Jujutsu Kaisen Just Resurrected a Major Character (And You Probably Missed It)

Jujutsu Kaisen fans are counting down the days until they can see the third season of the popular anime adaptation hit the screen, with the shonen franchise giving them a chance to see it early next month. While Jujutsu Kaisen season three lands on television in January, the compilation film, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, hits North American theaters on December 4th. This movie will house two episodes from season three, and with the anime still going strong, Jujutsu Tech is taking over media in other ways. In a recent, surprising side story, a major early character from the series has returned from the grave, and you might be surprised to see who.

In a shonen series known for putting its heroes through hell, one of the most tragic characters was easily Junpei Yoshino. While far from being as well-known as the likes of Yuji, Gojo, Megumi, and Nobara, Junpei was one of the earliest characters to become close friends with Itadori in his earlier days. Manipulated by the villainous Mahito following his mother’s death, Yoshino goes on a revenge tour until he ultimately finds himself fighting against his friend Yuji. While the pair works out their misunderstanding. Mahito grabs Junpei before he can become a full-fledged student at Jujutsu Tech, horrifically murdering him in the process.

In the mobile game, Jujutsu Kaisen: Phantom Parade, players bear witness to “What If” scenarios that see the original story change to present an alternate take of anime events. During one sequence in particular, Junpei manages to dodge Mahito’s grasp and joins Yuji Itadori in the fight against the flesh-manipulating curse. Using their powers in unison, the sorcerers defeat Mahito and change the timeline in a way that is far more beneficial to our anime heroes than what was originally presented in the supernatural shonen. You can see the “What If” scenario below.

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Anime What Ifs

Jujutsu Kaisen is far from the only shonen franchise that explored some “What If” scenarios via a video game entry. Perhaps most famously, the Dragon Ball franchise would present alternate realities thanks to both the Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi series and the recent fighting game, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Throughout the latest game, focusing on the Z-Fighters, the alternate story beats see Goku achieving the Super Saiyan transformation before landing on the Planet Namek, Vegeta and Trunks defeating Cell, and more. These storylines will most likely never be animated, but they make for a fantastic easter egg for fans of the franchise.

Jujutsu Kaisen might have ended its manga last year, but Jujutsu Tech returned in a shocking way earlier this year. The sequel series, Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo, saw creator Gege Akutami returning to writing duties for this story, taking place decades following the first series’ events. Injecting extraterrestrials into the mix, the sequel has yet to be confirmed for an anime adaptation, though it seems like a safe bet that Modulo will be brought to the screen eventually.

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