why did gojo kill the higher ups

February 17, 2026

In the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, it’s revealed via spoilers for chapter 261 that Gojo Satoru is actually the one who killed the higher‑ups, not Yuta as many fans initially believed.

Core reason: cleaning up a corrupt system

Gojo’s main motive is to remove the old, rigid power structure of Jujutsu Headquarters that kept endangering his students and blocking any real reform.

For years he:

Clashed with the higher‑ups over their treatment of students like Yuji (ordering his execution even when he was still in control of his body).

Hated their refusal to adapt “with the times,” sticking to cruel traditions and political games instead of saving people.

Saw how their decisions worsened disasters like the post‑Shibuya chaos.

By killing them, he’s effectively trying to “reset” jujutsu society so a new, less corrupt leadership can take over.

Personal guilt and trying to “catch up” to Geto

Chapter 261 spoilers explain that Gojo decides on his own to slaughter the higher‑ups before his fight with Sukuna, and he even talks it through with Yuta first.

Key emotional reasons:

He doesn’t want his students to see it because he isn’t sure whether it’s morally right or wrong, so he chooses to bear the stain himself.

He mentions that he has been “left behind” and needs to “catch up to him” – almost certainly referring to Suguru Geto, his best friend who became branded a “monster” for massacring civilians after rejecting jujutsu society’s methods.

By murdering the higher‑ups, Gojo takes on a similar burden: becoming the necessary “monster” so his students don’t have to, mirroring in a twisted way what happened with Geto.

So, it’s not just politics; it’s deeply personal, tied to his grief, guilt, and his warped sense of responsibility.

Strategic goal: putting Gakuganji at the top

Gojo also thinks through the political fallout.
He tells Yuta that if he kills the higher‑ups and then loses to Sukuna, Yoshinobu Gakuganji will likely rise to lead jujutsu society.

That matters because:

Gakuganji’s views significantly shift after Shibuya and after what happened with Yaga, making him more open to change.

Gojo believes that with someone like Gakuganji in charge, the same kind of reckless, cruel decisions from the old elders (like Yuji’s execution orders or chaotic post‑Shibuya handling) would be less likely to happen.

In other words, Gojo isn’t just lashing out; he’s trying to force a leadership transition that gives his students a better future.

How fandom and earlier chapters framed it

When chapter 223 first showed the elders had been massacred, many readers assumed Gojo did it because of his long‑running hatred of them.

However, there was heavy debate:

Some fans argued it was more likely Yuta or even a combo of Yuta and Inumaki, based on hints in chapter 222.

Others speculated Gakuganji might have done it to atone for killing Yaga and for blindly following orders.

Later spoilers clarifying that Gojo was the killer reframe him as someone who finally acted on the “Maybe I should just kill all the higher‑ups” line he once said in anger.

What this does to Gojo’s character

Narratively, having Gojo kill the higher‑ups pushes him toward anti‑hero territory:

If he had done this earlier in the story, some commentators note he would have started to mirror Geto more closely, possibly even being treated as a villain by Jujutsu HQ.

The act underscores a theme: in the jujutsu world, even “heroes” may have to shoulder monstrous deeds to break a corrupt status quo.

So, why did Gojo kill the higher ups?
Because he wanted to tear down a rigid, abusive system, protect his students’ future, carry the moral burden himself (in parallel with Geto), and force jujutsu society into a new era under different leadership, even if it meant becoming a “monster” in the process.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.