Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #261 of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Jujutsu Kaisen has taken fans for a spin yet again by bringing back Gojo Satoru when fans least expected him to return and in the most unexpected way possible. The latest chapter has revealed that Yuta has taken over Gojo’s body using Kenjaku’s Cursed Technique. However, Gojo’s return even in such a manner does not bode well for the series’ protagonist Yuji Itadori who may have his precious spotlight stolen from him yet again.

Chapter #261 thrusts Gojo, or rather Yuta back into the battle against Sukuna, with the two simultaneously casting their domains at the end of the chapter. As things stand, it appears that Gojo already had the key to winning the domain clash against Sukuna, which Yuta has also discovered after gaining all of Gojo’s memories. As such, Yuta may be poised to defeat Sukuna or at least bring him the closest to defeat he has been since Gojo’s death.

That said, Gojo’s return, even with Yuta manipulating his body, has effectively cast Yuji aside both metaphorically and literally. The latest chapter sees Sukuna instantly toss Yuji aside once Gojo enters the battlefield, which quite literally signifies that Yuji may have lost all relevance to Sukuna. With the final battle and the series quickly nearing its end, Yuji may not get another chance to steal back the spotlight.

Gojo’s Return Sidelines Yuji Yet Again

Jujutsu Kaisen Created by Gege Akutami, Chapter #261, “Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown, Part 33”

While he has spent a lot of the series on the sidelines, the final battle, particularly the latest chapters since Gojo’s defeat saw Yuji finally proving himself to Sukuna and finally re-establishing himself as the protagonist of the series. Yuji had finally shown the fruits of his hard work and manifesting Sukuna’s Cursed Technique as well was only the cherry on top. Yuji and Todo’s dynamic duo also seemed capable of overpowering Sukuna even if his cursed energy reserves were cause for a little concern.

Gojo’s return has partially invalidated the point of his death which was to pass on the torch to the younger generation of sorcerers. Much like Gojo’s initial battle against Sukuna, Yuji and Todo have only become obstacles in Gojo’s way and likely will not be able to contribute much until the very last possible moment. At best, Yuji may be given the chance to land the final blow on Sukuna, that is, unless the sorcerers have another yet-to-be-revealed convoluted plan to save Megumi.

Granted, there may have been no other way for Yuji or Todo to deal with Sukuna’s domain had Yuta not stepped in using Gojo’s body. Still, it is difficult to believe that there was truly no other believable alternative other than bringing Gojo back in such a gruesome, tragic manner. The series has only scratched the very surface of what Yuji is capable of especially since awakening Malevolent Shrine, which in of itself holds a world of possibilities.

Gojo’s Controversial Return Makes His Character Even More Tragic

Besides Yuji, Gojo’s return also paints his character in a much more tragic light, drawing parallels to Geto. Both Gojo and Geto oddly met the same tragic fate and it is quite ironic that Gojo ended up being a tool used for his abilities after being defined by them his entire life. Gege’s handling of Gojo’s character has already been quite a controversial topic among fans since his death back in chapter #236, with many expecting him to briefly return from the dead given the many hints pointing to Gojo’s return, and the latest chapter has only fueled these criticisms and discussions.

Nonetheless, Jujutsu Kaisen‘s story is inevitably coming to a close and, while there are many plot points such as the merger with Tengen yet to be addressed, it may not be long before the battle at Shinjuku is decided. Gojo’s return has surely sped up the process but at the cost of the precious development of Itadori Yuji, who had only recently wowed readers with his determination and newfound strength. Hopefully, Yuji will find another chance to shine in the near future as his fate is much too strongly tied to Sukuna to be tossed aside for much too long.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.