Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265: Yuji and Sukuna gear up for a final confrontation inside Yuji's Domain

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 was expected to continue the series’ focus on Yuji Itadori and Ryomen Sukuna’s experience inside the former’s Domain Expansion. Officially released earlier this weekend, the latest installment in author and illustrator Gege Akutami’s original manga series did thankfully live up to expectations in this regard.

However, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 wasn’t quite as informative as fans were hoping when it came to Yuji’s Domain Expansion specifically. While fans did get some info on it in the opening pages, the issue largely focused on a conversation Yuji had with Sukuna, which eventually segued into an ultimatum for the King of Curses.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees Yuji give Sukuna one last chance to come quietly

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265: Memory lane

Yuji seemingly tries to show Sukuna the value of humanity in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265's opening scenes (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 begins with Yuji and Sukuna already on the move, the former equating the current situation with the rare act of connecting with a sorcerer during the height of battle. He explains his theory that it’s a side effect of Cursed Energy being born from humans but realizes that this is different before asking Yuji what his Domain is. Yuji responds that he did this hastily so he doesn’t have a full understanding of it either.

Yuji then explains he wanted some time to talk to Sukuna as they exit the train station, passing a statue that only locals would know. As they walk away from the train station, Yuji explains he was raised in this area until he was six or seven before moving to Sendai. He explains he was born in Sendai, but moved to this area for his grandpa’s work. Yuji says he came back here for the first time in ten years for the funeral of a friend of his grandpa’s.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees him say he was shocked at how empty the area felt then. He then corrects himself, saying he kind of expected it and it didn’t shake or really surprise him. Sukuna silently listens as Yuji ponders if his grandpa’s friend would have gone to his grandpa’s funeral if he had died first.

Yuji's relationship with and origins as they relate to his grandfather play a major role in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Yuji then takes Sukuna to a park he hung out at as a kid, saying there’s no equipment left but it’s fine because he once stubbed his toe on a swing so hard, he thought he’d die. He then recounts the time he used a water fountain to rinse the sand off some slime he dropped but started bawling after the water washed it down the drain. Yuji and Sukuna then look at some flowers, with Yuji mistaking a hydrangea for morning glory and Sukuna correcting him.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees Yuji wonder who’s in charge of each town’s foliage choices before asking Sukuna if he’s into flowers. Sukuna claims it’s just from Megumi Fushiguro’s memories, prompting Yuji to ask if he knew about this place already from when he was in his body. Sukuna responds that he didn’t waste his time on such meaningless memories, as the two walk to another park where they practice catching crayfish after Yuji teases him.

Sukuna catches an American crayfish, which is bigger but more common, while Yuji catches a Japanese one, smaller but rarer. The two bicker briefly before Yuji takes Sukuna to a department store that opened when he was five. He laments that it forced all the small businesses to close, but calls their having a movie theater upstairs a fair trade. Yuji tells Sukuna that there is greenery outside the town, but Sukuna says he’s not expecting anything from this.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265: An ultimatum

Expand Tweet

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees the two go to the town’s outskirts, with Yuji explaining how he used to catch grasshoppers in the rice fields when he was younger. He muses on pesticides seemingly killing the population, to which Sukuna asks if this is going anywhere. Yuji tells him to be patient, saying there’s still places he wants to go to. They then head to a farm with horses, where Yuji muses about how horse heads always seem bigger than he remembers.

He then explains his grandpa took him to this farm often and did a lot of parenting in place of his Mom and Dad. Yuji then takes Sukuna to a soft-serve stand, explaining he once spent all of his allowance on it in a single day but ate too much and threw up likewise. Sukuna comments on how Yuji was born stupid before they do an archery contest, where Sukuna easily wins due to being from the era of “actual archery” as Yuji puts it.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees the weather change to that of a winter snowstorm, explaining how snow sculptures would always be lined up in an area during the winter Snow Festival.

Yuji wonders if they still do this, saying they don’t in Sendai since it never snows there, adding that it doesn’t feel like winter until the snow really piles up. He then remembers when he’d drink sweet milk tea with numb hands after snow shoveling in the morning, which always alienated his grandpa.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 begins its third and final act by emphasizing Yuji's growth since Shibuya (Image via MAPPA Studios)

A young Yuji then appears as current Yuji muses on how he always heard “bells” during Christmas time, making him think Santa really did exist. However, it was just chains on car tires. At this point, Sukuna says he’s fed up, with Yuji saying he showed him everything he wanted to. Sukuna says his yapping is disgusting, and demands he says what he wants to say. Yuji then explains that until recently, he thought he should just live to fulfill his role as he understood it.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees panels of Wasuke Itadori, Junpei Yushiro, Kento Nanami, Nobara Kugisaki, Choso, and Satoru Gojo as Yuji says this and the following. He continues that if he died like that, he thought it’d be a proper death, but now he feels differently. He says that walking the dog, raising a family, even just performing basic bodily functions, and any sort of role like that is just fine for a purpose in life.

He furthers that if you’re stuck in bed sick, and that if you spent your life with no connections and nothing remains of you, this is still okay. He says what’s most important is the little, tiny fragments that remain of oneself drifting off, which is where the value of life lies. Mahito and Sukuna then appear in panels as Yuji says it has nothing to do with how people die and that he can’t forgive those who act as if that value doesn’t exist.

Expand Tweet

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees him say he loathes Sukuna and that humans aren’t tools born with a set rule. Yuji adds that he doesn’t know whether humans are fundamentally good or evil and that he could very well be doing the wrong thing here. Even so, he wants to show Sukuna the humanity of someone other than himself, someone he sees no value in. Sukuna responds that he feels nothing, emphasizing that he understands everything he’s saying.

However, he furthers that it stirs no emotions in him, comparing it to how Yuji felt like he expected the result, which was realizing how quiet this town became upon his return. He says he feels absolutely nothing, to which Yuji briefly laments before saying he expected this too. Sukuna then says he’s shocked by Yuji’s cowardice, questioning if his rage and hatred towards Sukuna could only amount to this conversation.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 sees Sukuna realize Yuji is pitying him, which he confirms as a statue of Buddha appears. Yuji then turns hostile, confirming this and that he can kill him before demanding he release Megumi and return to Yuji himself. Sukuna calls this a grave misconception, with the issue ending as he vows not to stop at mincing him to bits, but slaughtering each and every human he claims to be valuable before his eyes.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265: In summation

Expand Tweet

While chapter 265 wasn’t informative in the way fans wanted, it did live up to expectations in terms of the amount of information fans wanted, only focused on Yuji’s origins instead. Likewise, this focus is incredibly fitting, both as it relates to Yuji’s character development and growth and as a microcosm of his relationship with Sukuna.

Likewise, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265 also excels at maintaining just how antithetical Sukuna and Yuji are to each other, which Akutami does deserve commendation for. While series like Naruto have proved that a redemption arc narrative style can be executed well, it simply wouldn’t fit Sukuna’s character. Chapter 265 makes it clear that such a path will not be forced onto Sukuna at the last second, making the manga’s coming end all the more intriguing.