
Kenjaku is villainous, but he just isn't evil enough. There, I've said it.

When it comes to JJK arseholes, I don't think Kenjaku even scratches the surface of some of the most despicable things said/done by other characters. Here are the reasons why Kenny doesn't deserve to be called 'the most evil sorcerer in history', and why Sukuna and other psychopaths make for much better candidates as arch-villains.

# Kenjaku sees humans as resources, rather than fun coupons. 

While both these views are obviously morally questionable, Kenjaku does at least acknowledge that humans have an important role to play as part of evolution, and have a scientific and evolutionary value, whether that is to merge with Tengen, to amplify culling games CE, to fight in the culling games etc. Sukuna and Mahito types see humans as fun coupons, expendable to amuse themselves. Kenjaku is genuinely interested, and engages with, multiple characters, even in those times when they are a harmless distraction to his plans, due to his curiosity. I am of course talking about Takaba, and about his long-winded rants, showing that he at least cares enough to try and make those around him understand the value of his goals. If Kenjaku didn't care, he'd simply just go ahead and do what he does, instead of constantly saying: "I'm not done explaining." 

# Kenjaku only kills efficiently and out of necessity, not torturously and out of fun.

Kenjaku is uninterested in killing those that do not further his scientific goals. When Noritoshi asks if he's gonna kill him, Kenjaku declines, because killing unnecessarily simply doesn't matter to him.  When dining with Jogo, he complains that Gojo is causing an unnecessary commotion by killing humans willy-nilly. Kenjaku doesn't find clever ways to prolong suffering, and is even marvelled at how Yuki wouldn't heal herself, showing that he at least recognises she should have, given the injuries she sustains. Hell, he doesn't even mind Choso, who is actively trying to kill him, because he simply doesn't see the value in killing randomly and inefficiently. By contrast Sukuna and Mahito types actively torture their victims physically and emotionally, and kill them because it amuses them, and because they can (Yuji, Junpei, Nanami, transfigured humans, etc.). Naoya is in this club too, along with Maki's dad haha.

Kenjaku is simply a time-worn immortal and narcissistic scientist, forced to make alliances with despicable and dumb characters because he needs their CE, rather than because he actually likes them.

On the other hand, Sukuna and Mahito are hedonist, torturous and massacre-loving psychopaths.

# Kenjaku's worst deeds rely on taboos for impact, rather than actually being unspeakable.

Despite being villainous, his most infamous crimes rely more on their taboo nature to seem excessively evil, rather than being outrageous outright. I'm obviously referring to the Death Paintings abortions here. It's very clear that curses are seen as inferior compared to human beings in the modern era: Yuji himself says about Sukuna and Mahito "they are just curses", and Geto compares their taste to vomit and shit. It is thus very fair to assume that when Noritoshi/Kenjaku was alive 150 years prior, these prejudices were exactly the same, if not even worse, given how conservative Japan was. All this is to say that it's not like Kenny aborted fully human babies, but rather, curses with human bodies. The evil here I think comes from the fact he did so foregoing the consent of the mother, and in the abortion process, hurting her. While this is definitely evil, it ain't as evil as killing a whole bunch of school kids for no reason folks (Mahito... I hate that dude). 

No, Kenjaku wouldn’t have made for a good final villain, and here’s why…