Knowing When To Watch ‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’ Is a Bit More Complex Than It Seems

Jujutsu Kaisen season two and its ending foresee a brutal, cruel future for the anime as it prepares to dive into the Culling Game Arc. The return of Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto is exciting, and their brief appearance in the second season’s finale hints at how Yuta will continue to play a greater role in the anime following his introduction in Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Where does Jujutsu Kaisen 0 fall into the series’ watch order, though?

***SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen***

Should you watch ‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’ before season 2?

To fully understand the extent of Jujutsu Kaisen season two, it’s wise to watch Jujutsu Kaisen 0 before the Shibuya Arc, specifically. Season two of Jujutsu Kaisen follows multiple manga arcs that bleed into one another, but the Shibuya Incident references Jujutsu Kaisen 0 when it comes to Yuta’s smartly written reveal. His few moments of screentime tease that there’s still more of his story yet to be told. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is technically a prequel and the climax of the movie aligns quite well with Yuji Itadori’s central plotline. It could also be argued that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 could be watched right after Jujutsu Kaisen season one before viewing season two altogether, though this particular watch order varies based on personal preference. It’s strongly recommended that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is used as an interim between season two arcs to completely grasp the importance of Yuta’s ongoing storyline.

Does Yuta actually kill Yuji?

Yuta shockingly confirms that he “will kill Yuji Itadori [himself],” but this ominous promise isn’t as fatal as it may sound.  Itadori’s Extermination Arc directly follows the Shibuya Incident Arc, which tasks Yuta with executing Yuij in order to uphold his end of a Binding Vow. It’s later revealed that Yuta accepted this responsibility as a roundabout way of honoring the promise he once made to Saturo Gojo after being asked to protect Yuji from harm. Does Yuta kill Yuji? Yes and no. The answer is a bit complicated: Yuta stabs Yuji through the heart to fulfill his obligations and “kill” him, but moments after the “execution,” heals the wound by using his Reversed Curse Technique. Jujutsu Kaisen is no stranger to death, and the mercy shown by Yuta (and Gege Akutami, for once), is greatly welcomed. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Gege actually committed to killing off his main character. Fortunately, this drastic display of ruthlessness hasn’t happened yet.

(featured image: MAPPA)

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Annie Banks

Annie Banks is a professional entertainment journalist from Chicago, Illinois. She holds degrees in journalism and marketing, and has been incredibly fortunate to watch her career path collide with her passions. Throughout her six years of entertainment journalism experience, Annie has fervently written about movies, television shows, anime, manga, K-Pop, comics and video games. To this day, she still proudly retains her title as a Rotten Tomatoes-approved Tomatometer critic.