Jujutsu Kaisen killed one of its major villains, but some questions about his intentions remain. Does Kenjaku care about Yuji, and does the ancient sorcerer's plan involve the series' main character?
Spoiler Warning: There are major Jujutsu Kaisen manga spoilers discussed below.
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Kenjaku and Yuji's Relationship Explained
While the anime isn't quite there yet, the Jujutsu Kaisen manga reveals that Pseudo-Geto is the ancient curse user Kenjaku who also happens to be Yuji Itadori's 'parent.'
Over the centuries, Kenjaku has inhabited multiple bodies, with Geto's corpse being his most recent.
His possessions of different bodies have resulted in children, including Choso.
Kenjaku is the architect behind the creation of Choso and his 'brothers' who are Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, as he had possessed their creator, Noritoshi Kamo.
But while Yuji is human, Kenjaku had a hand in his making too by possessing the body of Yuji's mother, Kaori. This makes the ancient curse user Yuji's 'parent.'
So, Does Kenjaku Care About Yuji?
Over the course of the shounen manga, Kenjaku shows little regard for Yuji, but some interactions hint at admiration and a degree of interest though not necessarily of a parental nature.
When Yuji attempts to confront Kenjaku and demand that he return the sealed Satoru Gojo, Kenjaku gleefully admits that he's impressed with Yuji.
He even thanks Yuji for tiring out Mahito, allowing him to absorb the curse, and proposes to talk to Yuji about "the world to come," suggesting that Sukuna's vessel is in his future plans.
The exact reasons Kenjaku gave birth to Yuji haven't been specified, but it is possible that he always intended for Jujutsu Kaisen's protagonist to be Sukuna's perfect vessel.
While Kenjaku's main plan is to merge Tengen with the people of Japan, Yuji's messy symbiotic relationship with Sukuna played a major role in key events.
Does Kenjaku care about Yuji as a parent? Definitely not, but the fact that he personally carried Yuji and gave birth to him suggests that he cared about him as a creation more than he did about Choso and the other Cursed Paintings.
In Episode 11 of the first season, he even pauses to take a better look at Yuji, which some fans have interpreted as interest in him.
This, of course, doesn't mean that Kenjaku loves Yuji. He most likely sees him as a prized creation he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice for his wider plans.
Could Kenjaku's Plan for His Will to Live on Include Yuji? Theories Explained
After being beheaded by Yuta Okkotsu in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 244, Kenjaku is disappointed that his plans are unfinished but declares that his will will live on.
Could this happen through Yuji? Probably not if the good guys are to win, but since we have yet to see the reason behind Yuji's existence in Kenjaku's wider plans, said plans may still unfold.
Since Sukuna no longer lives in Yuji's body in the manga, we wouldn't put it beyond Kenjaku to try and possess him.
Of course, Yuji was a reactive vessel who gave Sukuna a hard time, but he's now devastated by the constant loss, which is known to make someone's soul easier to submerge, so we think Kenjaku could attempt it.
At this point in the narrative, Yuji is preparing to fight Sukuna who is now possessing the body of Megumi Fushiguro, so Kenjaku's plan may also be related to this fight.
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