Itadori’s Extermination Arc: JJK’s “Hunt the Main Character” Phase
⚔️ Itadori’s Extermination Arc: JJK’s “Hunt the Main Character” Phase
The Itadori’s Extermination Arc (Ch. 137–143, starting around Ep. 47 in the anime) is Jujutsu Kaisen’s harsh reset after Shibuya, where the story flips Yuji from protected protagonist to wanted target. Gojo is sealed, the power balance is gone, and the higher-ups move fast: they reinstate Yuji’s execution, blame him for Sukuna’s massacre, and assign one of the most dangerous assets they have to do it — Yuta Okkotsu, now a fully licensed special-grade sorcerer fresh off Jujutsu Kaisen 0. At the same time, the Zenin clan starts circling Megumi, and the streets of Tokyo are still crawling with the fallout of Shibuya. It’s a short arc, but it’s packed with emotional weight, politics, and one very important fake-out.wikipedia+1
The Itadori’s Extermination Arc (Ch. 137–143, starting around Ep. 47 in the anime) is Jujutsu Kaisen’s harsh reset after Shibuya, where the story flips Yuji from protected protagonist to wanted target. Gojo is sealed, the power balance is gone, and the higher-ups move fast: they reinstate Yuji’s execution, blame him for Sukuna’s massacre, and assign one of the most dangerous assets they have to do it — Yuta Okkotsu, now a fully licensed special-grade sorcerer fresh off Jujutsu Kaisen 0. At the same time, the Zenin clan starts circling Megumi, and the streets of Tokyo are still crawling with the fallout of Shibuya. It’s a short arc, but it’s packed with emotional weight, politics, and one very important fake-out.wikipedia+1
From Protected Student to Target on Sight 🎯
Right out of Shibuya, the Jujutsu world is in shambles: Gojo is sealed in the Prison Realm, several Grade 1 sorcerers are dead or missing, and cursed spirits and incarnated sorcerers roam freely. The higher-ups, terrified and looking for control, go for the easiest symbolic move — they re-issue Yuji Itadori’s execution order, using Sukuna’s rampage as justification.sportskeeda
Yuji, who once had Gojo as a shield, is suddenly exposed. No political backing, no special protection, just a teenager carrying twenty fingers’ worth of nuclear-grade curse inside him. Into that void steps Yuta Okkotsu, returning from overseas training as a fully recognized powerhouse. On paper, Yuta is the perfect executioner: he understands curses, he knows the stakes, and he’s strong enough to actually do it.wikipedia
This immediately shifts the tone. Instead of “Yuji vs. curses,” it becomes “Yuji vs. the system he fought for.” Every move he makes is under threat, every appearance could be his last if Yuta takes the mission at face value. The world feels colder, more paranoid — and Yuji feels genuinely alone for the first time.
Right out of Shibuya, the Jujutsu world is in shambles: Gojo is sealed in the Prison Realm, several Grade 1 sorcerers are dead or missing, and cursed spirits and incarnated sorcerers roam freely. The higher-ups, terrified and looking for control, go for the easiest symbolic move — they re-issue Yuji Itadori’s execution order, using Sukuna’s rampage as justification.sportskeeda
Yuji, who once had Gojo as a shield, is suddenly exposed. No political backing, no special protection, just a teenager carrying twenty fingers’ worth of nuclear-grade curse inside him. Into that void steps Yuta Okkotsu, returning from overseas training as a fully recognized powerhouse. On paper, Yuta is the perfect executioner: he understands curses, he knows the stakes, and he’s strong enough to actually do it.wikipedia
This immediately shifts the tone. Instead of “Yuji vs. curses,” it becomes “Yuji vs. the system he fought for.” Every move he makes is under threat, every appearance could be his last if Yuta takes the mission at face value. The world feels colder, more paranoid — and Yuji feels genuinely alone for the first time.
Guilt, Identity, and a Brother Out of Nowhere 🩸
Emotionally, this arc is Yuji’s lowest point to date. Sukuna’s destruction in Shibuya wasn’t just a big fight; it killed civilians by the hundreds. Yuji remembers being conscious while Sukuna used his body, and the guilt hits him like a truck. He starts to question whether he has the right to keep living at all, or if execution might actually be “justice.”
That’s where Choso becomes huge. As one of the Death Painting brothers, Choso starts as Yuji’s enemy, but after realizing Yuji shares his blood (thanks to Kenjaku’s experiments), he flips sides. In this arc, Choso decides to protect Yuji as his “younger brother,” giving Yuji something he desperately needs: unconditional loyalty from someone who knows he’s messed up but believes in him anyway.sportskeeda
Their dynamic turns the narrative from “Yuji vs. the world” into “Yuji and his weird cursed brother vs. a broken system.” Choso’s presence also keeps Yuji from collapsing completely under the weight of Sukuna’s sins, and it adds a layer of found family that pays off all the way into later arcs.
Emotionally, this arc is Yuji’s lowest point to date. Sukuna’s destruction in Shibuya wasn’t just a big fight; it killed civilians by the hundreds. Yuji remembers being conscious while Sukuna used his body, and the guilt hits him like a truck. He starts to question whether he has the right to keep living at all, or if execution might actually be “justice.”
That’s where Choso becomes huge. As one of the Death Painting brothers, Choso starts as Yuji’s enemy, but after realizing Yuji shares his blood (thanks to Kenjaku’s experiments), he flips sides. In this arc, Choso decides to protect Yuji as his “younger brother,” giving Yuji something he desperately needs: unconditional loyalty from someone who knows he’s messed up but believes in him anyway.sportskeeda
Their dynamic turns the narrative from “Yuji vs. the world” into “Yuji and his weird cursed brother vs. a broken system.” Choso’s presence also keeps Yuji from collapsing completely under the weight of Sukuna’s sins, and it adds a layer of found family that pays off all the way into later arcs.
Zenin Politics and Naoya’s Hunt for Megumi 🐍
While Yuji is being hunted by the institution, Megumi Fushiguro gets targeted by something even pettier and nastier: clan politics. Naoya Zenin, a member of the Zenin clan, shows up with two agendas — enforce the higher-ups’ decisions and leverage Megumi’s status as heir to the Zenin leadership after Naobito’s death.animeexplained
Naoya represents the ugly side of sorcerer nobility: sexist, elitist, and cruel. His interest in Megumi has nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with power. That subplot quietly sets up:
How rotten the Zenin system is.
Why Maki’s later actions in the Perfect Preparation Arc hit so hard.
How Megumi is being forced into political roles he never asked for.
It also shows that while curses and villains are dangerous, the “good guys’” own institutions can be just as lethal.
While Yuji is being hunted by the institution, Megumi Fushiguro gets targeted by something even pettier and nastier: clan politics. Naoya Zenin, a member of the Zenin clan, shows up with two agendas — enforce the higher-ups’ decisions and leverage Megumi’s status as heir to the Zenin leadership after Naobito’s death.animeexplained
Naoya represents the ugly side of sorcerer nobility: sexist, elitist, and cruel. His interest in Megumi has nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with power. That subplot quietly sets up:
How rotten the Zenin system is.
Why Maki’s later actions in the Perfect Preparation Arc hit so hard.
How Megumi is being forced into political roles he never asked for.
It also shows that while curses and villains are dangerous, the “good guys’” own institutions can be just as lethal.
Yuta’s “Execution” and the Big Reveal 🤝
The arc’s climax is the confrontation between Yuji and Yuta. On the surface, it’s terrifying: Yuji, already emotionally shaken, facing a special-grade sorcerer with Rika at his back. The higher-ups expect a clean kill and a neat PR move. Instead, we get a layered, strategic twist.
Yuta “kills” Yuji — but only in a way that satisfies the higher-ups. In reality, he and Gojo’s faction have already decided that they need Yuji alive to fight Kenjaku and Sukuna. The execution is a performance, a way to buy freedom to move without the elders watching their every step.jujutsu-kaisen.fandom
That reveal completely flips the meaning of the arc:
Yuta goes from “scary executioner” to “calm co-conspirator.”
Yuji learns he isn’t completely abandoned; people are still willing to bet on him.
The story transitions smoothly into Perfect Preparation, where these alliances become the backbone of resistance.
It’s a neat blend of emotional relief and political maneuvering, and it reinforces one of JJK’s core ideas: sometimes you have to lie to the system to do the right thing.
The arc’s climax is the confrontation between Yuji and Yuta. On the surface, it’s terrifying: Yuji, already emotionally shaken, facing a special-grade sorcerer with Rika at his back. The higher-ups expect a clean kill and a neat PR move. Instead, we get a layered, strategic twist.
Yuta “kills” Yuji — but only in a way that satisfies the higher-ups. In reality, he and Gojo’s faction have already decided that they need Yuji alive to fight Kenjaku and Sukuna. The execution is a performance, a way to buy freedom to move without the elders watching their every step.jujutsu-kaisen.fandom
That reveal completely flips the meaning of the arc:
Yuta goes from “scary executioner” to “calm co-conspirator.”
Yuji learns he isn’t completely abandoned; people are still willing to bet on him.
The story transitions smoothly into Perfect Preparation, where these alliances become the backbone of resistance.
It’s a neat blend of emotional relief and political maneuvering, and it reinforces one of JJK’s core ideas: sometimes you have to lie to the system to do the right thing.
How It’ll Feel Animated 🎬
MAPPA’s approach to this stretch keeps the tone grounded and heavy. Expect:
Somber, cool color palettes for post-Shibuya Tokyo: empty streets, damaged buildings, lingering cursed energy.wikipedia
Tighter, more intimate camera work during Yuji’s internal struggles and his encounters with Yuta and Choso.
Burst-style sakuga when Yuta finally cuts loose or when Naoya showcases the Zenin speed technique.
Dialogue scenes lean into realistic timing and small facial movements — Yuji’s tired eyes, Yuta’s unreadable calm, Choso’s intense, almost awkward protectiveness. When the fighting kicks in, the animation ramps up to classic MAPPA fluidity, selling the danger of every clash.
Musically, this arc leans on tracks that mix tension with melancholy — pieces that can underscore both a chase and someone quietly questioning their own existence. Early Season 2 tracks already tease that direction.wikipedia
MAPPA’s approach to this stretch keeps the tone grounded and heavy. Expect:
Somber, cool color palettes for post-Shibuya Tokyo: empty streets, damaged buildings, lingering cursed energy.wikipedia
Tighter, more intimate camera work during Yuji’s internal struggles and his encounters with Yuta and Choso.
Burst-style sakuga when Yuta finally cuts loose or when Naoya showcases the Zenin speed technique.
Dialogue scenes lean into realistic timing and small facial movements — Yuji’s tired eyes, Yuta’s unreadable calm, Choso’s intense, almost awkward protectiveness. When the fighting kicks in, the animation ramps up to classic MAPPA fluidity, selling the danger of every clash.
Musically, this arc leans on tracks that mix tension with melancholy — pieces that can underscore both a chase and someone quietly questioning their own existence. Early Season 2 tracks already tease that direction.wikipedia
Key Facts at a Glance
Attribute Details Arc Name Itadori’s Extermination Arc Manga Chapters 137–143wikipedia Anime Starts around Episode 47 (Season 2+)wikipedia Main Characters Yuji, Yuta, Choso, Megumi, Naoya Main Antagonists Jujutsu higher-ups, Naoya Zeninjujutsu-kaisen.fandom Studio MAPPAwikipedia Setting Post-Shibuya Tokyo
This arc may be short, but it’s a turning point. Yuji stops being just “the kid Gojo saved” and becomes someone the system actively wants dead — and someone his allies are willing to deceive that system to protect. It sets the emotional temperature for everything that comes next: colder, harsher, but with a stubborn thread of loyalty running through it.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Arc Name | Itadori’s Extermination Arc |
| Manga Chapters | 137–143wikipedia |
| Anime | Starts around Episode 47 (Season 2+)wikipedia |
| Main Characters | Yuji, Yuta, Choso, Megumi, Naoya |
| Main Antagonists | Jujutsu higher-ups, Naoya Zeninjujutsu-kaisen.fandom |
| Studio | MAPPAwikipedia |
| Setting | Post-Shibuya Tokyo |
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