Summary
Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen is not special due to genetics or talent but rather determination and strong will. The series subverts common tropes by avoiding making Yuji a typical shōnen protagonist. Jujutsu Kaisen's revolutionary storytelling is emphasized through Yuji's non-special status.
Since its launch, Jujutsu Kaisen has consistently shown himself to be one of the most revolutionary shounen manga of its generation. While not without its shortcomings, the fight choreography and overall writing style consistently eschew some of the genre's most common conventions with surprising execution, and that has made the series gradually becoming one of the biggest manga series of all time.
Jujutsu Kaisen has always thrived on its subversive nature, and the revelations from the most recent chapters only further emphasize that. The most recent chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen have delved deeper into the secrets behind Yuji's birth and they have emphasized that Yuji Itadori avoids many common expressions about shounen main character while still being a great character in his own right.
There are some caveats to a lot of it, but it still leaves Yuji with more agency than the average protagonist, and that does a lot to help make Jujutsu Kaisen what a manga it is. great as it is.
Jujutsu Kaisen seems to turn its hero into a cliché
Yuji almost went a very predictable path
Everything with Jujutsu Kaisen that makes Yuji seem like a revolutionary protagonist stems from the fact that he initially seems like he's not. A big mystery in the series has always been the mystery behind why Yuji is so powerful and Kenjaku's ideal vessel for Sukuna, and chapter #257 finally gives the answer: Yuji's father was reincarnated from Sukuna's twin brother that Sukuna ate in his mother's womb. That explains Yuji's connection to Sukuna and Kenjaku perfectly, but at the same time, making the main character a secret relative of both main villains is a cliché that's played out far too often. done too often in novels.
Yuji's legacy becomes even more cliché as it seems to explain why he is so powerful. In addition to his superhuman strength, Yuji has evolved into an extremely powerful wizard who can not only use reverse curse energy and simple domain, but can also use curse energy with precision. enough to activate seven consecutive Black Lightnings, something even Gojo could not do. . It's starting to seem like Yuji is a different person shounen The main character gains his powers through superior genetics and fateand that potentially makes Jujutsu Kaisen a much less interesting story.
Jujutsu Kaisen makes it clear that Yuji is not supposed to be special
Yuji is still the underdog
Jujutsu Kaisen did a lot to make it seem like Yuji had become a run-of-the-mill shōnen protagonist, but it quickly rectified that. Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #258 has a flashback of Yuji's training for the final battle, and when Yuji's power was developed, Kusakabe asserted that his power did not come from any talent. not innate, but from Sukuna possessing him. That means Yuji is Kenjaku's offspring and Sukuna has nothing to do with his powersso he remains an example of a shōnen protagonist who was not born special in any way, shape, or form.
There is a clear warning about that. Of course, Kusakabe would have no way of knowing Yuji's connection to Kenjaku and Sukuna, and thus his assessment of Yuji's abilities could easily be wrong. That said, since it comes right after the reveal of Yuji being Sukuna's nephew, it probably means Kusakabe's statement about Yuji should be considered more important than the fact that Yuji is Sukuna's nephewso it can still be considered an accurate statement of Yuji's abilities.
Yuji's true power has nothing to do with genetics (& That's cool)
Why is Yuji such a great main character?
As for where Yuji's true strength is supposed to come from, as opposed to his genetics, that's been established: his determination. Even after all the training and artificial enhancement he has received, Yuji is hardly the strongest wizard in the series, but what allows Yuji to continue fighting is just that. Yuji's determination to win surpasses that of his peers and allows him to constantly push himself beyond his limits.. Even Sukuna acknowledges Yuji's “unbreakable” aspect to the point of unease, and given the timing, it's clearly Yuji's most defining trait.
Jujutsu Kaisen's commitment to not making Yuji special avoids the usual clichés of shounen manga.
Of course, the idea of Yuji's strength coming from his overwhelming determination is great for Jujutsu Kaisen as a whole. Genetics aside, it's easy to turn Yuji into some kind of hidden prodigy to justify his success, since that's a common narrative choice both in and out of manga. However, by maintaining the view that Yuji Itadori is not truly talented but just extremely determined, Jujutsu Kaisen could have a main character who is much more unique than most shounen storyand that will certainly do a lot to carry the story through to its final arc.
Yuji's true power emphasizes one of Jujutsu Kaisen's greatest strengths
Yuji helps turn Jujutsu Kaisen into a masterpiece
Overall, Yuji has consistently come through without being special in any way, and that absolutely becomes one of Jujutsu Kaisen's biggest strengths. As discussed previously, one of the prominent signs of Jujutsu Kaisen always the subversive nature of its story, with the series always going against the most common expectations of the media. That's shown in areas like characters who are supposed to die suddenly and the overall quick pace of the series, and while that's not without its criticisms, it's nonetheless also helped a lot in making Jujutsu Kaisen stand out.
Of course, the subversive nature of Jujutsu Kaisen is perfectly supported by the way Yuji is written. Some of the world's most popular manga like Dragon Ball, Naruto, and even One Piece have strong protagonist elements through a combination of genetics and natural talent, and that makes many stories too easy to predict, such as an outcome. By comparison, Jujutsu Kaisen Committing to not making Yuji special avoids a common cliché about shounen storyand that captures the overall subversive nature of the story very well.
More importantly, writing Yuji like that also makes his achievements seem more earned. By firmly stating that Yuji's achievements have nothing to do with talent, genetics or any other unique ability, Yuji appears to be much more proactive than average shounen protagonist, and the effect of that is clearly established in the final section. Overall, the execution of Yuji really not being a special person proves a lot why. Jujutsu Kaisen is a revolutionary manga and more examples like this are sure to appear as the final arc ends.