Warning! Contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode #8!Yuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen he seems like a typical Shonen hero, but he’s incredibly fresh in one important aspect. This quality was hinted at in the final arc of Jujutsu Kaisen season 1, which is what allowed it to shine at the beginning of the Shibuya Incident. As the season progresses, Yuji will likely have more opportunities to demonstrate this special quality.
In Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode #8, Yuji fights the giant locust curse and defeats it quite easily. This grasshopper demon is absolutely disgusting, it ate a human in front of Yuji and is annoyingly obsessed with intelligence. However, no matter how terrible this Curse is, after killing it, Yuji is shown in a short scene later praying before the creature’s corpse, repenting for his actions. This shows that even if his enemy is completely reprehensible and not human, Yuji will still feel regret and sadness when he has to destroy it. This sets him apart from many other Shonen protagonists.
Yuji mourns his enemy in Jujutsu Kaisen
Many Shonen protagonists will not kill their enemies, at least intentionally. Luffy in One Piece is a prime example of this, because according to mangaka Eiichiro Oda, it would be even more devastating for villains in the One Piece world to have their dreams crushed instead of just dying. Some Shonen protagonists do kill their enemies, but they rarely regret it. Denji in Chainsaw Man is a typical example, as he destroyed countless demons without hesitation. This is made easier by the fact that these demons are not human and are therefore largely unsympathetic or understandable.
Curses are also unsympathetic because they often want to cause suffering to people and many Jujutsu Kaisen fans do not feel sorry when they die. This is good because Yuji is forced to destroy these enemies regularly to keep Japan safe. However, Yuji himself does not have an indifferent attitude towards Curses and often regrets having to destroy one. This was previously shown in season 1 when he and Nobara killed a pair of brothers to take advantage of their family relationship. However, with the curse of the locusts, there are no redeeming qualities for humans, yet Itadori still prays for it.
Yuji continues to prove why the hero of Jujutsu Kaisen is unique
This action demonstrates Yuji’s deep empathy and compassion for those around him, even when there are inhuman monsters among them. Given the extreme atrocities that many of the series’ villains have committed, such as wanton slaughter and torture, Yuji’s perspective keeps the anime from becoming too bleak. It remains to be seen if Yuji will maintain this noble and compassionate attitude as Jujutsu Kaisen continues to explore the Shibuya Incident or whether the brutality of his enemies will force him to change his mind.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 is available to stream on Crunchyroll.