Put two “human” monsters in the same alley and the rules start to matter fast. Toji Fushiguro vs Taro Sakamoto sounds simple on paper, two assassins, one winner, but the moment you ask “Is this a sudden brawl or a planned hit?”, the answer shifts.

Toji (Jujutsu Kaisen) is the Sorcerer Killer, born with Heavenly Restriction, meaning no cursed energy, but a brutal physical boost and stealth value. Sakamoto (Sakamoto Days) is a retired legendary assassin, famous for calm reads, extreme fundamentals, and gunplay.

So who wins in a straight fight? Most of the time it comes down to distance, weapons, and whether either man gets to set the pace.

What each assassin brings to the fight (stats, skills, and signature tools)

Toji Fushiguro in plain English: Heavenly Restriction, monster stats, and cursed tools

Toji’s biggest edge is that he’s built for one job: killing people who think they’re untouchable. Heavenly Restriction strips him of cursed energy, but in exchange, his body runs like a tuned engine. He’s fast in short bursts, hits like a truck, and doesn’t need warm-up time to turn lethal.

That “no cursed energy” detail matters in a versus setup because it makes Toji hard to read if your sensing depends on energy or intent. Even outside JJK rules, it still signals a style: quiet entries, sudden angles, and attacks that start after you’ve already lost position.

Then there’s his kit. Toji isn’t just strong, he’s a professional with tools that are designed to end fights, not extend them. In his series, cursed tools like the Inverted Spear of Heaven, Chain of a Thousand Miles, and Playful Cloud are famous because they interact with abnormal defences in abnormal ways. You don’t need to deep-dive the mechanics to get the point: if Toji tags you cleanly, the hit tends to matter.

If you want a quick refresher on the wider JJK production side (and why Toji’s fights look the way they do on screen), this guide to top anime studios behind Jujutsu Kaisen gives solid context.

Taro Sakamoto in plain English: perfect fundamentals, gun skill, and using anything as a weapon

Sakamoto’s superpower is control. He fights like someone who’s solved violence as a maths problem: keep your balance, manage distance, remove the opponent’s options, finish clean. Even when he’s improvising, the decisions feel pre-made.

In most matchups, Sakamoto’s win condition is simple. He wants space to work, a clear line of sight, and enough “stuff” around him to shape the fight. In Sakamoto Days, that often means everyday objects become weapons, shields, distractions, or traps. A pen becomes a spike, a shelf becomes cover, a coin becomes a timing tool. He’s not relying on magic, he’s relying on timing and mechanics.

Sakamoto also has a realistic assassin advantage: he’s comfortable with firearms and with ending fights before they become fights. Against a target who can’t be safely grappled, a clean shot from the right spot is the dream.

The catch is obvious. Against a monster-rush opponent, fundamentals get stress-tested. Perfect form is great, but it still has to survive first contact.

How the matchup really plays out, round by round

Cross-universe rules are messy, so this breakdown sticks to what each character consistently shows on the page: Toji as a close-range killer with elite tools and absurd physicality, Sakamoto as a high-skill assassin who can win by distance, planning, and fast finishes.

Close range brawl: who wins when it is fists and blades up close

If this starts at arm’s length, Toji is favoured.

The first few seconds are the whole story. Toji’s gap-close is the kind that steals your breath, one step and you’re already reacting late. He also swings with intent to kill, not to score points. In a tight corridor or a cluttered room, that pressure compounds because there’s less space to reset.

Sakamoto’s best answers are technical, not mythical: footwork to slip the first line, clinch control to stop a weapon draw, and dirty targets like eyes, throat, and joints. He can also “fight the room”, tipping shelves, throwing objects, and forcing Toji to cut through chaos.

But here’s the problem. Toji is also an assassin. He’s used to opponents trying to stall, distract, and escape. And if Toji has a cursed tool in hand, Sakamoto can’t afford even one half-beat mistake.

Verdict for this round: Toji wins most close-range starts, especially if he begins with a blade or reaches one quickly.

Mid to long range: can Sakamoto’s guns and planning flip the result

Now the fight gets interesting, because guns change behaviour. They force caution. They punish straight lines. They make “closing distance” a problem, not a plan.

Scenario 1, random encounter, Sakamoto already has a sidearm drawn: Sakamoto’s path to victory is the first clean shot, then repositioning before Toji can crash into him. He doesn’t need a big spray. He needs one or two perfect moments.

Scenario 2, planned hit with prep time and terrain control: this is where Sakamoto looks best. He can choose angles, stack distractions, and set up an escape route that also functions as a kill zone.

Toji’s counterplay is also strong. He’s stealth-first, he uses unexpected lines, and he can end “mid-range” by turning it into “close-range” faster than most people can process. He’s also shown using regular weapons when it suits the job, so it’s not like he’s helpless outside melee.

Fan communities argue this one endlessly because it’s the only place Sakamoto can reliably swing the matchup (see the SpaceBattles Toji vs Sakamoto debate thread for how split the opinions get).

Verdict for this round: Toji still takes it more often, but Sakamoto can win with distance plus prep, or with a gun already on target at the bell.

Final verdict, plus the rules that change the winner

Who is winning overall, and why the edge is hard to ignore

Overall, Toji Fushiguro is winning in the most common “straight fight” setups. The edge is hard to ignore because Toji brings three things at once: faster engagement, heavier damage on contact, and a stealth profile that makes clean reads harder. Add lethal tools, and the margin gets wider.

Sakamoto isn’t outclassed in skill. He’s outmatched in how quickly the fight becomes life-or-death at touching distance.

House rules that make it closer (prep time, gear limits, and fight location)

If you want this matchup to feel fair, set rules first. Small tweaks swing the result.

Conditions that help Sakamoto:

• Prep time allowed, even 5 to 10 minutes, plus knowledge of Toji’s habits.
• Long starting distance, with clear sight lines and cover.
• Toji restricted to basic weapons, no best-in-series cursed tools.

Conditions that help Toji:

• Sudden encounter, starting within sprint range.
• Tight spaces like stairwells, stockrooms, or crowded interiors.
• Full kit access, where one clean hit can decide everything.

Pop culture takes tend to land in the same place, Toji favoured, Sakamoto dangerous with planning, as seen in write-ups like IMDB’s Toji vs Sakamoto discussion.

Conclusion

In a clean, no-nonsense read of Toji Fushiguro vs Taro Sakamoto, Toji wins more matchups because he closes distance faster and turns contact into a finish. Sakamoto’s best chances come from rules that give him space, sight lines, and time to set the trap.

If you’re running the fight yourself, pick your version first: random street brawl, or planned assassination. Those two setups almost feel like different stories, and they don’t crown the same winner. Which rule set do you prefer, and why?