The honored one throughout heaven and earth, Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen, is one of the few characters who left a presence stronger than the protagonist of the series. Gege Akutami created Gojo as a mentor figure for Yuji Itadori and his friends, but the six-eyes user became so popular that his death caused an uproar in the anime and manga world.
Gojo Satoru and Jujutsu Kaisen have been dominating the industry for quite a few years now. One of the reasons why the series has gained so much fame is the fact that it took inspiration from other legendary manga series like Bleach and Naruto. Even the character of Gojo Satoru is inspired by one Naruto character, and no, it’s not Kakashi.
Akutami once revealed that they created Gojo Satoru after looking at a Naruto character called Tonbo Tobitake, who only appeared for a couple of episodes. This character was so forgettable that even hardcore Naruto fans wouldn’t have remembered him. But he left such an impression on Akutami that they based one of their most important characters on him.
Gege Akutami’s Inspiration for Gojo Satoru
Naruto and Jujutsu Kaisen share a lot of similarities in terms of narrative structure and themes. However, the parallel between Gojo Satoru and Tonbo Tobitake is something no Jujutsu Kaisen or Naruto fan expected. The manga creator once revealed this information through a tweet that has now been deleted from the social media platform.
Akutami pointed out:
As for Gojo’s character design, it was actually influenced more by the proctor wearing the bandages and blindfold in his head during the second phase of the Chuunin Exams, rather than Kakashi-sensei. The character design left a massive impression on me back then but when I finally met Kishimoto-sensei and asked him about it, he said ‘Was there a guy like that…?’
Although the character of Gojo is only based on the physical appearance of Tonbo Tobitake, it is still startling to see that Akutami got the inspiration for such a great character from an NPC that Kishimoto doesn’t even remember drawing in Naruto. Akutami really has an eye for detail, as they were able to notice such a small aspect and make it into a character who has a fanbase bigger than some countries.
Tonbo Tobitake’s Influence in Naruto
As per his designation, Tonbo is a member of the analysis team in the village’s intelligence division. He was also an examiner during the Chunin exams and even caught a Genin cheating five times in a row. Tonbo’s role in Naruto is primarily reflected during the Chunin exams arc and the Pain Assault arc, but he has also made small appearances in other episodes.
The most noticeable feature of Tonbo is the upper part of his head, which is wrapped in bandages and is covered by his Konoha headband.
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He is presented as a normal character who looks calm, but when the situation demands it, he can prove himself with the help of his strength. But this doesn’t make him arrogant about himself.
Thus, contrary to popular belief about Gojo being inspired by Kakashi, he is actually based on Tonbo’s physical appearance. Although his character had very little screen time, he caught the eye of Gege Akutami, who decided to use him and create a character that was stronger than every other sorcerer.
You can watch Naruto on Hulu and Jujutsu Kaisen on Crunchyroll.
