Jujutsu Kaisen: Foreshadowing of Sukuna’s Finger Fiasco and Yuta’s Shinjuku Attack

As Jujutsu Kaisen approaches its conclusion and Ryomen Sukuna’s defeat, fans are reflecting on the series as a whole and the Shinjuku Showdown arc in particular. Some are sharing their favorite aspects of mangaka Gege Akutami’s original shonen series, while others are bringing up their criticisms of it.

Many have expressed their dissatisfaction with the reveal of Yuta Okkotsu consuming Yuji Itadori’s finger instead of Sukuna’s through the use of Rika. Some have even speculated that this was a sudden decision made by Akutami due to the manga’s planned ending on Monday, September 30, 2024 with chapter 271.

Despite this, there is preparation for this moment through foreshadowing in Yuta using the Shrine Cursed Technique (which combines both Cleave and Dismantle) in the Shinjuku arc. This also indicates that the reveal of Yuta’s Copied version of Shrine, which utilized Yuji’s finger, was a planned aspect from the beginning.

Jujutsu Kaisen: The Set-up of Yuta Using Yuji’s Finger for Copy via the Cursed Technique on Sukuna

The foreshadowing for this reveal can be seen in chapters 250 and 251, when Yuta initially uses Cleave against Sukuna. In chapter 250 of Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuta is only able to activate the Shrine Technique or its subtechniques when he comes into contact with Sukuna through the sword containing Shrine. This implies that the version of Shrine he copied either has a weak Dismantle that is not worth utilizing, or lacks one altogether.

It’s improbable that copying Shrine with one of Sukuna’s original 20 fingers would only result in a partial aspect being copied. Additionally, Yuta’s version of Cleave is significantly weakened, even though he is in his own Domain Expansion and reportedly consumed one of Sukuna’s fingers.

It is illogical that Yuta would possess a weaker version of Shrine if he obtained it from a Sukuna finger, as Domains enhance the user’s Cursed Techniques. Additionally, Sukuna’s surprise at the revelation may have been due to the timing and circumstances, rather than questioning the effectiveness of the Cursed Technique.

This notion is reinforced by the events of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 251, where Sukuna is overpowered by Yuta and Yuji, leading him to resort to using a Maximum Output Jacob’s Ladder. It is highly possible that Yuta’s Cursed Energy played a significant role in Sukuna’s inability to detect the weakened version, as it is known to possess an overpowering presence and considerable quantity. Additionally, Yuta’s Domain may have also contributed to concealing the fact that he had copied the Shrine from Yuji’s finger instead of Sukuna’s.

The main foreshadowing is supported by other subtle and implicit setups. An example of this is the revelation that Yuji’s soul attacks are actually his Cursed Technique, rather than a result of the Cursed Tool gauntlets he was wearing. This raises questions about the true purpose of the gauntlets. In the story, this was used as a way to hide a desperate attempt to revive Nobara Kugisaki, while also serving as further foreshadowing in the narrative.

Similarly, it is evident that Akutami had carefully planned the revelation of Yuji’s second missing finger from the beginning and had always intended for Sukuna’s ultimate downfall to follow this path. The use of Shrine by Yuta in chapter 250 laid the foundation for this reveal, which was further developed through later foreshadowing. The only detail that Akutami may have altered last-minute was the pacing, as the sudden announcement at the end may have needed some adjustments.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 268 Highlights
Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 release date and time
Why Gojo’s letter to Megumi in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 268 is the perfect goodbye for them, explained