Jujutsu Kaisen rarely shies away from death or gore. The massively popular shonen series reminds its audience that no character is safe, and as the manga continues, the death toll of beloved characters continues to rise. With each subsequent chapter, many fans wonder if any heroes will make it out of the series alive.
Although main characters tend to have more impactful send-offs than supporting characters, the deaths in Jujutsu Kaisen are well-distributed throughout a variety of jujutsu sorcerers. Some losses are shocking, others are gruesome, but they all share one thing in common — their aftermath is sure to stick in fans’ minds for long after the shonen manga’s conclusion.
Updated on June 6, 2023, by Kennedy King: Jujutsu Kaisen’s author, Gege Akutami, has stated multiple times that he plans on ending the series in 2023, and even if he misses that window, it’s clear that the series is in its final stages. Yuji Itadori and his allies are stronger than ever, but unfortunately, their growth is only possible because of the sacrifices made by their closest friends.
10 Rika Orimoto
Chapter 0
Rika Orimoto, Yuta Okkotsu’s childhood friend, died long before the events of Jujutsu Kaisen 0. However, the prequel volume fully explores her death by flashing back to it and referencing it through dialogue multiple times. The nature of her demise may be mundane compared to the more fantastical methods in Jujutsu Kaisen, but it is no less shocking.
When a car hits Rika, blood oozes from her and onto the floor, which results in a horrifying image for both Yuta and the audience. Rika‘s head is always cut off when she appears on-screen, reminding viewers of the brutal nature of her demise.
9 Megumi Fushiguro’s Divine Dog
Chapter 6
Though it doesn’t involve a major character, the death of Fushiguro Megumi’s Divine Dog was the first sign Jujutsu Kaisen would be taking a turn toward dark and shocking deaths. Up until that point, Megumi’s two canine shikigami had been his first line of defense against his opponents.
Just a scene before a Finger-Bearing Curse killed the white half of the Divine Dogs, Itadori and Nobara were cuddling and petting it. Seeing the hound’s decapitated head on the wall shortly afterward was a genuine shock — thankfully, its loss made the surviving Divine Dog even stronger.
8 Yuji Itadori
Chapter 9
It is unusual for a series to kill its main character, and it is even more shocking for the main character to die within the first 10 chapters. However, Jujutsu Kaisen did just that when Ryomen Sukuna ripped out Yuji Itadori’s heart only nine chapters into the series.
Itadori’s death helps demonstrate how dangerous Sukuna is, even when he’s sealed inside a lesser host. Although Yuji is revived fairly quickly, were it not for his intervention, Fushiguro could have very well perished at the hands of the King of Curses as well.
7 Junpei Yoshino
Chapter 27
At multiple points in Junpei Yoshino’s story, his life seems like it’s about to take a turn for the better. He befriends Yuji Itadori, and it appears as though he is well on his way to moving past the trauma from his high school bullies. However, his life changes for the worst because of his ill-fated connection with one of the world’s most powerful curses, Mahito.
Mahito repeatedly leads Junpei on, and the curse even causes the death of Junpei’s mother. When Junpei realizes that Mahito has played him, Mahito touches his soul and turns him into an abomination in front of Itadori’s very eyes.
6 Toji Fushiguro
Chapter 113
Toji Fushiguro, Megumi Fushiguro’s ruthless father, received not one, but two shocking death scenes. The first came at the hand of a young Satoru Gojo, who used his cursed technique to literally erase part of Toji’s body, effectively killing him.
Ogami’s cursed technique later revives Toji in the Shibuya Arc. For the entire battle, Toji stayed one step ahead, eliminating his enemies with the same ease that he did during his first life. Ultimately, he takes fate into his own hands by dying by suicide in front of Megumi to end Ogami’s resurrection technique.
5 Kento Nanami
Chapter 120
Kento Nanami is one of the strongest Jujutsu Kaisen sorcerers, and despite his no-nonsense attitude, he’s well-liked by the vast majority of fans. His status as a beloved character makes his death even more painful and shocking when it finally happens.
Throughout the events of the Shibuya Arc, various strong enemies wear Nanami down. However, Mahito ultimately sealed his fate. Nanami is resigned to his death, wishing for more but knowing he will not survive to see it. His last words to Itadori are heart-breaking in their simplicity, and then Mahito wipes him out.
4 Mahito
Chapter 133
After Mahito killed numerous humans and sorcerers over the course of Jujutsu Kaisen, he eventually reaches the end of his rope during the Shibuya Arc. Itadori and Todo combine forces, and following a brutal back-and-forth battle, they bring the shape-shifting curse to his knees.
Before Jujutsu Kaisen’s protagonist can deal a finishing blow, Kenjaku arrives and puts an end to the battle. However, rather than save the curse, the villain actually absorbs Mahito, which presumably puts an end to Mahito’s life in the process.
3 Masamichi Yaga
Chapter 147
Masamichi Yaga ended up taking the blame for the devastating Shibuya incident once the dust settled and was sentenced to execution for his role. The opposing principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High, Gakuganji, is fittingly the one who engages Yaga in his final battle.
After Gakuganji defeats Yaga in battle, the latter is unceremoniously executed after he refuses to give Gakuganji information. The most heartbreaking and shocking part of this death comes afterward when Panda sees Yaga’s beaten and bruised body. The eccentric doll-making principal died right in front of his son, marking a further downward spiral into darkness for Jujutsu Kaisen.
2 Mai Zenin
Chapter 149
The twins of the Zenin Clan, Mai and Maki, are constantly looked down upon by their family members because of their lack of strong curse techniques. These tensions eventually cause a rift between the sisters and send them down significantly different paths as jujutsu sorcerers.
Despite their fraught relationship, Mai and Maki unite one last time before the former’s surprising death. Just before Mai dies, they both come to terms with many of the issues that had driven them apart. As a last request, Mai asked Maki to take down the Zenin Clan before giving her sister all her remaining cursed energy. With Mai’s powers now at her disposal, Maki does exactly as her sister wishes and slaughters the vast majority of their family members.
1 Yuki Tsukumo
Chapter 208
As a Special Grade sorcerer, Yuki Tsukumo is one of the Jujutsu world’s most powerful figures. She mentors Aoi Todo from a young age, and at one point, she accidentally plays a fairly significant role in Suguru Geto’s turn toward the dark side. Considering this, perhaps it is karma when she finally dies in Chapter 208 of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Yuki’s cursed technique gave her the power to manipulate mass. In a shocking last stand against Kenjaku, she decided to sacrifice herself and turn into a black hole in order to stop him. Unfortunately, her sacrifice was in vain, as Kenjaku had the ability to counter it. Her untimely death ultimately did little other than take her out of the picture.
