The moment Suguru Geto decided to murder his own parents isn’t just a plot twist. It’s the definitive "point of no return" in Jujutsu Kaisen. Honestly, if you’re a fan of Gege Akutami’s work, you know the series doesn't shy away from trauma, but this specific act felt different. It was cold. It was calculated. It wasn't a heat-of-the-moment accident or a lapse in judgment.
He chose it.
But why? Why would a teenager who spent his early years protecting the "weak" suddenly turn around and slaughter the two people who gave him life? To understand why did Geto kill his parents, we have to look past the surface-level villainy and dig into the psychological collapse of a boy who was carrying the weight of a world that didn't even know he existed.
The Burden of Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer
Being a sorcerer in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe is a nightmare. Let's be real. You spend your days exorcising hideous monsters born from human misery, and how do you do it? In Geto’s case, by consuming them. His Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique required him to swallow cursed spirits. He famously described the taste as "swallowing a rag used to wipe up vomit and excrement."
Imagine doing that every single day.
Every time Geto saved a "non-sorcerer," he had to ingest that filth. It’s a thankless, disgusting cycle. At first, Geto stayed sane because of his moral compass. He believed sorcerers existed to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He had a philosophy. He had a "why." But philosophies are fragile when they’re tested by the absolute worst parts of humanity.
Then came the Star Plasma Vessel mission.
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The death of Riko Amanai changed everything. Watching a group of non-sorcerers—the very people he was sworn to protect—cheer and clap at the sight of a dead young girl’s body broke something inside him. He started seeing non-sorcerers not as victims, but as "monkeys." This wasn't just teenage angst. It was the beginning of a deep-seated, visceral disgust.
The "Monkey" Problem and the Breaking Point
The term "monkey" became Geto's favorite slur for non-sorcerers. It’s a harsh word, but it perfectly encapsulates how he began to view the rest of humanity. To Geto, non-sorcerers were the source of all curses. Because they cannot control their cursed energy, it leaks out of them, creating the very monsters Geto had to choke down on a daily basis.
He saw a fundamental flaw in the world: Sorcerers die to protect the people who create the monsters that kill them.
It's a feedback loop of misery. Geto realized that if you killed all non-sorcerers, curses would stop being born. It’s a genocidal solution, sure, but in his warped mind, it was the only way to ensure the safety and dignity of his own kind—the sorcerers. He wanted a world where his "family" (other sorcerers) didn't have to suffer anymore.
But there was a massive roadblock in his ideology. His own parents.
Why Did Geto Kill His Parents Specifically?
This is where it gets dark. Geto’s parents were non-sorcerers. They were "monkeys" by his own definition.
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If Geto was going to commit to his new path—the total eradication of non-sorcerers—he couldn't make exceptions. If he spared his parents, his entire ideology would crumble under the weight of hypocrisy. He knew that to truly lead a revolution, he had to prove his resolve.
Killing his parents was a symbolic act of severing his ties to the world of non-sorcerers. It was his way of saying, "I am no longer one of you." By killing them, he essentially "killed" the human side of himself. He threw away his past, his childhood, and his innocence to fully embrace the role of a savior for sorcerers.
It’s also about the "smell." As Geto’s mental health declined, he began to literally smell the "stench" of non-sorcerers. He couldn't even stand to be around them. Even his own parents, who likely loved him, were part of the group he had grown to loathe.
The Influence of Yuki Tsukumo
We can’t talk about Geto’s descent without mentioning Yuki Tsukumo. She didn't tell him to kill his parents, obviously, but she planted the seed of the "ideal world." She mentioned the possibility of a world where curses don't exist. She gave him the intellectual framework for his madness.
Geto took her theoretical ideas and ran with them in the most violent direction possible. He was tired. He was lonely. Satoru Gojo, his best friend, had become "The Strongest," leaving Geto to handle his crumbling psyche alone. While Gojo was ascending to godhood, Geto was drowning in the filth of the curses he swallowed.
The Village Incident: The Catalyst
The actual act of killing his parents happened shortly after the incident in a small village. Geto was sent to handle a curse problem, but he found two young sorcerer girls, Mimiko and Nanako, being kept in a cage and abused by the villagers. The villagers blamed the children for the supernatural occurrences.
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Seeing those girls in a cage was the final straw.
He killed all 112 residents of that village. Every single one. After committing a massacre of that scale, there was no going back to a "normal" life. He couldn't go home for dinner with his parents after murdering an entire town. He had to finish what he started. He went home and murdered his parents to complete his transformation.
Was There Another Way?
Critics and fans often wonder if Gojo could have saved him. Maybe. But the tragedy of Geto is that he hid his pain so well. He kept smiling until he couldn't. By the time anyone noticed he was struggling, he was already too far gone.
The question of why did Geto kill his parents ultimately boils down to a terrifying sense of consistency. He wanted to be a martyr for a cause he believed was righteous. In his mind, he wasn't a monster; he was a surgeon cutting out a cancer. And he started the surgery at home.
What We Can Learn From Geto's Descent
While Jujutsu Kaisen is a fantasy series, the psychological themes are very real. Geto’s story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of isolation and the "savior complex."
- Isolation Breeds Extremism: When Geto stopped talking to Gojo and Shoko about his feelings, he trapped himself in an echo chamber of his own dark thoughts.
- The Weight of "Should": Geto was obsessed with how the world should be, rather than accepting how it is. This disconnect led to his radicalization.
- Burnout is Dangerous: Geto was a classic case of professional burnout. He was overworked, under-appreciated, and dealt with trauma without support.
If you’re diving deeper into the lore, pay close attention to the dialogue in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and the Hidden Inventory arc. The subtle shifts in Geto's tone—from a confident protector to a weary, cynical man—are masterfully written.
To truly grasp the impact of Geto's choices, re-watch the scene where he meets Gojo in Shinjuku. The way he calmly explains that he killed his parents because he "can't be a hypocrite" is chilling. It shows that he didn't lose his mind; he just changed his soul.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Re-read Chapter 78 of the manga to see the specific moment Geto’s defection is reported.
- Compare Geto’s "monkey" ideology with real-world historical precedents of radicalization to see how Gege Akutami mirrors human psychology.
- Analyze the color palette in the anime during the Hidden Inventory arc; notice how the world gets dimmer and more saturated as Geto loses his grip.