Gege Akutami calls himself out in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 on every missed opportunity

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 revealed Yuta's survival, as well as the reason behind every sorcerer gathering in one place to "help Yuta." While many fans expected this chapter to take a more intense turn with the sorcerers needing to pull Yuta out of Gojo's body, the chapter ended up focusing on a discussion among the survivors of the Sukuna fight.

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 269 centered on the New Shadow Style, its origins, and Mei Mei's actions before the Sukuna fight. Maki's dialogue explored several possibilities that could have made the fight much easier, many of which are direct mentions of many fan speculations.

It is possible that the what-if scenarios highlighted by Maki in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 are Gege's way of addressing how the fight could have been much easier if he had chosen those specific scenarios.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series.

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Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269: Gege Akutami discusses many possibilities overlooked in the Sukuna fight

Yuta Okkotsu as shown in the anime (Image via Studio MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 took a different turn, depicting the aftermath of Yuta returning to his body offscreen. Many fans expected this process to be the main highlight of the chapter. However, Maki's words to Yuta and the various tactical decisions that could have been taken during their fight became the primary focus.

Rika, who was shown crying while holding Yuta's hollow body in chapter 262, was revealed to have been maintaining and healing his body, where Yuta simply returned after Kenjaku's technique had supposedly burnt out. The Sukuna fight saw almost the entire cast engaging with Sukuna one after another.

While characters like Ino and Kusakabe didn’t manage to make much of a difference, Miguel and Larue ended up being two of the most impactful in fighting Sukuna.

Additionally, Inumaki using a pre-recorded command to freeze Sukuna later in the fight became one of the most discussed twists. Many fans questioned why Higuruma’s executioner sword, which is a one-hit-kill technique, was not used alongside Inumaki’s pre-recorded cursed speech to defeat Sukuna earlier in the fight.

Maki as shown in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Fans also questioned how Miguel and Larue's entry into the fight shortly after Gojo's death made it more favorable for the sorcerers. These issues were used by fans to criticize Gege, stating that the fight after Gojo’s death devolved into a cycle of new characters entering the battlefield to fight Sukuna.

Maki’s dialogue in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269, exploring these possibilities, might have been Gege’s way of addressing the criticism, explaining why the fight was structured as a gauntlet instead of having all sorcerers attack Sukuna at once.

The reason Inumaki’s cursed speech wasn’t used alongside Higuruma’s technique was revealed to be due to Sukuna's strength during his fight with Higuruma, with the possibility that the pre-recorded cursed speech could have been fatal to Inumaki due to the overwhelming power gap.

Miguel and Larue’s late introduction in the fight remains a mystery, attributed to their whimsical nature.

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Final thoughts

Gojo as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 ended with the reveal of additional details about the New Shadow Style. While many fans expected Gojo's return or mentions of him in this chapter, no such thing was hinted at.

The story is set to end in late September with the release of chapter 271, so it is still possible that Gojo's return could happen in the next two chapters. Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 270 will be released on September 22, 2024.

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