Why was Masamichi Yaga killed in Jujutsu Kaisen? Explained

Jujutsu Kaisen is a series with no shortage of heartbreaking deaths, and Masamichi Yaga's was one of the most painful. He was not only a principal at Tokyo Jujutsu High but also like a father to many students, particularly Panda.

His strong words and principles made him one of the few adults in the series who cared for his students. His death was a significant turning point in the tone of the series. However, why was Masamichi Yaga killed in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Yaga was killed for holding a dangerous secret— how to make self-conscious Cursed Corpses. This information endangered the power balance. Gakuganji viewed him as a liability. Despite Yaga showing the method out of mercy, the authorities worried about its abuse. To maintain their control, they had him assassinated.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the writer's opinion and includes spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.

Why Yaga's execution was ordered after the Shibuya Incident Arc, explained

Masamichi Yaga and his curses (Image via MAPPA)

Masamichi Yaga’s execution was officially ordered after the Shibuya Incident. But this wasn’t just about rules or laws. It was about power, fear, and control. The higher-ups had been waiting for an excuse, and after Shibuya, they got it.

Yaga had always stood close to Satoru Gojo. He didn’t control or stop him, but his silence was enough. Gojo was powerful, unpredictable, and often disobedient. He broke traditions, ignored orders, and the higher-ups never liked that. They feared Gojo as they couldn’t touch him directly. So they turned to the people around him, and Yaga was the easiest target.

Yaga was also once the teacher of Suguru Geto, which mattered. Geto was a known criminal. A mass murderer. A curse user who tried to overthrow the Jujutsu society. Even though Yaga didn’t approve of what Geto became, the link between them remained— it was political.

The higher-ups pointed to his past as evidence of poor judgment. They ignored nuance and facts, just needing someone to blame.

Satoru Gojo as seen in anime (Image via MAPPA)

The chaos of Shibuya gave them the perfect opening. Gojo had been sealed, but only Mechamaru— another traitor— knew the full story. The higher-ups neither knew what happened on B5F, nor did they didn’t care. They assumed Gojo was involved in something reckless. With Geto’s body involved, it was easy to make connections.

They chose to blame Gojo for everything, but couldn’t punish him directly. So they punished Yaga instead.

Yaga, as principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High, was supposed to oversee everything. In the eyes of the higher-ups, he failed by allowing dangerous people to grow. He didn’t stop Geto when he strayed, or keep him in check. Worst of all, he didn’t protect the school during the attack. Although the enemy was too strong, and Gojo had already been sealed, the higher-ups used it as justification.

His relationship with Gojo sealed his fate. They were both rebels in their own way— both wanted to change the system and were viewed as threats. After Shibuya, the higher-ups began eliminating anything that could cause future trouble. They couldn’t afford more surprises. They needed control, and Yaga’s ideals, his loyalty to Gojo, and his silence, made him a target.

Even though he wasn’t on the front lines, Yaga’s presence had weight. He stood for something larger— compassion, change, independence. The higher-ups saw that as rebellion, and rebellions are crushed.

The real reason for Yaga's execution in Jujutsu Kaisen

Masamichi Yaga as seen in manga (Image via Shueisha)

The real reason Masamichi Yaga was executed in Jujutsu Kaisen wasn't because he failed as a principal. It was because of his Cursed Technique— specifically, the secret to making fully independent Cursed Corpses. This power was more deadly than people knew, and the higher-ups wanted it for themselves.

Yaga could create conscious creatures like Panda. These weren't ordinary puppets, instead, they were filled with thoughts, feelings, and wicked power. They didn't need a sorcerer to work, and that made them self-sustaining weapons. That kind of control is highly valuable.

Panda as seen in anime (Image via MAPPA)

Yaga, however, never told anyone how he did it. He had once claimed it was an accident, a one-time miracle, but it was a lie. The truth was that he'd worked out a formula— a precise method. He could repeat it, and that changed everything.

These Cursed Corpses weren't just weapons— they were possible armies, particularly if they could simulate real people.

Yaga even made quasi-clones of actual individuals. That meant he could remake the shape, memory, and skills of someone who had perished. It wasn't a resurrection, but it was close. If that became public knowledge, the whole system of the jujutsu society would collapse, and the power dynamic would shatter.

Gakuganji as seen in anime (Image via MAPPA)

The higher-ups couldn’t allow that, but they didn't want to eliminate the method—they wanted to own it. That's why Gakuganji and the rest offered clemency. If Yaga shared the formula, they'd spare his life, but Yaga refused the offer. He didn't want that power used for evil, and preferred to die rather than compromise.

It had nothing to do with tradition or rule, this was political. Those in authority feared what they couldn't govern. Yaga's method was radical, and it would have altered the course of the future of Jujutsu completely. They didn’t care about ethics or life and were only concerned about who held power. And Yaga, as far as they were concerned, had too much.

Final thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen is filled with power struggles hiding behind tradition, and Masamichi Yaga was in the middle of it all. His goodness, power, and autonomy made him a threat to those who believed in control. Yaga was killed in Jujutsu Kaisen because he possessed a secret that could overturn everything— the technique to make self-aware Cursed Corpses.

The powers deemed it a danger to their control. Rather than safeguarding the future, they muted it. Yaga died because he refused to betray his principles.