A hidden change in Yuji's character design during Jujutsu Kaisen's final battle tease he became as strong as Sukuna in the end

By Kevin Tanza

Modified Sep 17, 2024 08:44 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen author Gege Akutami might have added a detail to highlight Yuji's growth (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen has almost reached its finale with the defeat of Ryomen Sukuna in the manga, and it was Yuji Itadori who gave the King of Curses the final blow— something celebrated as the character reached a new plateau of power in this arc.

In that regard, while Yuji's growth was shown through new techniques and being able to keep up with someone like Sukuna, some fans on Reddit have picked up on a small change in his character design.

For the most part in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Yuji's eyes always had a yellowish tone and a normal look when compared to most characters in the series. However, during the events of the final battle, his eyes look like Ryomen Sukuna's, having a red tone and multiple circular iris, thus leading to a peculiar design that could represent his ascendance to a new level.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Explaining how Yuji Itadori's eyes changing colors could be a representation of his evolution in Jujutsu Kaisen

Yuji's regular eyes when fighting Sukuna (Image via Shueisha)

During the vast majority of the story, Yuji's eyes are depicted as brown with some yellowish tones when the pages are colored. However, during the final moments of the battle with Ryomen Sukuna, his eyes get a red tone and several irises, quite similar to the King of Curses, which is something that has led fans on Reddit to wonder the reason for this change.

This might be a stylistic decision by author Gege Akutami, although some people have speculated that it could serve as a representation of Yuji reaching a new plateau as a sorcerer and how he equaled Sukuna. Much like Satoru Gojo's fight with Toji Fushiguro allowed him to become the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, there is an argument to be made that the protagonist defeating Sukuna is that moment for him.

On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that Yuji's father, Jin Itadori, is Sukuna's twin brother, thus making the latter family of the protagonist. So it could make sense that this change in his eyes— turning into something quite similar to Sukuna's— is an example of their blood connection.

The role of Yuji Itadori as the protagonist

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While Yuji Itadori has always been well-liked by the Jujutsu Kaisen community, there were a lot of people criticizing the fact his role as the protagonist wasn't always maximized, which potentially makes sense to a degree.

There were a lot of moments in the series where Yuji wasn't the main focus, even going as far as the vast majority of the Culling Games arc and a good portion of the conflict with Ryomen Sukuna.

However, there is also no denying that Yuji's aforementioned conflict with Sukuna is the driving force of the story. While characters such as Satoru Gojo and Megumi Fushiguro have had major roles to play in key points of the series, it was Itadori who brought back the King of Curses, and the one who put an end to their conflict.

Final thoughts

Yuji's change in his eyes might be a style change made by author Gege Akutami or perhaps was a prime example of his growth in Jujutsu Kaisen. There is also a strong argument to be made that the change in his eyes could be connected to the genes he shares with Sukuna since they are uncle and nephew.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay