Thread by @VsFeral

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏”

A thread on the characterisation and mirror of Yuta Okkotsu and Yuji Itadori.

#JujutsuKaisen #jjk #JJK0

So there’s quite often a lot of discourse around Yuta’s existence, you see a lot of people say he would have been a better MC than Yuji, that he’s more interesting, that sort of thing.

But today I’m gonna talk about the value that Yuta adds to Yuji’s character.

Gege has been quite specific in his handling of his prequel and current main characters and their positions in the Jujutsu world and in portraying them as almost complete opposites bound by one common theme: the care they have for others.

Even Yuji himself states it that he and Yuta are “the exact opposite” and this carries through not only their fighting styles but their whole personalities.

Yuta is bonded with Rika, the Queen of Curses & Yuji contains Sukuna, the King of Curses.

Vol 0 follows Yuta’s introduction to Jujutsu sorcery, we are introduced to him as a young man condemned to die and happy to accept his sentence, even having tried to kill himself but prevented to do so by Rika. Yuta Okkotsu’s journey is one of self justification.

As he bonds with those around him Yuta justifies his own existence, he seeks reason to live and his reason becomes to protect others - particularly his friends. He becomes a sorcerer as his reason to live and we see him grow more confident and happy.

Yuta cursed Rika on her death bed and the two are bound together. Symbolically at the end of Vol 0 Rika tells him not to die too soon, showing that Yuta’s last reason to die is released.

Yuta’s story is one of self acceptance and shows us the power of love as a curse.

He is a prodigal child with unlimited cursed energy and a loving bond with the Queen of Curses.

While Rika herself is supporting through her love of Yuta, Yuji does not have the same luck.

Sukuna constantly berates and taunts Yuji, the King of Curses takes pleasure in his torment of Yuji and outsmarting this kid with no knowledge of the world he’s in.

Even in Shibuya, Sukuna uses the time he has in Yuji’s body to break him. Thoroughly.

Sukuna has no reason to relinquish control of their body other than to show Yuji the immense damage that has been done.

Because unlike Yuta who is looking for reason to live, Yuji is looking for reason to die.

Knowing full well he cannot exist in the world anymore, Yuji strives to do as much good as he humanly can before his execution.

Because above all else Yuji is driven by the curse left to him by his grandpa - help people.

He eats the finger to help people, he stays alive to help people. Where Yuta wants to die because of the curse he placed on another, Yuji continues to live for the curse given to him.

By the time Yuji and Yuta finally meet during Perfect Preparation they could not be further apart and Yuta himself acknowledges this.

Yuji no longer acts of his own free will and his questioning of his own autonomy has been frequently questioned as the series goes on.

While Yuta is living freely, free of his burden to Rika but still bound to her in love, living for his friends and no longer lonely. Yuji on the other hand feels separated from society by the weight of what Sukuna did at Shibuya.

While not even the deuteragonist Yuta Okkotsu is the perfect complementary piece to Yuji as a character and shows us how different things could be for Yuji.

Possessed by the King & Queen of curses, the curser vs the cursed, learning to live vs living to die.

Even in their natural abilities, Yuji is athletic and outgoing - loved by people. Yuta is acknowledged repeatedly to be weak and berated by Maki for his outlook on life.

This has mostly just been a ramble because I watched the movie yesterday and forgot how much I love Yuta’s characterisation, it’s not even really an analysis I just wanted to talk about shit.

I hope Yuta’s domain gives us even more character for him.

As always thanks for reading.

Also go see JJK Movie 0 it’s a fantastic adaptation of the manga and also adds some bits using the current manga, really fleshed out the Night Parade as an event.