Itadori Yuji has had quite a steep learning curve in Jujutsu Kaisen. From first learning about the existence of cursed spirits and jujutsu sorcerers when the series began to holding his own against one of the most powerful sorcerers that ever lived in recent manga chapters, his growth has been astronomical. Even without a cursed technique of his own, Itadori has managed to best several more experienced sorcerers since he became a vessel. Although his lineage gives him a genetic advantage, Itadori's mastery over jujutsu principles, both basic and complex, is what truly gives him an edge over his opponents.
This expertise would have been impossible to achieve without the guidance of a few important teachers. Although Itadori is officially a student of Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High, he’s never actually attended any classroom lessons. This might be just as well as he seems to shine while learning the tricks of jujutsu in the heat of battle while accompanied by more qualified sorcerers. Itadori has had quite a few teachers over Jujutsu Kaisen’s run and each of them have impacted his sorcerer journey in unique ways that complement each other. Here are the most important of them all.
Masamichi Yaga Forced Itadori to Define His Purpose as a Sorcerer
After swallowing one of Ryomen Sukuna’s fingers and becoming a vessel for the ancient sorcerer, there was apparently no path for Itadori to take in Jujutsu Kaisen other than becoming a sorcerer himself. After Gojo Satoru explained the higher-ups' decision to suspend his execution, Itadori agreed to join Jujutsu High and aid in hunting down the rest of Sukuna’s fingers. He had taken his grandfather’s dying words to heart and saw the opportunity to rid the world of Sukuna as a means of achieving his commission to save others. While this conviction was enough for Gojo, Masamichi Yaga was not so easily convinced.
During Itadori’s entry interview, Masamichi harshly explained the dangers of entering the jujutsu world merely to honor someone else’s request, including the possibility of cursing his grandfather’s memory. Using the philosophy that Itadori’s true nature would emerge under duress, Masamichi turned his interview into a trial by fire battle against one of his cursed corpses. His method proved to be fruitful as Itadori suddenly gained the clarity Masamichi sought. Ending Sukuna was something only Itadori could do at the time. If he'd walked away at this point, he would forever blame himself for any death or destruction the cursed spirit might be causing.
Gojo Satoru Taught Itadori Cursed Energy 101
Since he was a complete newcomer to the world of jujutsu, even channeling his own cursed energy was an impossible task for Itadori. Gojo explained the differences between cursed energy and a cursed technique and made no bones over the fact that Itadori would probably never develop a cursed technique of his own, but theorized privately that the teen might be able to appropriate Sukuna’s eventually. To at least allow Itadori to compete on the same level as his comrades, Gojo enlisted the help of yet another one of Masamichi’s cursed corpses. He guided Itadori in learning how to constantly put out a steady stream of cursed energy regardless of external stimuli, but that wasn’t all he taught him.
After Itadori mastered the basics of controlling cursed energy, Gojo had him witness the culmination of his battle with the special grade cursed spirit, Jogo. It wasn’t a reckless attempt at showing off like many fans believe but his way of honoring Itadori’s request to be taught how to become the strongest. Gojo showed Itadori a battle between Domain Expansions, the peak of jujutsu sorcery and made sure to explain the proper methods of countering attacks within a domain. After the battle’s end, Gojo told Itadori that he expected him to surpass Jogo eventually, giving him a clear goal to aim at while strengthening himself.
Nanami Kento Taught Itadori the Subtler Aspects of Cursed Energy
After learning the basics of cursed energy from Gojo, Itadori was entrusted to Nanami Kento for the next phase of his training. While tracking Mahito, Nanami told Itadori of the subtler sensory skills that jujutsu afforded sorcerers, including the ability to recognize the residual traces of cursed energy left behind after a technique is activated. He was also the sorcerer who taught Itadori the potential benefits of revealing one’s cursed technique to their opponent, either as a bluff or to invoke a pact that increased its effectiveness.
While Itadori couldn’t benefit from cursed technique strengthening pacts, the ability to sense cursed energy lent itself well to his close-quarters combat style. Itadori gained some level of prescience over his opponents’ moves since he could track the internal flow of their cursed energy. The duo survived battling against Mahito partly because of their shared ability to track his readiness to shapeshift based on his cursed energy concentration. It’s an invaluable ability that supplements Itadori’s already razor-sharp combat instincts in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Aoi Todo Helped Itadori Understand the Core of Cursed Energy
Jujutsu Kaisen didn't have Aoi Todo become Itadori’s teacher by any official means. Rather, he gained a strange fondness for him after discovering they shared a similar taste in women. Todo’s infatuation didn’t translate into a lenient sparring session for Itadori, however, and he once again found himself in a life-or-death match disguised as training. Their initial bout allowed Todo to assess Itadori’s competency as a jujutsu sorcerer, and he decided the boy's deficiencies only existed because he was still channeling cursed energy instead of using it as an extension of himself.
To achieve this sudden growth, Todo forced Itadori to activate a Black Flash on command while fighting the special grade cursed spirit, Hanami. Itadori was finally able to understand the core of cursed energy, and his growth was immediately noticeable. He was suddenly able to keep up with both Todo and Hanami; together, they almost succeeded in exorcising the spirit. Even after leaving The Zone, Itadori retained the insight into cursed energy that hitting a Black Flash gave him, allowing him to take all the lessons about cursed energy he’d learned so far and apply them in more dynamic ways to his already-impressive arsenal.