Jujutsu Kaisen Just Made Yuji One of Anime’s Best, Most Interesting Heroes

The Culling Game is in full swing, with the heroes of Jujutsu Kaisen struggling against old and new opponents alike. With the likes of Megumi, Maki, and Yuta split up from one another, Yuji Itadori has a rather unique problem on his hands. In attempting to strike a bargain with one of the Culling Game’s most successful participants, Hiromi Higurama, Yuji is forced to not only fight one of his strongest enemies, but also must deal with the sins of his past. During this recent confrontation, we are given more insight into Itadori’s life, and in doing so, has helped make the protagonist one of shonen’s best.

The latest episode, “Tokyo Colony No. 1 – Part 3,” sees Yuji trying to convince Higurama to use his points to create a rule that could effectively end the Culling Game. Unfortunately for Jujutsu Kaisen’s protagonist, Hiromi isn’t exactly thrilled to confront another sorcerer, with quite a few bodies already at his feet. While the former attorney doesn’t have a king of curses residing inside his body, he does have a nasty spirit that works with him in “Judgeman.” Creating a scenario that is akin to a trial, Higurama creates a scenario where his opponent is on trial. Unfortunately for Itadori, he has quite a few crimes from his past that he needs to account for.

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The Crimes of Yuji Itadori

Hilariously, the first crime that Yuji must attempt to defeat in court is illegal trespassing, an infraction he committed as a teenager to do some gambling. His defense goes awry, but luckily, the protagonist gets the chance for a retrial, one of Judgeman’s hidden stipulations. Unfortunately, Itadori is presented with his greatest crime, and it’s a crime he didn’t even commit. When presented with the murders that Sukuna performed during the Shibuya Incident, Yuji didn’t attempt to defend himself, claiming he was guilty and demonstrating his title as one of Shonen Jump’s most interesting protagonists.

While Yuji might just be a hard-headed teenager, Jujutsu Kaisen hasn’t pulled any punches when it comes to throwing emotional curveballs at the hero. Even though Sukuna was the force that killed countless innocents in Shibuya, Itadori has taken the blame on himself, since the two share a body. In immediately claiming guilt, Yuji might have sealed his own fate, but he didn’t hesitate for even a second when it came to his supposed crime, even though his scholarly opponent knew he was innocent.

Yuji is a powerhouse in his own right, surviving during this recent encounter even though his cursed energy was taken from him. While he might have similarities to Goku and Luffy in his remorse and introspection, arguably, making him more in-depth than some of his shonen comrades. Itadori might still be fighting for his life, but he almost seems willing to bite the bullet for the reign of destruction Sukuna unleashed. Jujutsu Kaisen is well-known for its battle scenes, though creator Gege Akutami has found interesting ways to inject sadness and emotion into its arcs.

Yuji Itadori’s Uniqueness

Since the beginning, Yuji has demonstrated that while he might be aloof, his heart has always been in the right place, stubborn as he might be. The Culling Game might not have put Itadori through tougher times than the Shibuya Incident Arc so far, but there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank. As we learn more about Yuji’s background, it appears as though he has always been on the track to becoming a sorcerer, though this hasn’t changed his character much since the beginning. By keeping one foot in the mortal world and one in the supernatural one, Itadori has become the valedictorian for Jujutsu Tech, even though the university currently wants him dead.

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