Candle Lore: Satoru

Let’s talk candle lore! ✨

The other day, I shared my process of creating Satoru. I usually show the physical, artistic side of things, but I’ve never really talked in depth about the mental process that goes into creating.

I’ve been wanting to make a candle inspired by Gojo Satoru for about a year now, if we’re being honest. Since he’s one of the most well-loved characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, a simple candy- or dessert-scented candle felt like it only skimmed the surface of his character. So I sat with it—until I came across a lotus mold in a candle stash I recently received.

Seeing the trial wax output from the mold, I was reminded that a lot of Gojo’s motifs lean toward Buddhism (well, the series as a whole has a lot of Buddhist symbolism). To be specific (and non-spoilery), there’s a scene in the Hidden Inventory Arc where a very delirious-looking Gojo faces off with Toji one last time...

The line, interpreted as a reflection of Gojo’s arrogance—stemming from his status as the strongest sorcerer—was likely inspired by a range of Buddhist texts, including the Lotus Sutra and the Pali Tipiṭaka. These texts are often referenced in descriptions of the Buddha’s birth.

Here are a few excerpts:

‘As soon as he’s born, the being intent on awakening stands firm with his own feet on the ground. Facing north, he takes seven strides with a white parasol held above him, surveys all quarters, and makes this dramatic proclamation: “I am the foremost in the world! I am the eldest in the world! I am the first in the world! This is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.”’

- MN 123

While they don't all speak about rebirth per se, they do all reference the birth of Buddha, the Enlightened One. Following Gojo's backstory in Hidden Inventory—especially how he managed to defeat Toji—one could say that the ordeal he underwent was his path to achieving enlightenment, rebirth, and the bliss of nirvana.

The first excerpt, taken from the Pali Canon, also nods to terms that become relevant to Gojo’s story in later manga chapters—such as "north," which refers to “the beyond,” possibly interpreted as death or the afterlife. This is followed by the phrase "seven steps," which signifies how the Buddha transcended countless cycles of death and rebirth to attain Buddhahood.

This becomes even more interesting considering the events later on in the manga (ifykyk). If we were to take both the series and the sutra into account, it feels less like arrogance and more like someone who knew exactly what he had to do—and what the possible end point of his journey might be. Until that endpoint arrives, he is the person uniquely qualified to act, and that is both a blessing and a curse in itself.

So where does the lotus come in?

The Buddha told the monks, “This is the way it always is with buddhas. When he was born, Bodhisattva Vipaśyin emerged from his mother’s right side, and he was focused and undisturbed. Upon emerging from her right side, he fell to the ground and walked seven paces without anyone helping him. He looked all around in the four directions, raised his hand, and said, ‘Only I am exalted by both heaven and Earth, for I will save sentient beings from birth, old age, illness, and death.’ This is the way it always is [with buddhas].”

- The Long Discourses, Dīrgha Āgama 1 The Great Legend, #64

Immediately after birth the Bodhisatta stands firmly on his feet, and having taken seven strides to the north, while a white canopy, is held over his head, looks round and utters in fearless voice the lion's roar: "Aggo 'ham asmi lokassa, jettho 'ham asmi lokassa, settho 'ham asmi lokassa, ayam antimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo” ("I am the highest in this world; I am foremost in this world; I am the best in this world; this is the last birth; there is no further becoming here.") - Pali/Sanskrit Text

Translating Gojo as a character into a lotus candle was a highly meditative experience for me. I'm quite familiar with the meaning of the lotus flower—rebirth, purity, and awakening, among many other things. To take things further, Total Pond states that pink lotuses in particular are considered the true lotus of the Buddha.

What I also love about lotuses is that they thrive in murky waters, symbolizing that one can grow—bloom, even—by drawing strength from the lessons of their mistakes. It is transformation through struggle, and there is something sacred about witnessing someone—whether a person or a character—emerge from a deep problem transformed into someone new.

Looking back at Gojo—especially during the events of Hidden Inventory—he undergoes different kinds of death: emotional/mental, physical, intellectual, environmental, social, and occupational. You could say he checks off six out of the eight Dimensions of Wellness.

Think about it:

• Physical: He died—well, almost—because of Toji's ambush.

• Emotional/Mental: Hidden Inventory left a scar on Gojo that echoes all the way to the main timeline of Jujutsu Kaisen. While we don't get much of his internal monologue and must infer from the source material, it’s clear that the events of his high school years impacted him deeply, shaping the teacher we see in the present. He even evolves into a more compassionate person, as hinted in the Shibuya Incident Arc, where he opts for a path that minimizes innocent casualties—very different from his younger, more show-offy self.

• Intellectual: Toji's ambush forced him to quickly re-evaluate his technique, which led to his mastery of reverse cursed technique and the creation of Hollow Technique: Purple.

• Environmental: His relationship with his surroundings and community shifted. Refining Limitless made him even more powerful—but with great power comes great responsibility… and loneliness.

• Social: His newfound strength, coupled with the trauma surrounding Riko, Toji, and later Geto, transformed how he views relationships. While canon shows he does maintain some kind of social life, Gege has revealed that much of his schedule is packed with missions—most of which he takes on so other, possibly less capable sorcerers can live another day.

• Occupational: The fallout from Hidden Inventory, including Geto's defection, forced Gojo to re-evaluate his role as a sorcerer. Unlike Nanami, who resented the occupation, Gojo chose to invest in creating a better generation. His greatest impact wouldn’t come from flaunting his lineage but from taking the role of an educator.

And if we take this even further, considering sutra symbolism—the Buddha takes seven steps and declares his destiny. Gojo, too, walks his own kind of steps: trauma, power, isolation, acceptance. And he seems to know where it leads. His demeanor post-Hidden Inventory isn’t arrogance—it’s awareness. He sees the path. He walks it alone.

Honestly, Gojo’s story reads like a modern Buddhist parable wrapped in a shounen outfit.