Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 ended with an epic fight between Itadori Yuji, Nobara Kugisaki, and two of the three Cursed Womb brothers, namely Eso and Kechizu. Being one of the most explosively popular anime series of all time, Jujutsu Kaisen circles around the tale of Itadori, who is thrown headfirst into the world of cursed spirits after an encounter with Megumi Fughiguro.
Season 1 managed to not only paint an intricate picture of the anime’s worldbuilding but also introduced key characters with varying complexities who tie into the saga in exciting ways.
A Wild, Pink-Haired, Selfless Boy: The Evolution of Itadori Yuji
Having grown up with his grandfather Wasuke, Yuji was understandably devastated after his death, especially his final words which urged Yuji to help as many people as he could in his lifetime and change lives for the better. Although innately selfless from the get-go, Yuji is deeply impacted by Wasuke’s words, which later manifests in his decision to eat one of Ryomen Sukuna’s fingers in an attempt to save Megumi.
After the Demon King Sukuna takes over Yuji’s body, using it as a vessel, the latter starts attending Tokyo Jujutsu High under the mentorship of jujutsu sorcerers of the likes of Gojo Satoru, Nanami Kento, and Maki Zenin. With time, Yuji proves himself to be incredibly gifted, having mastered the art of energy manipulation while successfully suppressing Sukuna inside his body, which in itself is no small feat.
In terms of powers and techniques, Yuji, owing to Sukuna’s presence inside him, is a masterful generator of Great Cursed Energy, as he demonstrates formidable control over its usage. Combined with his super-human strength, martial arts skills, and agility, Yuji can reinforce his strikes during battles, as seen in the epic showdown between Mahito, Yuji, and Nanami. Interestingly, he is also one of the few jujutsu sorcerers who can use Black Flash at will, essentially a special jujutsu attack. Black Flash helps boost a physical attack, provided that the user can use their cursed energy within one-millionth of a second. Todo describes Black Flash as a “distortion in space” and thus reveals that it can amplify the force of an attack. It is more impactful than Yuji’s delay-based Divergent Fist.
What makes Yuji such a compelling protagonist is his ability to race through life despite massive setbacks and the utter lack of selfishness he displays when it comes to protecting those around him. Despite knowing that he is destined for death after he ingests all of Sukuna’s cursed fingers, Yuji never backs from a challenge or hesitates from sacrificing himself during a catastrophic battle. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 demonstrates incredible growth in terms of Yuji’s abilities, along with his sense of maturity, which comes forth beautifully during somber moments scattered amid the lighthearted ones.
Yuji and Nobara VS Eso and Sechizu: The Anatomy of A Fight Sequence
This standdown featured in the final episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen allows Yuji, along with an often under-used yet extremely powerful Nobara, to showcase their individual strengths and collective strategies. Eso manages to spill his toxic blood on both Yuji and Nobara via his Maximum: Wing King technique, which would essentially reduce them to their bones in a matter of some time.
Despite this dire circumstance, Nobara uses her Straw Doll Technique and challenges Eso and Kechizu to a game of chicken. She uses the Resonance technique to reflect the curse back on the users. Interestingly, Yuji is immune to Eso’s poison, as the King of Curses resides within him, propelling him to plummet Kechizu with a string of cursed energy-infused punches, which grievously injures the latter. In a moment of perfect symbiosis and collective power, Yuji and Nobara activate Black Flash, which drives a nail clean through Kechizu’s head, and Eso’s right arm is blown off completely.
Pain, Sacrifice, & Revenge: What Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen Could Entail?
While Eso is eventually killed, the third Cursed Womb brother, Choso, remains at large, aligning himself with Mahito and Geto, the architects behind giving Curses human vessels. Hence, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 could follow Choso’s arc for revenge while also focusing on Mahito and Geto’s scheme to bring down one of the most formidable of jujutsu sorcerers: Satoru Gojo. On the other hand, the end of Season 1 also features a battle between Megumi and the Finger Bearer, against whom he can successfully win and recover one of Sukuna’s fingers.
While Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji plan to let Akari seal the cursed object, Sukuna gobbles the finger promptly. While this moment is presented as a moment of levity in the tense and exciting season finale, this act harkens to the advent of something more sinister in Season 2. Someday, Sukuna will have consumed every last of his cursed fingers, becoming powerful enough to create abject chaos in the known universe, hence setting the stage for a high-stakes narrative in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2.
See More: ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Explained: The Unique Shonen Anime That Blew Everyone’s Mind
Jujutsu Kaisen is a 2021 Anime Series created by Gege Akutami. It is based on manga series of the same name.
