Gege Akutami has fascinatingly set up the battle between Yuji Itadori vs. Ryomen Sukuna in his Jujutsu Kaisen manga. It was evident from the very beginning that Yuji would eventually have to face his arch-enemy in the series. But the question is, can he beat Sukuna in the upcoming battle?
While it's true that Yuji knows about Sukuna's strength more than anybody else in Jujutsu Kaisen, the former may still lose against the King of the Curses and it has to do with his potential connection to the ancient sorcerer in the past.
Various fan theories have hinted at the possibility of Yuji belonging to the Heian period with Sukuna. If Gege Akutami works on the same line of thought, then there's all the more reason why Yuji may face the inevitable defeat at Sukuna's hands.
The possibility of Yuji being a reincarnation of a sorcerer from the Heian period may backfire against Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen
In Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji Itadori faced numerous insidious incidents that made him both mentally and physically stronger. Losing his close ones, including Megumi, Gojo, and Nobara, instilled in him a deep-rooted desire to eradicate the curses.
Especially after Gojo's demise in Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. In chapter 238, fans saw him jumping into the battlefield along with Higurama to face off against his arch-enemy, Sukuna. Interestingly, the final panel of chapter 238 saw Yuji's hands resembling Sukuna's claws.
Several fan theories suggested that Yuji might have succeeded in unlocking his own cursed technique or learned some of Sukuna's own techniques, given how the curse once belonged inside his body.
Some fans have also explored the possibility of Yuji being the reincarnation of a Heian-era sorcerer, considering how his powers bear a resemblance to Sukuna's. Probable evidence for this theory lies in Chapter 214, where the King of the Curses was taken aback by Yuji's strength and identified him as someone from his time.
While Gege Akutami hasn't directly confirmed this theory, it's still a fascinating idea to explore. But if Yuji indeed turns out to be a reincarnated sorcerer from the Heian period, that would make it difficult for him to emerge victorious against Sukuna.
But why would Yuji lose against Sukuna if he were from the Heian era? Fans would remember how Sukuna was hailed as the strongest sorcerer of the Heian era. He was a nightmare personified who loved to wreak havoc more than anything. In fact, Sukuna trampled over every other sorcerer in his era just to stamp his authority.
Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 238 further revealed how Sukuna was the perfect being owing to his physical attributes, which provided him with an edge over every other sorcerer in his era. As the strongest, Sukuna obliterated the Sun, Moon, and Stars squad, as well as the five void generals of the northern Fujiwara clan.
He also displayed his fearsome strength to drive out the Dessichin Squad of the Sugawara clan and the angels from the Abe Clan. Notably, Sugawara no Michizane from the Sugawara clan was the ancestor of Satoru Gojo and Yuta Okkotsu, which speaks a lot about Sukuna's potential as a sorcerer.
Keeping all these facts in mind, it would take more than a mere cursed technique for Yuji to win against Sukuna. It's almost as if Gege Akutami has been setting Yuji up for a defeat against the King of the Curses.
That said, if anyone has a chance to beat Sukuna right now, it has to be Yuji, given how he knows about the King of the Curse's innate potential. Many Jujutsu Kaisen theories suggest that Yuji might tap into his true potential or unlock what Sukuna called "True Jujutsu".
It's entirely possible for Yuji to finally achieve his own Domain Expansion which could perhaps act as an antithesis to Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine, given how similar yet different their (Sukuna and Yuji's) personalities are.
Nonetheless, Yuji might lose the first round of the battle, but he would eventually find a way to beat his arch-nemesis in Jujutsu Kaisen. It'd be interesting to see whether Yuji can combine his Heian-era techniques with his body-swapping technique. Although it's only speculation at this point, it could possibly give Yuji a slight edge over Sukuna.
Keep up with more anime news and manga updates as 2023 progresses.