Yuta's similarities to this Fate character may explain his path in Jujutsu Kaisen's final arc

When Jujutsu Kaisen ended, many were puzzled with the fate creator Gege Akutami handed to Yuta Okkotsu. He took over his sensei Gojo Satoru's body, continued the fight, was in a seemingly dire situation before he was saved and recovered his old self. Some opined that Gege was aligning it with the theme of the next generation of sorcerers, while others felt it was for the Yuta-Maki plot.

But a key observation here is that Yuta Okkotsu's fate resembles what Fate character Shirou Emiya experienced. Besides Yuta's Domain being similar to Shirou's Unlimited Bladeworks, the characters shared a similar kismet. If at the time it was examined more closely, fans could have guessed what Gege was going to do with Yuta by the end of the series.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinions.

Likeness between Jujutsu Kaisen's Yuta and a Fate character elucidates former's path

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Before delving in, it is worth understanding how Yuta is being linked to Fate's Shirou. This relates to the final route of Fate/stay night, Heaven's Feel. In his route, he doesn't develop his abilities as he does in the other routes. He fights with a stick and a wooden sword, utilizing basic Reinforcement magecraft on them without grasping Projection either.

During the Einzbern Forest conflict, he loses his arm whilst protecting Illya from the Shadow's explosion. Not just him, but Archer also suffers a critical wound. In order for at least one of them to survive, Archer pushes for his left arm to be transplanted onto Shirou. Kotomine does so after figuring out the details. To put it plainly, Shirou receives a major power boost but not without downsides.

Shirou cannot fully use its power without it gradually consuming him given his body was spiritually far inferior to the arm. In fact, it was more weapon than limb, giving Shirou Archer's battle experience and abilities, pushing his existing abilities much beyond their limit. In the end, Shirou nears his limit and nearly dies, but he is saved and recovers off-screen folllowing a timeskip, living with no permanent negative consequences.

Unlimited Bladeworks (Image via Ufotable)

Now this parallels what Yuta faced in Jujutsu Kaisen towards the end of the series. After suffering considerable damage from Sukuna, the contingency plan was put into motion - Copy Kenjaku's technique and transplant Yuta's brain into Gojo's body. Thus, he returned for round 2, but like Shirou, there was only a certain time for which he could activate his new body's power before losing control.

This is what happened in Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuta lost control as Yuji and Todo Aoi charged Sukuna. But then again, by the end of the series, he was returned to his own body and didn't suffer any of the consequences he was warned about when the plan was being concocted. Thus, akin to Shirou, all this was done off-screen and Yuta survived the ordeal, unharmed and living another day.

In essence, the idea was similar but the motivation and message was different. Yuta was in more of a do-or-die situation, with Sukuna proving nearly unbeatable. Moreover, the message being put across was abandoning one's humanity was necessary and highly beneficial in a crunch situation like that (in a twisted way); high risk = high reward. Also, Yuta being returned to his own body unharmed was necessary for plot progression.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, the parallels between Yuta Okkotsu’s fate in Jujutsu Kaisen and Shirou Emiya’s path in Fate/stay night present a compelling lens through which Akutami's storytelling could be understood. In both cases, the characters experience similar fates, i.e., major power boosts but with considerable potential dangers which were ultimately avoided.

Yuta’s taking over Gojo’s body, akin to Shirou receiving Archer’s arm, pushes them to the brink, only for them to survive somehow to live another day. To reiterate, such narrative choices testify to Akutami drawing inspiration from Fate while remodelling it to suit Jujutsu Kaisen's brutal and chaotic world. Yuta’s controversial survival lines up with the manga’s themes of sacrifice and legacy.

It emphasizes the ruthless necessity of power in a Cursed world. The payoff, while possibly abrupt, did ensure narrative continuity and highlighted the burden to be carried and the resilience of the next generation of sorcerers to do so.

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About the author

Casey has been an anime writer at Sportskeeda since almost a year. Being drawn into the world of animanga after watching the Dragon Ball series almost a decade ago, Casey's interest in the genre, along with his love of crafting plot theories influenced his writerly endeavors. Presently pursuing a Master's degree in International Business, Casey worked for Uneake and FootballExpress for 1.3 years before joining Sportskeeda.

Casey's writings reflect his commitment to producing the most reliable content, evidenced by his flair for in-depth reporting. He places a high value on meticulous research and complete factual accuracy.

Although it was legendary Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus that influenced his love of animanga, Casey soon branched out and explored other titles. The unique ways in which mangakas express ideas, as well as their far-reaching effects, have inspired Casey in his creative pursuits.

When not busy writing, Casey enjoys working out, listening to music, strumming the guitar, and playing football.

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Edited by Casey Mendez