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That is the cruel genius of Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall, the new animated adaptation of the iconic ‘90s storyline in which Bane breaks Batman’s back. Bane shows up in Gotham and orchestrates a mass breakout from Arkham Asylum, which forces Batman to spend days hunting down the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and various other escaped inmates. By the time Bruce returns to Wayne Manor, he is physically exhausted, psychologically frayed, and completely unprepared for Bane’s ambush. Only then does Bane fight him and famously “break the Bat.”

It is a brilliant strategy, first depicted in the original “Knightfall” comic in 1993. The image of Bane breaking Batman’s back was even used in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, though that story left out the smartest parts of Bane’s plan. For any anime fans who watched Knightfall after it was released digitally on Aug. 25, 2026, Bane’s strategy might look pretty familiar. Toji Fushiguro deals with Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen’s Hidden Inventory arc in the exact same way. Even if you’ve already seen it, now’s as good a time as any to rewatch it, particularly because the lore surrounding Tengen and the Star Plasma Vessel is more important than ever during the Culling Game arc that will continue to play out across seasons 3 and 4.

Toji Fushiguro is Jujutsu Kaisen's Bane

“Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” is presented as the first five episodes of JJK season 2, though it’s a prequel arc that takes place more than a decade before the main series. In their teenage years, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto are assigned to protect Riko Amanai, a schoolgirl designated as the Star Plasma Vessel (a human destined to merge with Tengen to reset their immortality). Since Gojo and Geto are both already classified as Special Grade jujutsu sorcerers, attacking them directly would be foolish.

Image: MAPPA

Enter Toji Fushiguro, an assassin who’s already earned the nickname of "the Sorcerer Killer." Because of Toji’s Heavenly Restriction, he possesses no cursed energy, but that trade-off gives him superhuman strength, durability, and senses. (He has the same Restriction as Maki Zenin, which she fully unleashes early in season 3, but Toji is also Megumi Fushiguro’s father). In addition to his physical prowess, Toji has the patience and tactical brilliance to turn Gojo’s overwhelming power against him. Toji could pose a threat to Gojo in a fair fight — but certainly not Gojo and Geto together. So Toji places a bounty on Riko and lets an assortment of lesser assassins and sorcerers pursue her first.

Toji doesn’t actually expect them to kill Riko. They’re the equivalent of the Arkham inmates to Bane: disposable threats meant to occupy the overpowered hero and exhaust him over the course of several intense days. When the bounty expires and Gojo believes the danger has passed, Toji finally makes his move just as Gojo enters what he thinks is the safety of Jujutsu High School.

These two plans are so similar you might think Akutami was inspired by Knightfall. Here you have two villains that are physically imposing with impossible strength, and yet their greatest asset isn’t brawn, it’s the cunning required to hatch a complex plan like this. Bane and Toji both study an opponent who should be unbeatable in a fair fight. Both manufacture a prolonged crisis using expendable criminals. Exhaustion is the real objective. Each villain only confronts the hero when they’ve been worn down physically and psychologically.

Image: MAPPA

Akutami has never suggested that Bane inspired Toji — or that Knightfall inspired "Hidden Inventory." He has instead cited Fate/Zero’s assassin Kiritsugu Emiya as an influence on the character and reportedly modeled Toji’s formidable physique after Jason Statham.

Nevertheless, Toji operates like a supernatural variation on Bane: a physically imposing mercenary whose greatest weapon is his ability to plan several moves ahead.

That parallel alone makes Hidden Inventory an easy recommendation after Batman: Knightfall Part 1. But revisiting it now is especially rewarding because what initially appeared to be a self-contained prequel has become essential to understanding the Culling Game.

Hidden Inventory remains hugely important for Jujutsu Kaisen seasons 3 and 4

Spoilers follow for the Hidden Inventory arc and Jujutsu Kaisen season 3.

Image: MAPPA

Toji’s plan works. After spending several days protecting Riko and continuously operating his Limitless technique, Gojo deactivates it once the group reaches the apparent safety of Jujutsu High. Toji immediately stabs him from behind, then uses the Inverted Spear of Heaven cursed tool, which nullifies cursed techniques (including Limitless). He leaves Gojo for dead before killing Riko and defeating Geto.

Gojo survives by essentially entering an awakened state that allows him to use reverse cursed technique, ascending to the level of the seemingly untouchable sorcerer we meet in season 1. Geto, meanwhile, begins his descent into villainy that leads him to become the antagonist in JJK’s other prequel starring Yuta Okkotsu, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

The consequences of all this extend into the show's present day. In addition to being a master of barriers, Tengen’s cursed technique makes him immortal. Riko was supposed to merge with Tengen to prevent them from evolving “beyond humanity.” When our heroes go to visit Tengen in season 3, they walk right by the blood splatter left by Riko’s murder. Tengen’s soul is now “everywhere” and their “nature” is now closer to that of a cursed spirit — meaning that Kenjaku, using Geto’s body and technique, can absorb Tengen.

Image: MAPPA

It’s explained that there’s a cosmic cycle that links together Tengen, the Star Plasma Vessel, and the bearer of the Six Eyes. Toji, a man born completely outside the normal system of cursed energy, was the only one able to break that system. All of this is now crucial in the present day, since Kenjaku plans to merge the population of Japan into a singular entity using Tengen’s power and the residual cursed energy generated by the Culling Game.

Before season 3, the events presented in the Hidden Inventory arc didn’t feel all that important. In hindsight, these are some of the most profound events in the history of jujutsu society.

Bane spends Knightfall proving that Batman is not invincible. Toji does something even more profound: He proves the rules governing the entire jujutsu world can be broken. Both villains understand that overwhelming power is not the same thing as invulnerability. You simply have to be patient enough to attack when the strongest person alive is finally tired enough to become beatable.