Jujutsu Kaisen: Why did Mechamaru betray Jujutsu High? What is the reason behind it?

Kokichi Muta is a supporting character in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. He’s a second-year student at Kyoto Jujutsu High who made his first appearance in the Goodwill Event Arc in season 1 when he had a face-off against Panda.  

Kokichi, however, cannot physically attend school due to a debilitating Heavenly Restriction that left him with a frail and sickly body from the start. To overcome this issue, he uses a unique proxy named Mechamaru to attend school and interact with others.

Mechamaru, Kokichi’s mechanical puppet, has the appearance of a teenage male human with a robot layout wearing the uniform of the school. This puppet is geared up with various guns and may discharge cursed power in the shape of laser beams, making it quite formidable in battles. 

Kokichi possesses a special cursed ability called Puppet Manipulation, which permits him to govern a couple of Mechamarus remotely from a distance, thanks to his naturally high levels of cursed energy.

Kokichi’s lifestyle becomes marked by the hardship of being trapped in a fragile frame, unable to experience the world outside of the jujutsu realm. His classmates at Jujutsu High refer to him as Mechamaru due to his proxy’s presence.

Despite his resentment and frustration at no longer having a regular lifestyle, Kokichi had a completely unique gift – an abundance of cursed energy, even by sorcerer standards.

However, Kokichi’s resentment occasionally caused him to project his frustrations onto others. During the Goodwill Event, while Panda counselled that they ought to get along as both were cursed corpses, Kokichi took offence.

He saw Panda as someone who got to experience the freedom of the sun at the same time as he remained trapped inside due to his Heavenly Restriction.

In essence, Kokichi Muta and Mechamaru are intertwined characters within the Jujutsu Kaisen series. Kokichi’s tale revolves around his yearning for regular life, his reliance on Mechamaru to bridge that hole, and the complicated feelings he harbours due to his specific situation.

Why did Mechamaru betray Jujutsu High? What is the reason behind it?

In the latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen, a meticulous investigation led by Utahime, prompted by Gojo’s suspicions, unveiled a shocking revelation: Mechamaru had been working as a traitor, leaking crucial information to the enemy. This suspicion had arisen during the elimination process in the Goodwill Event arc, casting a shadow of doubt on Mechamaru’s loyalty.

Kokichi Muta, also known as Mechamaru, made the difficult decision to betray his fellow sorcerers and collaborate with the villains, primarily driven by a deep and desperate desire for a functional body.

His life was blighted by a crippling illness that caused him to be extremely sensitive to light, confining him to a dark and isolated existence away from the outside world. The prospect of a healthy body was an irresistible temptation dangled before him by Mahito, one of the villains.

In exchange for valuable information about the Jujutsu sorcerers and a guarantee that his classmates would remain unharmed, Kokichi entered into a Binding Vow with the villains, namely Kenjaku (pseudo-Geto) and Mahito.

This pact meant that he would aid them in their sinister endeavours, such as spying on the school’s activities using his Mechamaru body’s abilities, all in the hope that he could finally escape his life of suffering.

Kokichi’s physical state was excruciatingly painful, with his skin hypersensitive to moonlight and the majority of his limbs rendered immobile. He felt trapped in a bleak existence, with no hope for a better future outside the world of Jujutsu sorcery.

Faced with such a bleak reality, he reluctantly joined the villains, who promised to grant him a normal body through the cursed ability of Idle Transfiguration, which Mahito possessed.

Kokichi’s betrayal was motivated by a desperate desire for a life free of pain and isolation, not by malice or a desire for power. He believed that forming an alliance with the villains was his only chance at regaining the physical well-being and normalcy that had eluded him for so long, even if it meant betraying those he had once considered comrades.

Mechamaru’s role as a traitor in Jujutsu Kaisen gives a captivating glimpse into the complex web of character motivations and moral complexities that define the series. While his motives did bring harm to the sorcerers, Mechamaru’s personal suffering and his fervent craving for a normal lifestyle earn the sympathy of the viewers more than the hatred shown towards an antagonist. 

It’s important to observe that Mechamaru was never certainly a villain, nor did he absolutely align himself with the enemies. His betrayal became driven by deeply personal reasons. Despite his abrasive mindset towards the sorcerers from Tokyo, he held a genuine concern for his fellow classmates, making sure of their safety throughout the plan.

Mechamaru’s craving for a healthy body and his simple preference to lead a normal life were his driving forces. He yearned to satisfy his classmates face-to-face, which led him to make a Binding Vow with the villains. It wasn’t the correct choice; however, it wasn’t the worst either, given the dire instances he confronted.

Furthermore, Mechamaru’s subsequent actions showcased that he was in no way, in reality, a villain by heart. Once he carried out his aim of acquiring a wholesome frame, he revealed his intention to confront and eliminate Mahito and Kenjaku. 

He engaged in battle in opposition to Mahito, using his Absolute Mechamaru robot-cursed body to its fullest quantity. 

The showdown became undeniably intense. During his time as a recluse, he created a massive cursed corpse, and he is now inside its head, ensuring that Mahito never gets the opportunity to touch him. 

Despite the odds being against him, Kokichi remains hopeful and bets on a slim chance of success. He is determined to give it his all, utilising all the cursed energy he has gathered over seventeen years, five minutes, and six days. 

With fierce determination, he begins by channelling a year’s worth of cursed energy and unleashing an intense attack, the Ultra Cannon, aiming directly at Mahito.

The fierce battle between Kokichi and Mahito rages on, with both sides seeking an advantage. Kokichi, the puppet manipulator, manages to gain the upper hand momentarily in his clash against the formidable special-grade cursed spirit. However, just as victory seems almost within his grasp, Kokichi inadvertently falls into Mahito’s trap.

With determination, Kokichi unleashes a potent technique called “Five-Year Charge: Pigeon Viola,” sending five powerful cannons of cursed energy at his adversary. But the situation takes a dire turn when Mahito activates his Domain Expansion: “Self-Embodiment of Perfection.” In an instant, Kokichi finds himself trapped within Mahito’s overwhelming Domain.

It appears that Kokichi has lost everything in the blink of an eye. However, against all odds, he manages to survive and turns the tide of the battle using his “New Shadow Style: Simple Domain.”

Just when Kokichi believes he has secured victory, Mahito, with a surprising twist, proves him wrong by dealing the final blow that brings their intense battle to a dramatic conclusion.

Despite obtaining the body he so desperately sought, he never had the opportunity to inform Gojo about Kenjaku’s plan, see his friends again, or reunite with Kasumi, making his story one of the most poignant and heart-wrenching in the series.