Yuji Itadori is the beloved protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen. Cheerful, outgoing, and incredibly brave, there's really nothing to dislike about Yuji. Compared to other shonen protagonists, Yuji is incredibly unique, and it's easy for the audience to empathize with him. After being forced into the life of jujutsu sorcery and cursed spirits, Yuji has dealt with more than any teenager should.
Given the circumstances of the series, it's easy to forget that Yuji is a 15-year-old boy who had his life turned upside down. Though he courageously faced these changes and braved the storm, Yuji is no stranger to trauma.
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami!
10 Yuji Lost His Beloved Grandfather
One of the first things Yuji deals with during the series is the loss of his beloved grandfather, Wasuke Itadori. Despite their bickering, it was evident that they cared for each other. His grandfather's dying words became a source of encouragement for Yuji for the rest of the series.
Wasuke acknowledged Yuji's strength and asked him to make sure that he was surrounded by others when he died. Though not much was seen of Wasuke while he was alive, his dying wish granted Yuji something to recall during dire circumstances.
9 Yuji's Decision To Swallow The First Finger Had Permanent Consequences
Yuji had the right intentions with swallowing the first finger but his decision ultimately impacted the rest of the series. Though he's grown immensely as a person since being thrust into the world of jujutsu sorcery, Yuji has expressed regret for swallowing the finger.
When trying to fight against the special grade curse during the Fearsome Womb Arc, Yuji broke down and expressed fear and regret about this new world he found himself in. He became less fearful after this event, but it was still an impactful scene that showed just how drastically Yuji's world was turned upside down.
8 Yuji Had His Heart Ripped Out By Sukuna
After handing over control of his body to Sukuna so he could defeat the finger-bearing spirit in the detention center, Yuji failed to regain control. As a result, Sukuna ripped Yuji's heart out and held his body hostage when he felt he would lose control.
Sukuna and Megumi got into a fight after this, and Megumi ultimately helped Yuji regain control. However, Yuji immediately died. After his death, he and Sukuna got into an altercation in the King of Curse's territory. Yuji wanted Sukuna to revive him—to which he agreed, but only under certain conditions.
7 Yuji Was Forced Into The Binding Vow
After Yuji died and got into a fight with Sukuna in his territory, the King of Curses introduced a Binding Vow. Sukuna promised to heal Yuji's body but only if he could take control for one minute when a specific keyword was uttered. It's unclear what the keyword is, but Sukuna vowed not to kill anyone in that period. However, there was one condition: Yuji would forget the Vow.
Yuji proposed a fight to the death but Sukuna was allowed to set the conditions. If Yuji won, he'd be revived, and the Binding Vow wouldn't be enacted. Sukuna would force him to agree to the Vow if he lost and he'd lose all memory. Just as Yuji was about to take a swing at him, Sukuna sliced his head in half, so Yuji was forced into the Vow.
6 Yuji Was Stabbed By Yuta Okkotsu
After the headquarters decided to proceed with Yuji's execution, Yuta entered a Binding Vow with them and was assigned as the executioner. After a high-speed chase on foot and an intense hand-to-hand battle, Yuta used Rika to restrain Yuji and stabbed him in the chest.
However, after Yuji's heart stopped beating, Yuta revived him using reverse cursed energy. This is the second time the jujutsu headquarters tried to orchestrate Yuji's death. Though Yuta's actions were just a ruse to get the higher-ups off his back, it seems like Yuji just can't catch a break!
5 Yuji Was In A Position Where He Had To Kill People
Despite Yuji's honorable philosophy regarding life and death, Yuji was forced into a situation where he had to kill three mutated humans. As a result of Mahito's Idle Transfiguration, he initially mistook them for cursed spirits due to their disfigured physical forms.
The mutated humans begged Yuji to put them out of their misery. This was the first time Yuji killed anybody and it changed him forever. Yuji's idea of a "proper death" was challenged, as was his principle to never kill anyone unless it was a last resort.
4 Mahito & Sukuna Shared A Laugh At Yuji's Expense
After Mahito used his Idle Transfiguration on Junpei, Yuji begged Sukuna to heal his fallen friend. However, he refused and outright mocked him. Then, Mahito joined in. The two maniacally cackled at his expense, mocking the teenage sorcerer's rage, sadness, and grief. Yuji quickly realized he made a mistake in trying to humanize Sukuna, quickly realizing how truly sadistic cursed spirits are.
Yuji quickly remembered that these cursed spirits were never his allies, especially not Sukuna—his only motive seems to be self-preservation. Even after Junpei collapsed and died in front of Yuji, Mahito kept making jokes about it, which only infuriated Yuji even more.
3 Nobara Possibly Died Right In Front Of Him
During their fight against Mahito, Yuji and Nobara had to chase the patchwork curse into Shibuya Station. At this point, both Mahito's real body and his body double were on the loose. In a pincer attack, both Mahitos caught Nobara's blind spot before she could process what was happening.
Mahito landed a hit on Nobara. Though its effects weren't instant, Nobara realized she couldn't do anything to stop them. In the end, half of her face became disfigured and brutally split open. Her status is currently unknown, but it appears as though Nobara was not only brutalized, but she ultimately died in front of Yuji at Mahito's hands.
2 Nanami Was Killed Right In Front Of Him
If the wounds he received from battling Dagon weren't enough, the burns from Jogo were enough to injure Nanami severely. However, he was still standing. Nanami still had enough strength to swiftly defeat a mob of mutated humans before his fatal confrontation with Mahito.
Yuji showed up at the last second and what he witnessed was devastating. As if the previous he endured during the Shibuya incident weren't enough, Yuji had to witness one of his mentors brutally die in front of him. After Mahito activated Idle Transfiguration, Nanami's torso was blown to smithereens right in front of Yuji. Even worse, Mahito was fully aware that this would crush Yuji's spirit.
1 Sukuna Committed A Rampage In Shibuya Using Yuji's Body
After Yuji was force-fed ten of Sukuna's fingers, the King of Curses immediately took control. Sukuna left a path of bloodshed and destruction in his wake, and a massive part of Shibuya was eradicated following his fights against Jogo and Mahoraga. When he unleashed his Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine, a quarter of a mile of Shibuya was obliterated.
Sukuna's rampage was one of the most brutal moments in the series. Since Yuji couldn't regain control, he was a first-person witness to the King of Curse's destruction. When Yuji came back, the only thing he was able to do was have a panic attack. For a while after waking up, the only thing Yuji did was vomit, cry, and have a panic attack. This incident forced Yuji to realize what kind of monster was taking residency inside his body.