Jujutsu Kaisen has already established itself as a modern shonen icon, a dark fantasy series clearly inspired by Tite Kubo's Bleach while still having a voice of its own. The protagonist Yuji Itadori takes cues from the likes of Yu Yu Hakusho's Yusuke Urameshi and Bleach's Ichigo Kurosaki while also feeling fresh and new. It's easy to like Yuji as a modern shonen star.
Yuji was once an ordinary high school student affiliated with the supernatural club, but now, the supernatural is his career. He's a hard-hitting sorcerer who fears no curse and he'll gladly dive into the action if it means saving innocent lives from curses or the likes of Mahito, who's plotting humanity's downfall. All things considered, there are several things that make Yuji an outstanding person and shonen protagonist.
10 Yuji Is Inspired Without Being A Ripoff
It's natural for anime and manga series and other stories to borrow ideas from what came before. Modern shonen series have plenty to borrow from the original big three, including Bleach and even older series than that, such as Yu Yu Hakusho. Fortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen borrows from these classic series without going too far.
For example, Yuji Itadori clearly takes cues from his predecessors Yusuke Urameshi and Ichigo Kurosaki, being a punkish high schooler with a good heart and newfound supernatural gifts. However, Yuji feels different enough from them so he's not just a clone or wannabe; he is his own person.
9 Yuji is Visually Striking Without Being Gaudy
A proper shonen hero will have a unique and iconic physical design, but it's easy for anime to get carried away with this and end up with goofy gimmicks or "anime hair," as many Yi-Gi-Oh! heroes demonstrate. Yuji, though, doesn't need Yu-Gi-Oh! hair to stand out in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Instead, Yuji's design is a fine balance of colorful and ordinary, with his salmon-colored, messy hair and the marks under his eyes — not to mention the bright red accent marks on his school uniform.
8 Yuji Has Abundant Kindness
Some anime heroes can get away with being a grouchy antihero, such as Vinland Saga's Thorfinn Karlsefni or Berserk's Guts, the mercenary swordsman, but most shonen heroes are more likable when they show warm compassion and kindness for others, such as Yuji Itadori.
Yuji isn't a crybaby or a pushover, but he still cares deeply for the people around him. He reached out to the bullied Junpei Yoshino and offered his friendship before the sad events involving Mahito occurred.
7 Yuji Is A Fine Teammate
Some shonen heroes insist on doing everything alone, such as Bleach's Ichigo Kurosaki or Fullmetal Alchemist's Edward Elric, but Yuji Itadori is a team player and that has saved his life more than once. Shonen heroes like him can take on far stronger foes if they coordinate their efforts with a teammate, such as Aoi Todo.
Yuji and Aoi formed a united front against the plant-based villain Hanami and as "brothers" these two melee heroes used the Boogie Woogie and Black Flash techniques to pummel Hanami despite being mere students.
6 Yuji & Nobara Form A Comedic Duo
Yuji and his tough friend Nobara Kugisaki aren't quite BFFs, but they have learned to get along fairly well as teammates. They can be downright hysterical together when it's time for some comic relief in Jujutsu Kaisen.
More than once, Yuji and Nobara made fans laugh out loud with their goofy antics, often at the expense of Megumi or Satoru; fans joke that they're sharing a single brain cell during these scenes.
5 Yuji Is Open-Minded & Flexible
A proper shonen hero can adapt to the situation at hand and get resourceful to win the day. Yuji Itadori is not set in his ways or stubborn — in fact, he will try just about anything and he rarely questions Satoru Gojo's unusual training methods.
Yuji soon got used to training his emotions by watching The Lord of the Rings. On a similar note, he quickly got used to the idea of fighting alongside Aoi Todo rather than fighting against him as a rival. This bodes well for Yuji's future, where he may need his flexibility more than ever.
4 Yuji Knows Where To Draw The Line
Yuji is a compassionate shonen hero who will reach out to anyone in need; he will even forgive and help Junpei Yoshino, despite the latter's brutal acts under the influence of Mahito. Yuji quickly forgave Aoi Todo for beating him up before they teamed up against Hanami.
Yuji is generous, but not foolish. He knows that some villains are beyond redemption, most of all the cruel Mahito, who exploited and killed Junpei. It's smart of Yuji to know where his compassion must end; he won't be suckered by a villain who tries to exploit his kindness.
3 Yuji Emphasizes Martial Arts
Most shonen heroes make use of supernatural gifts or weapons to fight, from Ichigo's zanpakuto to Naruto Uzumaki's ninjutsu, but Yuji is different. He's all about martial arts and melee combat.
Yuji thrills Jujutsu Kaisen viewers with his bare fists and kicks; it's not easy for a modern shonen hero to captive audiences with such basic techniques. But Yuji managed it and that's how he sets himself apart.
2 Yuji Makes Pop Culture References
Modern shonen anime such as Jujutsu Kaisen owe a lot to the series that came before them. Early in the series, Yuji threw a minor tantrum, lamenting how he couldn't use moves such as the Kamehameha, the Rasengan, rei gun, or a bankai. Experienced anime fans know exactly what he's talking about.
Later, Yuji amused everyone again when he paid tribute to Cast Away when, at the Yoshino household, he re-created the Wilson volleyball face. Yuji also mentions how his ideal woman is the popular actress Jennifer Lawrence.
1 Yuji Doesn't Take Himself Too Seriously
When the author knows what they're doing, they can write a compelling hero who takes themselves very seriously, such as Thorfinn and Guts, but that's not easy. Most shonen series like Jujutsu Kaisen boost their hero's likability by making sure they're humble and admit their faults.
In fact, these heroes might make self-deprecating jokes or goof off to lighten the mood at the expense of being taken totally seriously. Yuji is a humble and easygoing kid and he greatly boosted his charisma by not taking himself too seriously; he knows how to have fun.