions, sufferings, motivation and flaws are presented cannot leave you indifferent. And it’s up to you to decide whether you choose to hate the character for this or admire him for this complexity.