Yuji Itadori’s end may have already been revealed at the very beginning of Jujutsu Kaisen, but killing him might just be the perfect end to his story.
Death has always loomed over Yuji Itadori even before he joined Jujutsu High, and – though he is the main character of the story – killing him could create the perfect ending for Jujutsu Kaisen. The possibility of Yuji’s demise has been a point of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime ever since its beginning, but after overcoming so many defeats and serious threats, it could seem unlikely that the show would end with Itadori finally dying for good. However, the creator Gege Akumtami has never shied away from taking risks and subverting expectations so killing the main character is never out of the question.
Jujutsu Kaisen ends its first episode with a premise that defines the rest of the story. Within the real world, there lies a world of cursed spirits, and after eating one of the fingers of a cursed spirit Sukuna, Itadori wakes up in an execution cell. Here, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, Gojo Saturo – who is also a teacher at Jujustu High – tells him that he’s been sentenced to death. There’s no avoiding this, but he is offered the opportunity to postpone his execution by finding and consuming all the fingers of Sukuna, after which he will be exorcized to destroy the curse. Itadori decides to continue with this impending execution to try and help other people, although it’s this exact motivation that suggests Jujutsu Kaisen‘s ending may see him killed off permanently.
A running struggle Itadori has throughout the show is his want and drive to not only save people but also to choose when and how he dies. This is first brought up when his only parental figure, his grandfather, dies of cancer. Unable to do anything about it and with almost no one around him in his final moments, the death of Itadori’s grandfather makes a big impact on him. So, when faced with a similar certain death that is out of his control, Itadori wrestles with the fact that he is too weak to control the trajectory of his life. This ultimately gives him his drive to make life meaningful, by saving as many people as possible and deciding for himself when he dies. This theme and its implications are a vital point that shouldn’t be overlooked when ending his character arc. Killing Itadori in a way that he is at peace with would be a solid conclusion to his character arc and the perfect ending to the Jujutsu Kaisen anime.
Killing Off Itadori Would Give Jujutsu Kaisen A Unique Ending
It would also likely prove an iconic ending to the show itself, as – while the anime is no stranger to killing off characters – the plot of the show does hinge around several powerful characters growing an affinity for Itadori, which does suggest he may be saved from his execution with some scheme or another just in time to prevent his scheduled death. That said, it may be no surprise if Itadori did die at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen, as that is what the storyline has promised since its first episode – but as he is the main character, killing him permanently would still be a surprising twist in the story, albeit a deeply tragic one.
Jujutsu Kaisen protagonist Yuji Itadori‘s story is soon to come to a close with the manga ending, and the way it concludes could be what decidedly sets Jujutsu Kaisen apart from other shonen. After watching his character strive to save others and live out his life as much as he can, his death would not only be memorable, but impactful. In the last moments of his death, Itadori’s grandfather leaves him with two tasks; to do everything he can to save people, and to die surrounded by people who care about him. This mission is the driving force of everything Itadori does, and to watch that mission be completed to fruition would be the perfect end to Jujutsu Kaisen.
Why Sukuna’s Season 1 Role Suggests Itadori Has To Die In Jujutsu Kaisen
Aside from the fact that killing Itadori would make for a resonant conclusion, Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Sukuna has already made his death rather inevitable from a logistical standpoint. The entire series hinges on Itarodi being condemned to die after he consumes all of Sukuna’s fingers, since killing him will then be the only way to get rid of the King of Curses for good. This was set up all the way back in Jujutsu Kaisen season 1, and it means that regardless of which loopholes are involved, Itadori will have to die at some point, even if it’s just temporarily. As previously mentioned, another Jujutsu Kaisen character could resurrect him or find some other literal life hack, but it seems unavoidable that Itadori will die before the series is over.
