Ever since Jujutsu Kaisen’s sequel, Modulo, began serialization, fans have wanted to see the return of characters from the original manga. This is partly because many fans were dissatisfied with the original ending and have long wanted to see more of those characters. While the series provided details about some of them, revealing that the original cast has aged, as expected since the story is set nearly seven years after the original, Yuji Itadori’s position in Modulo came with a surprising revelation: Yuji cannot age due to his special conditions as a Death Painting and Sukuna’s former vessel.
Furthermore, with the reveal that Yuji is still active as a sorcerer and has now become the strongest among them, anticipation for his return only continued to grow. With Yuka facing Dabura, an alien sorcerer on par with Sukuna, Yuji’s return to rescue the sorcerers and humanity from the Simurians’ oppression and colonization seemed inevitable. In Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 19, titled “Rapid Strides,” following a heated battle between Dabura and Mahoraga, where Dabura learns Reversed Cursed Energy, and Mahoraga begins adapting to brute force, Yuji finally makes his appearance. However, he shocks fans with his actions, as he makes no distinction between Simurians and humans, attacking both alike.
The Original Protagonist Returns in a Far More Complicated Role
Image courtesy of Shueisha
Due to Dabura and Mahoraga’s clash, the surge of cursed energy sends lower-grade curses into panic, forcing them to flee Tokyo, prompting sorcerers to take on the task of exorcising them. Meanwhile, the Simurians plan to prevent humans from interfering in the duel between Dabura and Yuka, leading to a confrontation between the two sides inside an abandoned building. As both prepare to fight, Yuji returns, exclaiming that he had warned them this would happen, only to immediately contradict himself by admitting he never said it out loud. His next move sees him fire a Piercing Blood technique, which fans expected to aid the sorcerers by targeting only the Simurians; instead, the projectile strikes everyone, regardless of allegiance or identity.
This moment makes it clear that Yuji has no intention of siding with humanity in the way fans expected, leaving his true motives uncertain. Based on how he has been portrayed in the sequel so far, including his apparent involvement with the Okkotsu family, Yuji now seems to occupy a far more complex moral position than before. While his intentions remain unclear, it is evident that he does not intend to help humanity unconditionally, suggesting that his judgment as the strongest sorcerer has evolved into something far stricter and more detached.
It can be inferred that Yuji’s outlook may be influenced by Gojo Satoru’s former role as the strongest, when sorcerers relied entirely on him to resolve crises without considering the consequences. That dependence ultimately led to disaster when Kenjaku sealed Gojo, resulting in the nation’s downfall. This parallel suggests that Yuji may now be acting as a vigilante whose morality disregards distinctions between humans, cursed spirits, and other races. Yet this raises the question of why he chooses to interfere at all. While his true motivations remain unknown, they may soon be revealed in upcoming chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, making it clear that the original protagonist’s role in the sequel is far more intriguing than simply that of a veteran hero.
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