Not Gojo but Kenjaku could have awakened the true potential of Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen

Kenjaku is a prominent antagonist in Jujutsu Kaisen. He orchestrated the birth of Itadori Yuji by taking the soul of Sukuna’s twin, whom the King of Curses consumed while still in the womb. Additionally, he took control of the body of Kaori Itadori, the main character’s mother, prior to her giving birth to him.

Despite its questionable origins, Itadori was raised by his grandfather, who instilled in him the values of aiding the vulnerable and avoiding bullying. With the guidance of Gojo Satoru and his companions, Yuji quickly became one of the strongest sorcerers in the series by absorbing a vast amount of knowledge.

If Itadori had joined forces with Kenjaku at the beginning of the series, like Choso and the other Death Paintings, would the outcome have been different? The protagonist would still have been chosen as the vessel to resurrect Sukuna, but he could have unlocked his cursed technique, Shrine, much sooner, resulting in a much greater level of strength than he currently possesses.

Please be aware that this article includes spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Considering Itadori’s Destiny as a Member of Kenjaku’s Faction

Kaori (Kenjaku) and Yuji (Image via MAPPA & Shueisha)

Jujutsu Kaisen’s main protagonist is Itadori Yuji, the son of Jin and Kaori Itadori. Tragically, Kaori’s body was taken over by Kenjaku before she gave birth to the protagonist. Additionally, Jin Itadori’s soul was that of Sukuna’s twin brother, who was consumed by the King of Curses while they were both still in their mother’s womb.

Despite all the difficulties, Itadori Yuji entered the world, but as evident from the beginning of the series, his parents passed away after his birth. Therefore, his grandfather, Wasuke Itadori, raised him, but he held reservations towards Kaori as he could sense something malevolent within her after she was possessed by Kenjaku.

Itadori as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Upon entering Jujutsu High, Yuji had limited understanding of sorcery and gradually learned through his experiences. While Gojo Satoru taught him a majority of things, Nanami taught him the fundamentals of cursed energy manipulation, Aoi Todou showed him the technique of Black Flash, and he acquired Blood Manipulation by consuming Death Paintings. Additionally, he gained knowledge of RCT and Simple Domain through a soul-exchange.

If Kenjaku had paid closer attention to Itadori after his birth and raised him, the outcome could have been vastly different. It is possible that Yuji could have received training from experienced sorcerers such as Choso and the Death Paintings, and he could have been acknowledged as Choso’s biological brother due to their shared parent, Kenjaku.

Itadori's Shrine as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha) — Itadori’s Shrine as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Moreover, if Kenjaku had given Sukuna’s finger to Yuji at an earlier point, it would have increased his affinity for Sukuna’s cursed technique and the Shrine. As a result, Yuji would have awakened the Shrine much earlier in the storyline of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Additionally, his Shrine would have been fully activated, unlike the one he currently possesses that can only cut things. This would have allowed his true potential to be unlocked alongside Kenjaku, rather than with Gojo Satoru in the current timeline.

Final Thoughts

Kenjaku as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Despite being the central protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen, it is difficult to picture Itadori as one of the antagonists. This could be attributed to his unwavering determination, which is heavily influenced by his grandfather’s teachings. Perhaps this is why Kenjaku did not attempt to claim Itadori as his own.

If Kenjaku had introduced Itadori to eating Death Paintings and awakening Blood Manipulation earlier, he would have had a different personality. Therefore, Kenjaku had the capability to do this at an earlier stage.