Jujutsu Kaisen Manga Chapters Challenge Itadori Protagonist

Following a drastic plot twist in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, many fans are questioning if Itadori is still worthy of being the series' protagonist.

Jujutsu Kaisen has never left any doubt that Itadori Yuji is the story's protagonist. Since the moment he swallowed the evil Sukuna's finger to save Megumi Fushiguro's life, Itadori has been a point of interest in both the animanga community and the in-universe Jujutsu Society. However, the budding sorcerer's role in the manga is now being questioned thanks to recent chapters.

Chapter 212 saw Sukuna finally claim his minute of freedom he had previously agreed with Itadori. In the 60 seconds he was unsuppressed, the villain inflicted absolute havoc upon his vessel. The sorcerer's life has been flipped upside down ever since, and he's been faced with many humiliating consequences that have everyone questioning Itadori's abilities as Jujutsu Kaisen's main character.

Itadori Is No Longer Sukuna’s Vessel in Jujutsu Kaisen

While he was manifested, Sukuna ripped off one of his fingers and force-fed it to the young sorcerer he'd always taken an eerie interest in -- Megumi Fushiguro. By doing so, he left Itadori's body and possessed Fushiguro's, leaving the former to watch as the evil entity inhabited his best friend. This changes the plot on a surface level, meaning Fushiguro may now be the one tragically executed when Jujutsu Kaisen concludes. That said, this shocking twist is also testing Itadori's merit as a protagonist.

Sukuna was the source of most of Itadori's power, so without him, the sorcerer is nowhere near as useful as he was before. While he has an unshakable resolve and a lot of raw strength, that's pretty much all he can rely on without being the King of Curses' vessel. Itadori mastered cursed energy manipulation at a superhuman speed, but he never managed to form a cursed technique of his own in that time. Cursed techniques are what make jujutsu sorcerers so powerful; they're the unique level up from cursed energy manipulation. To put it in context, Gojo Satoru wouldn't be a god-like figure without Limitless, and Fushiguro would be useless without his 10 Shadows. They'd just be in the weaker range of jujutsu sorcerers.

Because Itadori had no cursed energy before eating Sukuna's finger, he is presumably back to being a powerless civilian. While Jujutsu Kaisen fans have learned that Yuji's mother, Kaori, did have an innate cursed technique that Kenjaku has inherited, he's still yet to be seen using any inherited cursed energy. The protagonist is currently scraping by with his superhuman strength and natural affinity to battle.

Sukuna Is More Frightened of Maki Than Itadori

Following this shocking decision, Itadori and his peers began attacking Sukuna. Without any power, however, the previous vessel struggled mightily to hold his own against the curse. Sukuna battled with a nonchalant approach -- until Maki entered the scene. Not only was he shocked that he never sensed the Zenin's presence, but he acknowledged her strength for withstanding one of his attacks. It's clear from this interaction that Sukuna is impressed by Maki's presence, while he barely views Itadori as a threat.

In true Jujutsu Kaisen fashion, Itadori and Maki pair up and relentlessly barrage Sukuna with attacks, but it's clear that Maki is leagues ahead. The King of Curses even implies Itadori's attacks are boring, and the reformed Zenin has to check that her underclassman can keep up with the speed of her blows. Sukuna is continuously impressed by Maki's skills while looking down on Itadori's newfound weakness. Maki can inflict serious damage, but the series' protagonist is significantly lagging behind.

Sukuna and Uraume Both Mocked Itadori

As Itadori and Maki were attempting to stop Sukuna, Uraume, previously seen working alongside Kenjaku and Mahito, arrived and froze the duo in ice. Again, the curse took the opportunity to berate Itadori, while telling his ally they were right to freeze Maki as she actually posed a threat. However, Itadori quickly broke free of the mound of ice he was encased in and ran after the pair.

The two antagonists fled on Nue while Itadori helplessly chased them, unable to do anything. While he screamed after them, the pair laughed together and trolled him by comparing him to the Harima statue -- a sculpture depicting a young, screaming boy. Despite being the main character, Itadori has quickly become a joke to the story's antagonists.

Jujutsu Kaisen's Itadori Is No Longer a Standard Shonen Protagonist

In comparison to his peers, Itadori Yuji is now officially the weakest of them all. He no longer has access to cursed energy, has no cursed technique of his own, and is barely scraping by in the relentless world of Jujutsu. Sukuna saw potential in Fushiguro, so abandoned the vessel he believed to be weaker and was helped by an ally to escape Maki's attacks. Itadori has been forcefully leveled down while friends such as Yuta Okkotsu and Hakari Kinji cruise by with their incredible techniques.

This has JJK fans questioning Itadori's worth as a protagonist, as his power-down creates a unique angle for the manga. Most shonen leads, such as Bleach's Ichigo Kurosaki or Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado, have a power-up at the start of the series and remain consistently as strong as -- or even stronger than -- their peers. Sometimes they will become injured and be momentarily out of action, but they never experience the loss of power Itadori is facing. This places the sorcerer in an entirely different bracket to his fellow protagonists as he no longer fits the shonen stereotype.

Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami is not shy when it comes to pushing boundaries. This series is already a member of anime's "dark trio", renowned for pushing the limits and reimagining what a shonen tale can be. What happens next with Itadori has the potential to make or break the series. If he remains as weak as he is, all his development could be lost and his character arc cut short. On the other hand, manifesting his own flow of cursed energy and an innate technique could elevate JJK, but it's a route that sticks to the modern tropes Akutami tends to bend.

Without Sukuna, Itadori's character is a lost cause. He is significantly weaker than everyone around him and has become laughable to the antagonists. He has been embarrassed by Sukuna's torment, and now his loss of power has many fans questioning whether Itadori has enough strength to be Jujutsu Kaisen's protagonist. This arc could be Akutami redefining the landscape of shonen anime further still, but it remains unclear for now.