Yuji's birth may be one of the most sinister things in Jujutsu Kaisen, and the season 3 opening shows it perfectly

Fans are going crazy over more than just the bizarre animation in Jujutsu Kaisen's just-released season 3 premiere. One of the most unsettling mysteries of the series is aptly captured by a dark reference hidden in the introduction. The birth of Yuji Itadori was not a miracle. It was a terrifying tale.

A melancholic sight of newborn Yuji and his mother, Kaori, in a womb-like embrace opens the anime. However, the image has a serious mark. Kaori's forehead is adorned with those distinctive stitches. You know, the ones that belong to the old sorcerer Kenjaku, who body-hops like he's changing clothes. In Jujutsu Kaisen, this image is a direct reference to Egon Schiele's 1910 picture Dead Mother.

The Truth Behind Yuji's Existence in Jujutsu Kaisen

This is where things start to get messed up. Yuji wasn't born normally. He was a product of engineering. After Kaori Itadori passed away, Kenjaku took over her body and made an appearance in front of Jin Itadori, Yuji's father. With his late wife, Jin yearned for a child. He thus entered into a binding vow with Kenjaku, thereby striking a bargain with a demon that was dressed in the skin of his deceased wife. In the universe of Jujutsu Kaisen, that is how Yuji came to be.

Everything was planned out from the beginning. Kenjaku's actions were not motivated by benevolence. He made Yuji the ideal vessel for the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. Yuji gained superhuman physical skills and a body that could hold Sukuna's spirit as a result of this bizarre birth. Something that the average person could never accomplish. In Jujutsu Kaisen, every facet of Yuji's life was created with this one goal in mind.

Additionally, Yuji is a biological brother of Choso and the Cursed Womb Death Paintings. Kenjaku used various bodies to make each of them. Choso feels a blood connection to Yuji because of this. Despite the most dire conditions depicted in Jujutsu Kaisen, they are genuinely family.

Death Bringing Life

rini ❀༉

@rinitoru

Death literally carrying yuji inside of it. And then yuji carrying death inside of him later (sukuna). I suppose then that makes it less of a life against death dichotomy, and more so a life INSIDE death situation. Kind of beautiful

One fan summed it up by pointing out the symbolism of death carrying Yuji at first, and later Yuji himself becoming the one who carries death through Sukuna. His story in Jujutsu Kaisen is both beautiful and terrifying because of this. Despite being created from a body intended to contain the King of Curses, Yuji is one of the series' most endearing and sympathetic characters.

Despite everything, he was well-raised by his grandfather. Despite the fact that his very existence is based on deception and death, Yuji is a living example of kindness and vitality. His character is so valuable because of this contrast. His mother's corpse practically carried him, making him the ideal test subject for an old disaster. On a very personal level, that is terrible. However, Yuji continues to choose compassion in Jujutsu Kaisen.

The Creative Brilliance of the Opening

All of this is artfully captured in the season 3 opening. It is not merely an aesthetically pleasing animation. It is hinting at Yuji's terrible, tragic destiny from birth. A destiny he never selected. His seemingly ordinary life was always a front. And when viewers watch Jujutsu Kaisen, that opening strikes much harder now that they are aware of the reality about Kenjaku's schemes and the Culling Game.

Kenjaku even got to know Sasaki, Yuji's Occult Club acquaintance, prior to the Culling Game. He expressed gratitude to her for becoming his son's buddy. When you consider the entire background of Kenjaku's creation of Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen, that moment becomes extremely twisted.

The connection to Dead Mother at the start is brilliant. It is a fantastic representation of how Yuji's life was never connected to his biological mother. Only a corpse under the grip of a wicked sorcerer. Jujutsu Kaisen depicts this gloomy foundation upon which all of his childhood memories and moments with his parents were formed.

Here's the problem, though. Yuji became his own person despite being a pawn in Kenjaku's ambitious plan. He made his own decisions. He stood up for his friends. He continued to move forward while bearing the consequences of Sukuna's conduct. His story is so captivating because of this.

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Conclusion

There's more to the season 3 premiere than meets the eye. It's a visual storytelling master class. You can learn everything there is to know about Yuji's tragic beginnings and the evil schemes that led to his creation in only one shot. And it accomplishes this through the art, symbolism, and sheer terror that are inherent to Jujutsu Kaisen.

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