Sorcerer Grades Explained: From Grade 4 to Special Grade
Every jujutsu sorcerer in the JJK universe is assigned a formal grade based on their cursed energy and combat ability. Grades run from Grade 4 (entry level) through Grade 1 and all the way to the near-mythical Special Grade. Here is everything you need to know about how the system works and who sits at each tier.
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Play now →The Purpose of the Grade System
The jujutsu world maintains a formal ranking system for both sorcerers and the cursed spirits they hunt. Grades serve two practical functions: they determine which missions a sorcerer is assigned — and therefore which threats they will face — and they establish the political hierarchy of Jujutsu High and the higher-ups who govern the hidden society.
A sorcerer's grade is assessed based on the volume and density of their cursed energy, their mastery of their innate technique, and their mission record. Junior sorcerers begin at Grade 4 after graduating and may be promoted after demonstrating consistent performance in the field, provided a sufficient number of Grade 1 sorcerers endorse them.
The Full Grade Scale
Grade 4 is the entry level. These sorcerers typically handle low-level cursed spirits that pose minimal danger to civilians. A group of Grade 4 sorcerers can comfortably clear a haunted building, but they would be overwhelmed by anything approaching Grade 2. They rarely appear as named characters in the main story.
Grade 3 covers moderately threatening spirits. Grade 2 represents a significant step up, reserved for sorcerers who have begun to develop real mastery over their technique and can handle missions solo. Semi-Grade 1 is an unofficial designation used internally — it signals that a sorcerer is operating at Grade 1 level but has not yet received the formal endorsements required for promotion.
Grade 1 is the threshold of true elite status. Grade 1 sorcerers take on Special Grade curses as a coordinated team and are responsible for recommending peers for their own promotions. In practice, the endorsement requirement means politics matters almost as much as raw power at this tier.
Special Grade — Beyond All Others
Special Grade is the pinnacle of the system. In the modern era this designation has been applied to only a handful of individuals: Gojo Satoru, Yuki Tsukumo, and posthumously Suguru Geto among sorcerers. Ryomen Sukuna and Mahito are rated Special Grade on the cursed spirit side of the same scale.
The Special Grade designation carries enormous political weight. A single Special Grade sorcerer is considered capable of threatening an entire nation, which is why Jujutsu High's leadership goes to extreme lengths — up to and including assassination — to control anyone who unexpectedly reaches that tier.
Unranked Exceptions
Not every powerful fighter fits neatly into the grade framework. Yuji Itadori is officially unranked because he lacks a categorisable innate cursed technique — his cursed energy reinforcement is extremely potent but cannot be slotted into the standard taxonomy. Despite this, his combat record rivals many Grade 1 sorcerers by the midpoint of the series.
Maki Zenin is another remarkable exception. Born with almost no cursed energy — a condition that would normally disqualify her from sorcery entirely — her mastery of Cursed Tools and her physical ability place her at Grade 1 combat level and beyond by the story's climax, achieved entirely through training rather than innate talent.
Grades in the JJK Games
In JJKdle, a character's Grade is one of the eight hidden attributes. A green tile on Grade means the secret character shares the exact same rank as your guess; yellow signals you are one step away on the scale, which is useful for distinguishing Grade 1 from Semi-Grade 1 candidates.
In JJK Higher or Lower, knowing the rough grade distribution of the roster helps you make better predictions. The majority of named characters sit at Grade 2 or Grade 1, with a small cluster of Unranked characters (mostly the main students) and fewer than ten at Special Grade. When two unfamiliar characters appear side by side, a knowledge of where each sits on that distribution gives you a real edge.