Highlights
- Yuta takes control of Gojo's body, setting up an intense battle with Sukuna but also undermining the next generation of sorcerers.
- Yuta's time with Gojo's powers is limited to 5 minutes, adding urgency to his fight and raising questions about his fate.
- Gojo's return as a tool for Yuta's use disrupts Yuji's momentum in the battle and calls into question the conclusion of Gojo's character arc.
Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 261 was an incredibly massive one that saw the return of none other than Gojo, however, not in the way fans were expecting. Essentially, while Gojo's body was back, the one in charge of the body was none other than Yuta Okkotsu. This was an utter shock that no fan of the series could have predicted, and it is one that has great repercussions for the future of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Why Gojo Could Return After Yuta's Body Hopping, Explained
Yuta is currently controlling Gojo's body. Is there still hope for Gojo to return in JJK?
While this definitely sets up an exciting battle between Sukuna and the current Gojo, it also means bad things in some other aspects of storytelling.
How Gojo Came Back Because Of Yuta
Yuta Took It Upon Himself To Take The Responsibility Of Beating Sukuna
At the end of JJK chapter 260, Gojo was seen on the battlefield once again. In JJK chapter 261, it was clarified that while Gojo was truly back, the one in charge of the body was none other than Yuta. This was made possible after Yuta killed Kenjaku, and in doing so, had Rika consume a part of him to gain access to his cursed technique. This gave Yuta the power to utilize Kenjaku's powers, and once Gojo had died, Shoko stitched up his corpse to be used later by Yuta. Yuta then tried to find Sukuna by himself inside his own domain and failed. Once he was split apart by the World Splitting Dismantle, Yuta then decided to use the remaining life that he had to crawl inside Gojo. Essentially, using this powerful cursed technique, Yuta took control of Gojo's body and returned to the battlefield.
My apologies! It seems I've underestimated you. I didn't think you were capable of going this far…Okkotsu Yuta!
Now, Yuta is in full control of Gojo's body, with access to all of his powers, such as the Six Eyes, and the Limitless cursed technique. This is going to be an incredibly intense battle that Yuta will fight at his utmost best. The editor labeled this battle the Revenge Clash and it is certainly going to be an interesting one where fans will get to see how this incredible sorcerer fares against the King of Curses.
What fans need to keep in mind is that Yuta's cursed technique will run out after 5 minutes. Whatever Yuta intends to do has to happen in these 5 minutes because he doesn't know what is going to happen to him once the time is up. Yuta could either die on the spot, or die a slow death. It is also possible for him to be stuck forever in Gojo's body, but, at this point in time, fans do not know if that is going to happen or not. Fans should remember that Yuta has 5 minutes to wrap up this fight and after that, Sukuna will likely take control of the battle once again. While this sets up a very exciting battle, which already began with a domain clash on the last page of JJK chapter 261, it also means that a lot of the writing of the series is now under fire from a lot of the fans, and for the right reasons.
How Pseudo Gojo's Return Undermines The Next Generation
Gojo's False Return Makes The Next Generation Look Weak
One of the biggest things about pseudo Gojo's return that the fans have brought up is that it undermines the next generation of sorcerers. Essentially, fans know that Gojo was at the Pinnacle of Jujutsu Sorcery. However, at the beginning of the series, he clearly went on to say that the next generation of sorcerers will not stop at Special Grade. He had very high hopes for them and he even went on to say that some of them will one day go on to reach similar levels to him if they keep up. These included the likes of Yuta and a few others that could potentially have reached his sky-high levels. These sorcerers should have had their own moments in battle, and some of them have had that, which goes without saying. However, bringing back Gojo right now certainly undermines them. Above all, it undermines Yuta Okkotsu as a character in one way, while elevating him and others.
In terms of his resolve, this chapter elevated Yuta greatly in the eyes of the fans. He has a monstrous mentality and tremendous resolve that can only be matched by the likes of Sukuna and Gojo. He's willing to do something that no other sorcerer did, and that certainly improves his character. On the flip side, this also undermines Yuta because it essentially points to the fact that Yuta needs Gojo's body to actually make a difference on the battlefield and that he can never hit those heights using his own body, which is now essentially dead. Yuta has a one-way ticket to hell, and either he dies after these 5 minutes are up, or he stays forever in Gojo's body utilizing his skillset instead of his own. Essentially, one of the brightest sorcerers is getting greatly undermined because of this writing decision.
Yuta can only use his Copy technique for as long as Rika is fully manifested, which is 5 minutes. What happens after those 5 minutes are up?
If that wasn't enough, Yuta returning to the battlefield as Gojo undermines the Yuji as well. Yuji had been enjoying all the attention in battle and fans were fully expecting him to fight Sukuna cleanly until the very end, and then defeat him in one way or another. This especially came on the back of Yuji's multiple black flashes and gaining access to the Shrine cursed technique. Now, however, the flow that Yuji was enjoying has been disrupted and he's been cast aside. At this point in time, not even Sukuna cares about Yuji. This is counterproductive in many ways and it sets him aside for Gojo to take the stage once again.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Reveals How Gojo Came Back
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Of course, this doesn't mean that Yuji won't play a role in the battle later on. Fans should not doubt that for even a single second. Yuji will take on a major role in the battle as the fight rages on and there will be major Yuji moments that come later down the line. However, one cannot deny that the flow of the battle was disturbed because of Gojo's arrival, and that certainly undermines him greatly.
What Pseudo Gojo's Means For Gojo's Conclusion
Gojo Red Herring Makes His Character Arc Conclusion Questionable
While pseudo Gojo's return has downsides for the next generation of sorcerers, specifically Yuta and Yuji, it also has downsides for Gojo's character. Essentially, he had his own conclusion in the story and fans would either have wanted him to stay dead or return as Gojo. However, now, Gojo is back as a tool for someone else to utilize in battle. Essentially, this just paints the picture that the author knew that no other sorcerer could compete against Sukuna, so he brought back Gojo Satoru. If the author wanted to go down that route, then he should not have killed Gojo in the first place. Gojo dying was essentially setting the state for the next generation to take over. If the next generation cannot do it on their own and essentially need Gojo's body to make a difference, then the setup is a failure, to begin with.
Furthermore, it also isn't fair to Gojo himself. Despite living a life of solitude at the very top, Gojo is now being used as a weapon in battle, which is truly disheartening for many fans to see. On top of everything, it is essentially like a fake out. The author teased Gojo's return and gave fans a half-baked version of it, which means that after a while, he will simply go on to die once again.
Instead of actually tackling the questions surrounding Gojo, such as the idea of him being Gojo because he was the strongest or him being the strongest because he was Gojo, the author simply decided to use him as a tool and then potentially have him die once again. Bringing Gojo back as a tool serves neither the next generation nor does it do any benefits to Gojo as a character, at least so far. It essentially kills his character arc, which could've been fulfilled had he returned normally after being freed from the curse of being the strongest.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of JJK, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 262, is set to be June 10, 2024.
