The hit shonen anime Jujutsu Kaisen is clearly inspired by other shonen greats that came before it, especially the spirit-based Bleach and the ninja-heavy Naruto, but this new anime manages to find a voice of its own and put itself onto the shonen map on its own merits. And it helps that the main character, Yuji Itadori, is a lot of fun to watch.
Yuji embodies the "hidden monster" trope, having swallowed one of the twenty fingers of Sukuna. Now, the ultimate monster curse is within him, and he must harness this power before it consumes him. Yuji isn't alone, though; he has an entire team of friends backing him up, and these stunning fantasy adventures have inspired some cool fan art starring Yuji himself.
10 Yuji Itadori, The World's Best Astronaut
Fan art is a wonderful opportunity to explore a fan-favorite character in creative and unexpected ways, and that is exactly what artist HAJE 714 did with this art of Yuji. In this art, Yuji has a science-fiction edge to him, and there is certainly some astonishing sci-fi anime out there.
Yuji has indeed been thrust into a brand-new world, one where curses and monsters are the order of the day, and his ordinary high school life has been left far behind. Yuji is taking it in stride, though, so he is well-equipped with an astronaut's outfit in this fan art.
9 Yuji Itadori's Dual Nature
Yuji Itadori has his normal adolescent exterior, and a hidden side that is truly monstrous; in this case, Sukuna. Yuji is in good company since Naruto Uzumaki, Ichigo Kurosaki, Eren Yeager, and InuYasha all know what it's like to have a beast inside themselves. Artist Will Gwasera made sure to emphasize that fact here.
Yuji's gung-ho, cheery side is highlighted in blue on this art piece's right side, clenching a fist to pummel curses into oblivion. But Sukuna, standing to the left, is a fierce and bloodthirsty being with fearsome claws, and Yuji can't deny this side of him for long. Symbolically, both halves are bringing their hands together in the middle of this piece.
8 Yuji On The Nighttime Prowl
The world of Jujutsu Kaisen can be a dark one, and Yuji and his friends often face the forces of evil deep in underground catacombs or at night, when evil is at its strongest. In this fan art by artist M1j4h3l0, Yuji has left his squad behind to patrol an apartment building for curses.
Yuji doesn't even have Satoru Gojo with him for this mission; he's going in solo, and based on that intense expression of his, Yuji is about to settle a personal score with a local curse and bring about justice for what that curse has done. Yuji won't rest until the job is done.
7 Yuji, In The Grip Of His Curse
This is a fairly dark series, despite its smart use of comic relief and some silly characters (like a talking panda), and this fan art by artist squrlilz clearly depicts the central theme of Jujutsu Kaisen: that every character bears the burden of using and fighting against curses. No one knows that better than Yuji.
Yuji represents humanity's best hope and its worst nightmare at the same time, with Saukuna in his body and all, and the ropes and paper charms around him represent his desperate attempts to contain the monster inside. Despite his efforts, though, Sukuna's clawed hand is closing in around him.
6 Yuji Itadori, Alone With The Curse
Having the ultimate curse lurking within can be an oddly lonely experience. No one else fully understands the burden that Yuji bears, and there's only so much that his friends, such as Nobara Kugisaki and Megumi Fushigiro, can do for him.
Artist infiar depicts Yuji's lone quest to contain Sukuna in this moody fan art, where Yuji is curled up with nothing but Sukuna himself for company. The world of curses is dark and frightening, and having Sukuna around can only make it worse. Those are the eyes of a haunted boy indeed.
5 Yuji Idatori's Fighting Spirit
Despite the horror of curses and the burden of carrying Sukuna, Yuji doesn't let himself wallow in despair. He's a fighter, and it is his responsibility as a sorcerer to confront evil and face it with a brave smile and hardened fists. Megumi and Nobara understand that, too.
Artist WodenCreativ depicts a lively Sukuna-mode Yuji in the middle of the action in this piece, with Yuji's glowing magenta and red energy contrasting sharply with the unfocused blue background to make him stand out. When Yuji is like this, he will dominate any scene, that's for sure.
4 Yuji's Confident Look
This is the sort of expression that Yuji will make when he is being challenged with a new mission, and he can't wait to face a new curse and obliterate it to save innocent lives. Yuji feels this way about the anime's tournament arc, too. Why not prove himself to the Kyoto students and make a show of things?
Artist Myank Kumarr depicts Yuji with a characteristic look of glee on his face, surrounded by sparks of energy that suggest the deadly clash that is to come. Yuji is also casually resting his cheek on one hand, a casually cocky look that suits him just fine.
3 Yuji Idatori's Day Off
Artist J A R T knows that even the most powerful shonen protagonists need a day off sometimes, to take a break from the exhaustion and strain of the battlefield. Yuji is pretty new to this jujutsu sorcerer business, and he needs some time to relax in the simple life that he once knew.
In this fan art, which could easily be a panel from the original manga series, Yuji gets some much-needed rest as he watches the slow fall outside his window. He's even got a fish and a steaming mug with Satoru Gojo's cheerful chibi face on it, showing that his sorcerer life is never far away.
2 Yuji's Hidden Side Shines Through
Yuji does his best to keep his Sukuna side hidden, but as Sukuna's power grows, Yuji can't deny the truth of what is inside of him. In this fan art by artist Shodefph, Yuji tries to maintain his cool exterior in the starlight, but despite his efforts, Sukuna emerges, stronger than ever.
Yuji is holding up his fingers, with an eerie black ooze between his fingertips. This is the perfect opportunity for the inner Sukuna to show himself, overlapping this sliver of his face perfectly with Yuji's while grinning with demonic bloodlust. What chaos will he cause this time?
1 What Yuji Must Do
Yuji Idatori isn't just fighting the forces of evil. He is also collecting and eating the twenty fingers of Sukuna, and the first finger is what thrust him into this world, to begin with. Nineteen remain, and Yuji has eaten a few more since then. Nothing like devouring the opposition.
Artist Natalya Afanaseva made sure to capture Yuji's punkish side as he tilts his head back to down another finger of Sukuna, bringing him one grisly step closer to victory over all evil curses. In fact, one of Sukuna's eyes is starting to open on Yuji's left cheek.