Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episodes 1-3Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen are learning more about the main character, Satoru Gojo, through the ventures of his past in season 2. Early on in this season, it's clear that younger Gojo is not the same as when he is an adult. He is stuck in his juvenile and self-centered ways with even fewer redeeming qualities than his adult self, and the biggest question is what happened to him in his past.
As season 2 presses on, a clearer picture is formed of how Gojo transformed into the adult he is in the film Jujutsu Kaisen: 0 and season 1. While there are only subtle changes to his character, they have left an irreplaceable impact on the main narrative. Young Gojo's mission to watch over the character Riko, alongside his classmate Suguru Geto, appears to be a large part of his change in character, but there are also many hints that this transformation will not come easily.
Comparing Gojos
As an adult, there are many qualities that Gojo carried over from his teen years. He still has a degree of immaturity even in the most serious situations and is very easygoing. Although it is certainly justified, his arrogance has no limitations due to the immense power he was born with. Despite continuing to have these traits (which are often seen as negative by his comrades), he is without question a changed man from his teen years.
From the first two episodes of season 2, it's revealed that young Gojo is even more crude in his behavior with little to no manners, even in front of his superiors and complete strangers. At first, he acts like he doesn't care much about anything or anyone, even in the face of Riko, a young girl who is sacrificing her life for the greater good. By episode 3, however, young Gojo shows the first sign that he is capable of compassion by spending an entire day exhausting himself to ensure Riko's safety and happiness, which doesn't come as a big surprise to Geto. This means that even as a bratty teen, Gojo does care, he just doesn't show his compassion nearly as much as he does in his adult years. Without a clear goal or purpose for his often misunderstood actions, young Gojo is mistaken for a temperamental, juvenile teen. When the Jujutsu Kaisen film premiered, the Gojo that was on screen was already the driven mentor figure introduced in season 1. With the way that season 2 is progressing, it's likely that Gojo's change in character from a boorish teen to a mostly respected adult happens within this season.
Gojo's Transformation is a Major Plot Point of Season 2
Long before the second season began, it was clear that the focus would be on Gojo's past. By extension, this makes his character development a central focus of the narrative. Granted, viewers gain further knowledge of Jujutsu society and cursed energy lore, as well as an understanding of how the character Suguru Geto fits into the story, but the main point of season 2 is to understand Gojo. As one of the most important characters in the story, season 2 serves to explain how Gojo became the man who would mentor the protagonist Yuji and slowly start a revolution in Jujutsu society.
If Gojo remained the temperamental teen of his past, he would have never been the person to spare Yuji from execution, and mentor him, Megumi, Nobara, and the rest of their classmates so they can change the state of the world for the better. Younger Gojo would never have cared enough to act as a leader for this newer generation. He also would never have the right amount of self-discipline to do so, and while he may still seem childish as an adult, he has the strength and wisdom only achieved after training his mind and body diligently. The question of how and why his character changes is hidden in season 2, and so far, it doesn't look like an easy transformation.
Change Won't Be Easy For Young Gojo
As a member of the legendary Gojo clan and wielder of both the Six Eyes and Limitless techniques, Gojo is born naturally overpowered. He begins to hone these skills at a young age, making him a force to be feared by even the most veteran fighters, including Toji Fushiguro. This is why he is so full of himself; he knows what he is capable of and how powerful he can be. Being doted on from a young age made him feel above others and unlikely to change himself or listen to anyone else. Young Gojo rarely admits fault unless a plan completely fails, which is why in order for him to change, something devastating and unexpected will most likely occur.
Based on the film and season 1, Gojo is presented as a character with a great deal of intrigue in his background, most likely carrying an vast history of tragedies. As an adult, he shows that death and loss don't faze him, but the pain isn't alien to him either. With season 2 being another prequel story, it is already known that Gojo has a falling out with Geto and watches him die, but the question remains as to what exactly reshapes Gojo into someone who aims to change Jujutsu society. Without relaying any specific spoilers for the first four episodes of season 2, these idealistic goals that adult Gojo has are not revealed in young Gojo. Young Gojo is already aware that the Jujutsu society relies heavily on sacrifices and tradition, so something even worse than that will have to happen to Gojo for him to start considering a revolution.
There's also the hint of the anime's overall depressing mood. All mentor figures in this series emphasize the pain and suffering that sorcerers face in their daily lives, meaning that this happens to everyone, including Gojo. From what is known about Gojo in both his younger and older years, the cruel reality of sorcerers has never stopped him from moving forward. Young Gojo is stubborn and stuck in his ways, not easily fazed by the cruelness of reality; this implies that something truly tragic happens that transforms him from an uninspired prodigy into an inspirational leader.
