Jujutsu Kaisen already foreshadowed Sukuna's final finger fiasco, and Yuta's attack in Shinjuku was clue

Modified Sep 04, 2024 22:35 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen already foreshadowed Sukuna's final finger fiasco, and Yuta's attack in Shinjuku was clue (Image via MAPPA Studios)

With Jujutsu Kaisen’s conclusion on the horizon and Ryomen Sukuna defeated, fans are taking the opportunity to look back on the series overall, and the Shinjuku Showdown arc specifically. Many are choosing to discuss their favorite parts of mangaka Gege Akutami’s original shonen series, while others are instead raising the issues they have with it.

One common complaint seems to be that the reveal of Yuta Okkotsu having eaten Yuji Itadori’s finger rather than Sukuna’s via Rika wasn’t set up in any way. Some are even going as far as to say that this was a last-minute decision by Akutami after it was decided that the Jujutsu Kaisen manga would end on Monday, September 30, 2024 with chapter 271.

However, there is setup for this in the form of foreshadowing via Yuta’s use of the Shrine Cursed Technique (which encompasses both Cleave and Dismantle) throughout the Shinjuku arc. It likewise shows that, when considering the effectiveness of Yuta’s Copied version of Shrine, the reveal of his using Yuji’s finger to Copy it was planned all along.

Jujutsu Kaisen set up Yuta using Yuji’s finger for Copy via the implementation of the Cursed Technique on Sukuna

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The primary foreshadowing for this reveal comes in chapters 250 and 251, where Yuta first uses Cleave against Sukuna. Firstly, in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 250, Yuta only activates the Shrine Technique or its subtechniques once he comes into contact with Sukuna via the sword which contained Shrine. This suggests that the version of Shrine he copied either has a very weak Dismantle that isn’t worth using, or doesn’t have one.

It’s unlikely that Copying Shrine via one of Sukuna’s original 20 fingers would result in only a partial aspect of Shrine being copied. Furthermore, there’s also the fact that Yuta’s version of Cleave is a very weakened one, despite Yuta being in his own Domain Expansion at this time and allegedly consuming Sukuna’s finger.

Given that Domains improve the user’s Cursed Techniques, it doesn’t make sense that Yuta would be wielding such an inferior version of Shrine if he Copied it from a Sukuna finger. Likewise, while Sukuna doesn’t question the effectiveness of the Cursed Technique, he was shocked by the revelation and may not have been considering that given the timing and circumstances.

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This is further supported by the fact that in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 251, Sukuna is overwhelmed by Yuta and Yuji, forcing him to take a Maximum Output Jacob’s Ladder. Likely the other main factor in Sukuna not noticing the weakened version is Yuta’s Cursed Energy, which is said to be overwhelmingly strong in presence, and large in quantity. These two factors likely combined with Yuta’s Domain to hide the fact that he copied Shrine from Yuji’s finger instead of Sukuna’s.

This serves as the primary foreshadowing, and is bolstered by other, more implicit or subtle setups. Yuji’s soul attacks being revealed as his Cursed Technique rather than a result of the Cursed Tool gauntlets he was wearing serves as one. With this reveal, it brought into question what the true purpose of the gauntlets was. In-series, this served as hiding a last-ditch gamble on Nobara Kugisaki’s revival, while it also narratively served as additional foreshadowing.

Likewise, it’s clear that Akutami had planned this reveal of Yuji’s second missing finger out from the very start, and likely always wanted to take this route for Sukuna’s ultimate demise. Yuta’s use of and strength with Shrine in chapter 250 served as the initial setup for this reveal, which was then built upon by later additional foreshadowing. Likely the only aspect Akutami may have adjusted at the last-second was the pacing considering the ending’s sudden announcement.