Summary
Yuta Okkotsuhas stepped back into the fray inJujutsu Kaisen’s final battle, even if in a “monstrous” form after taking over the corpse of his mentor, Gojo. However, this means that the theoretical protagonist of the series,Yuji Itadori, has been pushed to the sidelines again, just when he had shown progress and the power to stand toe to toe with Sukuna.
For every otherShonen Jumpseries, it is evident who the main character is, but it isn’t the same with Gege Akutami’sJujutsu Kaisen. This lies with the creator, Gege Akutami, who chosenot to portray Yuji as a typical Shonen genre protagonist. While there is no fault in how Yuji is portrayed, this has incidentally put Yuji on the sidelines many times, when other characters such as Gojo or Megumi took the spotlight. However, with Gojo’s death and Megumi being possessed by Sukuna, Yuji finally got his chance to shine as the main character,
This was especially true since the startling revelation about howYuji harbors a soul similar to Sukuna. With Yuji pushing Sukuna to the brink,Jujutsu Kaisenwas finally beginning to explain why Yuji was chosen as the main character. However, the recent developments threaten to once again push Yuji to the sidelines.
Yuta’s Return Is Pushing Yuji to the Sidelines Once More
Yuji’s Spotlight is Being Stolen By the previous Main Character ofJujutsu Kaisen
InJujutsu KaisenChapter #261, “Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown, Part 33”,Gojo’s exciting and shocking returnturned out to be Yuta using Kenjaku’s cursed technique to transplant himself into his mentor’s body. It was apparent that Sukuna was on the brink of defeat withYuji launching a barrage of Black Flash on the King of the Curses. Sukuna was left with no choice but to expand his domain to get out of this predicament, and that’s when Yuta appeared to save the day. This narrative completely pushed the main character, Yuji Itadori, to the sidelines for no apparent reason.
Yuta’s return inJujutsu KaisenChapter #261 could be perceived as unnecessary, especially since the fight between Yuji and Sukuna was reaching its climax. Yuji’s role as the main character was finally gaining depth, particularly with the revelation that he might be a descendant of Sukuna. With a soul akin to Sukuna’s,Yuji was emerging as a good or better version of the King of Curses, embodying the side of Sukuna that was lost when he consumed his twin in the womb. However, Yuta’s shocking return disrupts this narrative progression and raises questions about Yuji’s place as the main character.
Gege Akutami Is Using Sorcerers as Fodder for Sukuna
Ever since Gojo was killed by Sukuna, one sorcerer after another have continuously joined the fight, but their participation didn’t make much difference. Characters such as Hiromi Higuruma, Aoi Todo, and Choso were the only ones so far that made an actual effort on the battlefield by aiding Yuji, and giving him the spotlight that he deserved.Higuruma and Choso made the necessary sacrifices that resulted in Yuji getting an edge against Sukuna. Whereas Todo is fulfilling his role in aiding Yuji fighting the opponents, much like he had done before in their battle against the cursed spirits, Mahito and Hanami.
All this seemed to build toward a coral effort to defeat Sukuna by entrusting Yuji with the responsibility of this impossible task. However, Yuta then comes back to steal the spotlight from Yuji, much like Gojo and Megumi have often done in the past. This is more disappointing and frustrating than ever, especially sinceJujutsu Kaisenhad finally worked very hard to build Yuji as the protagonist.
