Yuji Itadori
Yuji Itadori, also known as Itadori Yūji (虎いた杖どり悠ゆう仁じ Itadori Yūji), is the main character in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. He is the son of Jin Itadori and Kaori Itadori, and the grandson of Wasuke Itadori. Originally leading a normal life in Sendai City, everything changed when he met Megumi and accidentally consumed one of Sukuna’s fingers. This event made him Sukuna’s vessel. As a result, Yuji started attending Tokyo Jujutsu High School along with Megumi and Nobara, beginning their journey as first-year students.
Appearance:
Yuji is a young man with an average height and seemingly slender frame, though he has a lean, muscular build. He sports large light brown eyes and spiky pink hair (brownish blonde in the manga), usually styled in an undercut. After consuming Sukuna’s finger and becoming his vessel, Yuji gains a second pair of eyes that only appear when Sukuna takes control of his body, along with various markings.
At the series’ beginning, Yuji sported a light-colored hooded jacket, high-cuffed black pants, and white shoes. However, in the anime, his pants were denim, and his shoes were bright red. Upon enrolling in the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College, he adopted the school uniform: a black long-sleeve shirt resembling a gakuran over a red hoodie, paired with black pants and red shoes.
During the Shibuya Incident, Yuji received noticeable scars: one between his two eyes and a smaller one at the left corner of his mouth. Both were inflicted by Mahito. The first occurred when the cursed spirit ambushed him with a blade, while the second was during their ensuing battle after Mahito’s transformation.
After Sukuna transferred to Megumi Fushiguro as his new vessel, Yuji lost the second pair of eyes that only appeared when Sukuna controlled his body, along with the various markings.
Personality:
Yuji is known for his fairness and genuine care for others, whether they’re his close friends or acquaintances. He deeply values life and believes everyone deserves a dignified death. He refuses to take a human life unless necessary, sticking to his moral principles.
Despite his serious beliefs, Yuji also exhibits lively and outgoing traits. He often engages in comedic moments, especially when exploring Tokyo with Nobara or eagerly training with Gojo. He shows great enthusiasm when pursuing his goals and can be stubborn when questioned about them, like his desire to become a sorcerer, as seen when Yaga questioned him. While inexperienced in dealing with cursed spirits and sorcery, Yuji proves to be a quick learner, adapting to his surroundings and mastering cursed energy with ease.
Yuji typically maintains a calm, friendly demeanor, but he can quickly become enraged when faced with pure evil. This anger flares up, especially when he witnesses the cruelty of curses firsthand, particularly Mahito’s exploitation of Junpei. The depth of Yuji’s disgust pushes him to feel a genuine desire to kill for the first time, directing an intense and focused hatred toward the cursed spirit.
A defining trait of Yuji is his readiness to sacrifice himself for others, influenced by his grandfather’s last words urging him to die surrounded by loved ones. This willingness to protect others is evident when he meets Megumi for the first time and impulsively consumes Sukuna’s finger to exorcise a curse and save them both from imminent danger.
Abilities:
Yuji stands out as one of Tokyo Jujutsu High’s most formidable and skilled students. Satoru Gojo, recognizing his potential, places him alongside Yuta Okkotsu and Kinji Hakari as individuals destined to surpass even his strength. Despite his relatively short time in the jujutsu world before the Shibuya Incident, Yuji demonstrates remarkable prowess by taking on and defeating Grade 1 and Special Grade curses.
His exceptional physical abilities, coupled with his mastery of cursed energy, make him a formidable opponent. Additionally, Yuji possesses the unique ability to contain Sukuna without suffering any adverse effects. This grants him the ability to perceive the shape of souls, giving him an advantage against adversaries like Mahito, whose manipulation of his soul’s form typically renders him immune to harm.
Yuji possesses immense physical strength even without tapping into cursed energy. He can effortlessly demolish walls, hurl lead balls with enough force to bend soccer goalposts, and even lift and throw cars. This formidable strength becomes even more potent when combined with cursed energy techniques like the Divergent Fist and Black Flash, enabling him to exorcise cursed spirits effectively.
His unparalleled strength draws comparisons to Kento Nanami, a Grade 1 sorcerer. Yuji’s might is such that he can inflict damage on incredibly tough opponents like Hanami and Choso, who boast exceptional durability. During his confrontation with Sukuna, Yuji showcases his agility by leaping twenty stories between buildings to reach his adversary. In the same battle, he manages to momentarily halt Sukuna by kicking a massive chunk of rubble towards him, demonstrating his prowess in combat.
Yuji possesses remarkable speed and reflexes, demonstrated by his ability to cover a 50-meter track in just 3 seconds, indicating speeds of over 60 km/h (37.3 mph). He’s adept at dodging attacks, as seen when he evaded strikes from five sorcerers from Kyoto Jujutsu High who tried to attack him. His reflexes are highlighted when he successfully avoids Choso’s Piercing Blood, which moves at the speed of sound.
In terms of durability, Yuji exceeds the norm for sorcerers. He withstands relentless assaults from Choso and endures attacks from Mahito in his formidable Instant Spirit Body of Distorted Killing form. Even after being punched through multiple buildings by Sukuna, Yuji survives and continues to fight. He demonstrates incredible resilience by enduring Sukuna’s relentless assaults and fighting back, aided by Maki.
Yuji demonstrates immense stamina, enabling him to continue fighting despite severe injuries for extended periods without rest. For instance, he persevered even after losing his hand and having his fingers disintegrated in battle against the Finger Bearer, allowing Megumi and Nobara to escape safely. He also resisted numerous poisonous stab wounds while attempting to stop Junpei Yoshino’s rampage at school. Even after sustaining serious injuries from Mahito, Yuji persisted in attacking.
Furthermore, Yuji is a proficient learner, displaying curiosity and diligence in his studies. He excels in progressing quickly, as seen in his rapid improvement during Satoru’s Movie Appreciation Training and his swift grasp of Aoi Todo’s advice. According to Akutami, he is the most skilled cook among the first-year trio. Yuji adeptly combines martial arts with cursed energy, achieving a level of proficiency that enables him to confront Special Grade curses. Notably, he swiftly learns to use Black Flash, executing it four times in succession shortly after discovering its existence.
Additionally, Yuji demonstrates rapid development in understanding cursed energy in the month leading up to his battle with Sukuna. He significantly enhances his cursed energy reinforcement techniques and comprehends the intricate nature of the reverse cursed technique, efficiently utilizing it for self-healing.
Yuji is hailed as one of the top martial artists in the series, rivaling even Aoi Todo in skill. His mastery of hand-to-hand combat enables him to effortlessly defeat Semi-Grade 1 cursed spirits and confront Special Grade curses using a combination of martial arts and cursed energy infusion. He exhibits precise control over his attacks, capable of adjusting their power mid-strike and delivering swift counterblows.
His fighting style emphasizes agility and acrobatics, allowing him to attack from multiple angles while evading incoming strikes, granting him both offensive and defensive prowess. In addition to traditional techniques, Yuji is proficient in Taido Martial Arts, employing moves like Knee Release to maintain balance and execute precise strikes.
By merging Taido Martial Arts with his combat skills, Yuji executes advanced techniques such as the Manji Kick, leveraging momentum to deliver devastating blows, further enhanced with cursed energy to harm cursed spirits.
Moreover, Yuji’s role as Sukuna’s host grants him resistance to various poisons, though he still experiences pain. This resistance proves invaluable in battles against adversaries like Moon Dregs and Eso and Kechizu’s Decay. Despite lacking formal training in weapons, Yuji’s natural talent and physical prowess enable him to quickly become proficient with them when necessary.
