Jujutsu Kaisen is a dark fantasy shonen series where negative human emotions can create curses, which manifest as supernatural spirits that can cause serious harm. Fortunately, jujutsu sorcerers are always on hand to fight off curses with cursed energy of their own, and protagonist Yuji Itadori dives headfirst into this world when he eats a finger of Sukuna (the first of several).

Yuji is a tough fighter, but he is also a kind and compassionate person, and he is perfectly capable of making friends. He's a natural at getting along well with his fellow sorcerers and trusts them to watch his back. In just one season, Yuji made a small handful of friends and trusted associates, and Yuji is highly fortunate to have them in his life. Who are they?

Updated on February 20, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Shonen anime runs on the power of friendship, and this remains true even for a story as morbid as Jujutsu Kaisen. As the protagonist, Yuji is extremely affable and warm, attracting people from all walks of life. That said, there are only a few who can be considered his closest friends. As such, we've updated this article with some more relevant information.

Minor Manga Spoilers Below

10 Setsuko Sasaki Was One Of Yuji's First Friends

This young lady hasn't appeared often, since she does not wield any curse energy and thus has no business with Tokyo Jujutsu High. She and Iguchi are Yuji's classmates at an ordinary high school, and the three of them enjoy poking around with the occult. Setsuko got a bit carried away, and she felt bad for placing her friends at risk, showing her responsible side.

She was in mortal danger when a curse confronted her, but fortunately, she came to no harm. Yuji's relationship with Setsuko seems pretty close, but he hasn't seen her since he joined Tokyo Jujutsu High. That said, Kenjaku actually saves Sasaki during the Culling Game Arc, and even thanks her for "getting along with [his] son." Fans now believe that she might return to the story sooner or later.

9 Iguchi And Yuji Get Along Reasonably Well At School

Takeshi Iguchi is the other major member of the occult club at high school, and like his friend Setsuko, he has no curse energy or other supernatural talents of any kind. He is well-advised to stay away from curses from now on, despite his fascination for paranormal rumors. He can still cheer on his pal Yuji, however. Iguchi isn't Yuji's best friend, but they seem to get along reasonably well.

In fact, if it weren't for Sukuna and the villainous curses, the two of them might have become better friends. Iguchi is also saved by Kenjaku; unlike Setsuko, he doesn't remember any mention of Kenjaku's son. This is the major difference between Iguchi and Setsuko, suggesting that the latter might actually be closer to Yuji. Whether he makes a reappearance later is anybody's guess.

8 Toge Inumaki and Yuji Can Count On Each Other During Battle

Toge Inumaki uses the power of his voice to take the fight to his enemies, though he has to keep this power restrained or disaster may follow. As a result, he typically speaks in terms of rice ball ingredients, making him difficult to talk to at times. That said, his second-year peers have no problem translating Toge's unique linguistics.

Toge and Yuji aren't best friends, but they have a decent rapport, and they can count on each other in battle to watch their backs. Interestingly, Toge was willing to rescue Yuji after learning about his planned assassination, even though they had only just met each other. It's possible that, in future episodes, the two of them can deepen their friendship a bit more. At this point, however, Toge and Yuta share a much tighter bond.

7 Panda And Yuji Hold A Mock Fight To Entertain Others

While Yuji's friends from Jujutsu Academy may have been angry, believing that he faked his death, he did really die. Gojo and Yuji decided to keep him safe for a while after his resurrection, and when he reunited with his friends they were flabbergasted. Of all his school companions, Panda was the first one to forgive him for "faking his death."

The pair also trust each other enough in the manga to hold a Panda vs. Yuji fight to entertain other people. Not everyone can enter into those kinds of duels and expect to come out on the other side still friends. Besides, Yuji enjoys Panda's highly sarcastic nature, not to mention his tendency for frivolity. Friendships aren't necessarily forged in the crucible of trauma — sometimes they're made by acting like total fools together.

6 Kento Nanami Eventually Approves Of Yuji Itadori

Yuji Itadori has not made many good friends, but he has at least earned the approval of the people in his life, including the somewhat grouchy Kento Nanami, one of his sorcerer teachers. Nanami is stern and aloof, and he doesn't think much of the adolescent Yuji at first. However, this is later revealed to be an aspect of Nanami's compassion, as he doesn't want Yuji to sacrifice his childhood while fighting curses.

Nanami has now seen Yuji in action and now has a somewhat higher opinion of the boy, to the point where he is willing to fight in his place against the strongest curses, such as Mahito himself. Nanami isn't the most outgoing fellow, but at least Yuji can rely on him. That said, Nanami's death pushed Yuji beyond his limits, further demonstrating the strength of their bond.

5 Aoi Todo Warmly Refers To Yuji As His Brother

At first, the brutal martial artist named Aoi Todo was highly antagonistic to the students of Tokyo Jujutsu High, since he is from the rival school, Kyoto Jujutsu High. However, he will respect people who can correctly answer his questions, such as asking other boys what their ideal woman is like. Yuji impressed Aoi by having a similar preference for women, cementing their initial bond.

More importantly, Aoi strongly believes that Yuji is his best friend and brother, even if the latter doesn't initially share the same feelings. The two of them subsequently formed a seamless team as they took on the powerful plant-based curse, Hanami. During their most recent fight in Season 2, Yuji and Aoi worked together to defeat Mahito. Aoi even lost one of his arms in the process, proving that he would do anything for Yuji.

4 Megumi And Yuji Are Yet To Reach The Peak Of Their Friendship

Megumi Fushiguro doesn't seem like the type to make a lot of friends, but he can at least serve on a team without issue. Megumi has quickly become a part of Yuji's Shonen gang, utilizing his Ten Shadows technique to defeat enemies and save his friends. When Yuji encountered a curse for the first time, Megumi was there to help, and he has been watching Yuji's back ever since.

He's a bit grouchy, but his skills are for real, and he won't let anything bad happen to Yuji if he can help it. Megumi and Yuji have teamed up more than any other pair of characters in the story, further solidifying their once-ephemeral friendship. Now that Sukuna has already set his sights on Megumi, it's up to Yuji to save his dear friend from the King of Curses.

3 Nobara Kugisaki's Death Turns Yuji's Life Upside Down

Nobara Kugisaki is the third member of Yuji's trio. Half the time, she is short-tempered and standoffish, and during the other half, she is fun-loving and goofy, much like Yuji. Nobara didn't like Yuji much at first, but she can't help but form a comedy duo with him. Nobara and Yuji fought well together near the end of Jujutsu Kaisen's first season, and she was clearly saddened upon hearing the news of Yuji's "death."

More importantly, she and Yuji enjoy teasing Megumi together with their endless antics. Only true friends get along like this. Nobara's death at the hands of Mahito came as a complete shock to the fandom, but none were as enraged as Yuji. The young sorcerer attacked Mahito would such ferocity that the cursed spirit began begging for his life. That being said, fans are hoping for Nobara's resurrection, especially considering that her body has been "preserved" by Nitta.

2 Satoru Gojo Is Both A Dear Friend And A Wise Mentor

Many fans say Satoru Gojo is the new Kakashi Hatake, from his incredible power to his mentor role to his habit of covering part of his face; in this case, both his eyes. Gojo is a goofy but smart fellow who immediately earned Yuji's respect, and he has done quite a bit to help protect Yuji and give him a chance to fight.

Gojo and Yuji trust each other completely, and Gojo has saved Yuji's life more than once against a variety of villainous curses. His teaching methods are unconventional, but they work, and Yuji is always ready to learn. Besides, Gojo's overwhelming confidence in his strength makes Yuji feel safe whenever he's around his mentor. Fans have no idea how Yuji is going to deal with the outcomes of Chapter 236, however.

1 Junpei Yoshino's Friendship With Yuji Ends On A Bitter Note

In Season 1, Yuji Itadori crossed paths with a troubled boy named Junpei Yoshino, who was being manipulated at the hands of the villainous Mahito. Junpei soon made his move, but Yuji immediately recognized him as a victim and not the perpetrator. Moreover, Yuji was already picturing himself and Junpei being classmates at Tokyo Jujutsu High. They even shared a meal together at Junpei's house, establishing the groundwork for what could have become a great friendship one day.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Although Junpei also liked Yuji as a friend, the two of them had already been set on different paths, and Mahito made sure that Junpei died in an extremely horrible way. Yuji was grief-stricken by his death, but he was unable to seek vengeance for Junpei during that arc. That said, Yuji technically takes revenge for Nanami, Nobara, and Junpei at the end of Season 2.