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Jujutsu Kaisen has been on a hot streak recently, with peak character development and intriguing revelations. The latest chapters witnessed the much-awaited and long-due explosive awakening of protagonist Yuji Itadori. Completely locked in, he shattered the record for most Consecutive Black Flashes with 8.
This sudden shift in power caught Ryomen Sukuna by surprise. The Demon King then, through a flashback, revealed Yuji's origins and established him as his nephew. Moreover, comments by one of the manga's translators proved a previous theory that Yuji had one of Sukuna's fingers at birth.
All this is in order with whatever has happened in Jujutsu Kaisen so far. However, upon looking closely, author Gege Akutami foreshadowed Yuji's truth at the series' beginning and it went completely unnoticed.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Akutami indicated Yuji's true nature in chapter 1
Hats need to be tipped to be creator Gege Akutami's genius once more. Chapter 257 witnessed Sukuna reveal that Yuji's father, Jin Itadori, was the reincarnated soul of the twin he consumed while in their mother's womb. Moreover, Kenjaku in Kaori Itadori's body procreated with Jin to birth Yuji, making him Sukuna's nephew.
Very soon after, the whereabouts of Sukuna's final finger was also revealed. Numerous theories were debunked when translator, alias Lightning, confirmed that Yuji was born with the final finger. Putting two and two together, it explains why he was so physically dominant before knowing about Cursed Energy (CE).
However, going back to saluting the author's genius, it looks like Gege Akutami revealed this information at the very beginning of the series. Put simply, chapter/episode 1 very subtlely hints at Yuji having Sukuna's finger inside him.
In chapter/episode 1, after Yuji stuns everyone by throwing the shot put into a nearby goalpost, he heads to the hospital to visit his grandfather. As he makes his way out of the school gate, he passes by Megumi Fushiguro. Given sorcerers' perception to CE and Cursed Objects, he sensed it as the pink-haired boy ran past.
Further, he confronts Yuji at the hospital and has a brief exchange with him, explaining the massive deaths and how negative emotions birthed Curses. This is when Yuji casually hands over the box containing Sukuna's finger to him.
But as it happens, the box was empty. This very details solidifies that Yuji was born with the final finger.
Hence, through this, Gege Akutami foreshadowed Yuji's truth at the very beginning of the story. Moreover, with this information in place, a lot of other points also start to make sense.
Barring the fact that Yuji is a super-powered being possessing the attributes of both Sukuna and Kenjaku, he possessed incredible physical prowess without awakening or being aware of CE.
Also, his resistance to Sukuna and ease of swallowing the fingers is likely due to his body already having adapted itself as a vessel. Even Gojo Satoru was taken aback by the control Yuji exerted over the Demon King inside him. Lastly, his ability to see Curses and Megumi's Shikigami could very well be linked to this same fact.
Final thoughts
Confirmation initially by Sukuna himself and then later by translators aligns with the plot points. We finally understand how and why Yuji was able to do whatever he could. Undoubtedly, being related to Kenjaku, Jin and Sukuna would bestow him with terrifying potential and in turn, power.
This entire scenario is a great example of Gege Akutami's mind-bending twists. It showcases the author's ability to foreshadow major revelations in the smallest of details. Moreover, it also exhibits how important even the minutest details can be in the grand scheme of things.
Related links:
Jujutsu Kaisen revealed the location of Sukuna's Final Finger, and it's related to Yuji
Yuji Itadori's family tree following Jujutsu Kaisen's twin reveal, explained
Jujutsu Kaisen: Status of all 20 Sukuna's fingers, chronologically explained
