Why did Yuji clap his hands at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2? Explained

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 came to a spectacular end on December 28, 2023, marking the end of an unforgettable Shibuya arc. This arc has witnessed an unfathomable amount of casualties, with both the Jujutsu sorcerers and the rest of humanity suffering devastating losses.

The final episode of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 saw the battle between the Jujutsu sorcerers and Kenjaku reach a decisive end, with the latter successfully escaping with the Prison Realm. Towards the end of Episode 23, however, there was a particular scene involving Yuji Itadori that has become a topic of discussion among fans.

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Jujutsu Kaisen season 2: Explaining the reason behind Yuji Itadori clapping his hands at the end of Episode 23

Episode 23 of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 marked the end of the Shibuya Incident arc, which left the entire city of Shibuya as well as the Jujutsu society in shambles. It featured the deaths of thousands of innocent people as well as beloved characters such as Nobara Kugisaki and Kento Nanami.

As the sun shone on the city once again, Yuji Itadori was seen standing in the middle of a bridge, clapping his hands. It signaled the definitive conclusion to the tragedy that took place the night before, as the characters tried to recuperate from the devastating loss suffered by society.

However, the scene with Yuji clapping his hands seemed to cause quite a bit of confusion within the fanbase as people tried to figure out the reason behind his actions. Since the scene immediately cut to black afterward, fans were left wondering if it meant some sort of tribute to Aoi Todo, who was famous for clapping his hands to activate his Cursed Technique.

While some even went so far as to speculate that the scene possibly signified Yuji's new-found ability to use Blood Manipulation, the answer is rather simple. In chapter 139 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Yuji was seen clapping his hands while standing in the middle of a bridge to draw out Cursed Spirits in that area.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Shibuya arc, Yuji was seen having a short conversation with Choso. Being consumed by the guilt of causing the deaths of thousands of people in Shibuya, Yuji felt that he could not return to Jujutsu High with the others.

Furthermore, he was aware of Sukuna's malicious intentions regarding Megumi, which is why he felt that he needed to stay away from everyone. Therefore, he decided to help out his comrades by taking out the remaining Cursed Spirits in Shibuya alongside Choso.

Yuji Itadori as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)

To draw out the Cursed Spirits in the area, Yuji stood in the middle of a bridge and clapped his hands loudly. As the Cursed Spirits came out in huge numbers to attack him, Yuji led them to a nearby tunnel, where Choso took out the majority of them with Piercing Blood. During the fight, the latter was left impressed by Yuji's strength despite his beaten-down state.

Fans would be able to witness the scene at the very beginning of the upcoming season 3, which was announced by MAPPA immediately after the conclusion of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. Season 3 of the anime would be adapting the highly-anticipated Culling Games arc, which is set to feature appearances from fan-favorite characters such as Yuta Okkotsu and Kinji Hakari.

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Final Thoughts

Following the conclusion of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, the hype and excitement for the upcoming season are through the roof. The Culling Games arc features some of the best fights in the series, and would also have the highly anticipated fight between Yuta Okkotsu and Yuji Itadori right at the beginning of the upcoming season.