As far as protagonists go, Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Yuji Itadori may be shōnen’s most unique protagonist thanks to his peculiar origins. Though Yuji is the so-called main character of the series, the mystery surrounding his origins and the secret behind his power suggest he may be the only protagonist in shonen that fans know so little about, even as Jujutsu Kaisen approaches its final stages.
One of the many mysteries surrounding Yuji stems from a remark by Sukuna in chapter #214 where Sukuna states that Yuji is “from that time” going on to comment on how “Kenjaku does the grossest things.” Sukuna is surprised by Yuji’s newfound strength and speed when he makes this peculiar comment, suggesting that Yuji’s mysterious physical capabilities could be connected to his origins.
Sukuna’s comment also implies Kenjaku may be connected to Yuji’s origins, confirming the popular belief that Kenjaku may have deliberately chosen Yuji’s mother Kaori as his host at the time of Yuji’s birth as part of a bigger scheme or even an experiment similar to the Death Paintings.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Season 2 Finale Introduced The Story’s Original Protagonist
Jujutsu Kaisen’s season 2 finale sees the return of a fan-favorite character who was the original protagonist of the story.
Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Yuji is Shōnen’s Most Cryptic Protagonist
With any story, getting to know its protagonist is all but a given. Readers expect to learn about the main character’s goals, ambitions, strengths and weaknesses, and the workings of their powers and abilities as the series progresses. However, despite spanning over 200 chapters, Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Itadori Yuji remains just as much of an enigma as when he was first introduced.
Instead, the questions surrounding Yuji’s character only start to mount as the series progresses, setting him apart from typical shonen protagonists. While Jujutsu Kaisen explores Yuji’s mental and emotional growth fairly well, testing it most prominently during the Shibuya Arc, the series keeps nearly every other aspect of his character a secret. Even though Jujutsu Kaisen is finally close to its epic climax, Yuji remains full of unknowns, and uniquely so.
Yuji May Be Connected to the Heian Era
At first glance, Sukuna’s remark hints at the possibility of Yuji being connected to the Heian era, as the word Sukuna uses in Japanese when referring to “that time” connotes a distant event rather than a recent one, dismissing the possibility of Sukuna talking about something that occurred during the fight in chapter #214. It is also highly unlikely that Sukuna is talking of the time around Yuji’s birth, as Sukuna hadn’t incarnated at the time and couldn’t have learned about Kenjaku’s alleged involvement in the affair.
This leaves the Heian era as the only time Sukuna could be referencing. While the chapter leaves no concrete clues as to how Yuji could be linked to the said Golden Age of Jujutsu, one interesting possibility is that Yuji could be the reincarnation of one of the sorcerers who defeated and killed Sukuna 1000 years ago—or even one that faced him and lost. If so, Yuji and Sukuna may be destined to re-enact their roles once again in the present storyline, their fates intertwined from the very start.
Jujutsu Kaisen Subverts Shonen Expectations Again In Its New Fight
After a spellbinding battle between Gojo and Sukuna, to fans’ surprise, Jujutsu Kaisen switches gears completely with a fight revolving around comedy.
Yuji’s Origins May Be Tied to Sukuna Instead
Another interesting idea that also ties in with Kenjaku’s involvement is that Yuji could be a Death Painting created using Sukuna’s DNA. As Choso reveals in chapter #134, the Death Paintings have three parents instead of two—their human mother, the cursed spirit who fathered them, and Kenjaku, who likely manipulated the fetuses using Blood Manipulation. In Yuji’s case it is possible Kenjaku took a different route, opting to take over Yuji’s mother’s body to have more control over the pregnancy and possibly using Sukuna’s finger instead of a regular curse.
Thus, Yuji, crafted from Sukuna’s DNA, not only becomes the perfect vessel for Sukuna but also oddly represents Sukuna’s humanity, which might explain Sukuna’s involuntary hatred towards him. Yuji’s unnatural strength and speed might also be explained as a side effect of his unique parentage. Furthermore, Yuji’s high aptitude for Jujutsu could also be explained as a trait he inherited from Sukuna, who was renowned as a peerless sorcerer during the Golden Age of Jujutsu.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Huge Villain Death Brings Back The Series’ Biggest Mystery
Kenjaku’s death is the chance to finally shed light on the mystery of Yuji’s mother Kaori, and explain if Kenjaku truly possessed her to conceive Yuji
Either way, Yuji’s role as the protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen has been the topic of intense debate among fans of the series for years, and for good reason. Yuji has spent a majority of the series relegated to the sidelines thus far, constantly overshadowed by those more powerful than him. Fortunately, Yuji’s battle against Sukuna finally offers a chance to steal back the spotlight and leave his impact as the series’ protagonist, even if it isn’t clear what path his character arc will take just yet.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available from MANGA Plus and Viz Media.
Read on Manga Plus
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is a supernatural action anime that follows high school student Yuuji Itadori as he battles against magical curses. After Yuji selflessly saves a classmate by taking a curse into his own body, he is discovered and trained by a powerful sorcerer named Satoru Gojo. Gojo, who also happens to be a faculty member at a high school, enrolls Yuji there to help him and other students prepare themselves against the supernatural forces that plague humanity.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2020
- Cast
- Yuichi Nakamura , Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Asami Seto , Kaiji Tang , Adam McArthur , Robbie Daymond , Anne Yatco
- Seasons
- 2
- Writers
- Hiroshi Seko
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- Franchise(s)
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Directors
- Sunghoo Park , Shōta Goshozono
