Yuta Okkotsu

Yuta Okkotsu is a major supporting character in the Jujutsu Kaisen series and the main protagonist of its prequel series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Jujutsu High. He was initially a special grade cursed human haunted by his late childhood friend, Rika Orimoto. Satoru Gojo mentored Yuta and enrolled him at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Yuta is currently a second-year student at Jujutsu High where he works as a jujutsu sorcerer. He was training overseas in Africa with Miguel until after the Shibuya Incident when he returned to Tokyo.

Appearance
Yuta is a young man of average height with disheveled black hair and dark blue eyes. As a first-year, Yuta's body language made it obvious that he was under a lot of stress. His posture was very unconfident, and he still has dark circles under his eyelids from a lack of sleep. As a second-year student, Yuta's hair has grown longer and he wears it in a more relaxed style instead of a spiky one.

At his old school, Yuta wore a suit for their uniform. He sported a long-sleeve shirt that stops at his forearms or a black t-shirt and dark green pants for casual wear. After transferring to Tokyo Jujutsu High, Yuta received a specialized uniform. Yuta has a loose white uniform jacket with sleeves that stop at his forearms. He also wears slender blue jeans that tuck into white sneakers that match his jacket. Yuta also often carries his katana case on his back.

Personality
Yuta was a very timid and lonely boy who was bullied a lot while growing up. Due to Rika haunting much of his early life, Yuta was unable to connect with other people and has lost all confidence in himself. This makes it difficult for Yuta to interact with others, as they often scare him without meaning to, or he's just too shy to speak to them.

Even so, Yuta genuinely cared about other people and decided to isolate himself from them even if it means remaining alone. Maki Zenin called Yuta out for being a moody kid who's lived his entire life without goals. He acknowledged that this was true and used her advice to gain a resolve for being a jujutsu sorcerer. This helps Yuta realize that deep down, he truly desires the confidence to feel like he belongs.

While his timid nature stays intact, Yuta slowly becomes more social and interacts with others normally. Even after early signs of improvement, Yuta still struggled to understand someone like Toge Inumaki. He was initially scared of Toge until he realized how kind of a person he truly is and made an effort to establish a social connection.

Gaining friends helps Yuta gain confidence in himself and establish the goal to help set Rika free. He felt responsible for her turning into a curse in the first place and worked extremely hard to find a way to help her. He pushed himself during training and took all his friends' and mentors' words to heart, showing a more determined side of himself. At his core, Yuta wants to become someone who can help keep others out of danger.

Against Suguru Geto, Yuta showed the darkest side of himself. Geto hurt Yuta's only friends, and the young man was more than willing to kill him for it. Yuta's rage allowed him to even command Rika's power at will. He was willing to sacrifice his life to use Rika to kill Geto to avenge his friends, the only people who give him the confidence to continue living.

When Yuta returned to Jujutsu High after time away overseas, he was accompanied by a new Rika and it appeared as if he was lost in his darkness. He agreed to kill Gojo's other pupil, Yuji Itadori for the higher-ups and claimed it was revenge for cutting off Toge's arm. Yuta carried a deathly serious and cold persona who was straight to the point. He attempted to kill Yuji before so much as exchanging words and then apologized while committing the act.

However, this was all an act to help protect Yuji from the higher-ups. Yuta had to act a certain way to make it believable and he healed Yuji before the first-year died permanently. Even though Yuta has never met Yuji, he went out of his way to deceive authority and help Yuji because Gojo asked him to. Yuji is important to people who are precious to Yuta and that was more than enough reason for him to help. He also sympathizes with Yuji because he was in the exact same situation, up for execution bearing a power he could not hope to contain. Yuta doesn't blame Yuji for Sukuna's actions.

Without the false guise of a cold killer, Yuta is still a naturally friendly person who has developed a lot as a person. He's much more social and is less timid than he used to be. When Gojo visited Yuta in Africa, the outspoken teacher was surprised his student was even telling jokes.

Yuta assimilated comfortably back into interacting with his peers and dedicated himself to helping them. He agreed to help Megumi rescue his sister from the Culling Game. He also did his diligence as a senpai and agreed to stop Sukuna should he ever take control of Yuji's body again. Upon reuniting with Maki, Yuta was excited to see her and expressed concern about her injuries.

When it appeared as if Master Tengen's barrier had rejected their group, Yuta was concerned and quick to suggest they turn back because Megumi's sister didn't have time to waste. Once Tengen allowed them inside and provided crucial information, Yuta agreed to enter the Culling Game right away by himself. He also suggested they get Kinji Hakari's help despite his moodiness and was modest enough to say that Hakari's strength sometimes surpasses his own.

During the Culling Game, Yuta displayed his selflessness as well as his propensity to be ruthless. He had no gripes about killing enemy sorcerers to obtain the necessary points to help save Tsumiki. Yuta killed at least seven sorcerers before cutting down Dhruv Lakdawalla and he targeted the latter simply because he was a danger to the public. He believed that any potential danger couldn't be allowed to leave the colony and only took out the other players when it was completely necessary.

Not only did Yuta use his strength to score points, but he used it to protect people as well. He protected a group of civilians caught up in the Culling Game, serving as their guardian throughout the game despite the risk to himself. While trying to move them to safety, Yuta noticed a mother and her daughter struggling to go on. He insisted on carrying their belongings himself and changed his mind about moving the group, deciding they should take a break inside Dhruv's former territory where they'd be safe instead. When other civilians outside his group were threatened by Kurourushi's cockroaches, Yuta didn't hesitate to try his best to save them.

Yuta holds some guilt about being unable to help his comrades in Shibuya. He's aware that everyone reached their limit after the Shibuya Incident and felt as if he needed to shoulder the responsibility to handle the Culling Game all on his own. This also extends to the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons where Yuta was unable to finish off Geto. Yuta doesn't want his beloved sensei to have to kill his best friend again. As a result, Yuta resolved not only to score four hundred points all on his own, but to kill Kenjaku himself as well.

Upon encountering Takako Uro and Ryu Ishigori, two players who are dangerous but not necessarily evil, Yuta tried to reason with them. In Uro's case, Yuta tried to understand why she would kill so desperately for her own gain. He expressed that he understands why the powerless get desperate but doesn't get why someone strong like Uro would seek out pointless battles. Yuta only gained friends recently but he believes fighting to protect someone or something is the only reason to do so. Uro rejected Yuta due to his lineage, but he still tried to help her understand that regardless of what the Fujiwara did to her, living selfishly will only get someone so far.

As for Ryu, the incarnated sorcerer expressed over four hundred years of yearning for a proper battle, and his sincerity managed to melt Yuta's heart. Although Yuta will likely never find any meaning in fighting, he indulged Ryu and gave him the fight he always desired. Yuta spared both Ryu and Uro and ignored their ungrateful insults after the fight. When Ryu asked about Yuta's conversations with Uro, he explained that they could never come to terms simply because he's blessed. Yuta knows how fortunate he is to have friends and the power to protect them. Ryu suggested Yuta might've killed them if not for their points and while Yuta didn't deny it, he told Ryu to just be grateful to his comrades in the end.

Overview
Overall Skill Level: Yuta is one of only four special grade sorcerers recognized by Jujutsu High. While being haunted by Rika's vengeful spirit, Yuta was immediately registered as a special grade due to Rika's immense power, making him the most recent person to receive the ranking.

Yuta was completely unaware of how to fight or control his cursed energy when Satoru threw him into his first mission. He relied on Maki until they were swallowed by a curse and it came down to Yuta to rescue everyone inside. Yuta was able to tap into his emotions and fully manifest Rika, ripping the other curse apart and freeing everyone. Yuta barely carried everyone outside the barrier but he used what little physical strength and stamina he had to finish the mission.

This made Yuta painfully aware of how weak he was, so Maki trained him on the basics of armed combat for three months before his next assignment. He was never able to land a hit on Maki but always trained hard to improve himself and started to move a lot better. However, in his second mission, an exorcism with Toge, Yuta still found himself relying on his classmate's skill. When a semi-grade 1 curse ambushed them, Toge was injured saving Yuta. Yuta stepped up on his own without relying on Rika and helped Toge exorcise it. Yuta's training allowed him to avoid most of the cursed spirit's attacks and he even landed a counterattack. It was just a shallow slash, however, due to the toughness of the curse and Yuta's poor cursed energy control at the time.

Apparently, during the 2017 Goodwill Event, Yuta completely dominated all of the Kyoto Jujutsu High competitors, including Aoi Todo. There is no record of him fully manifesting Rika at that time but Maki noted she was still around and was likely the reason Yuta won the event.

Continuing training throughout his tenure at Jujutsu High, Yuta continued to grow stronger and built a solid foundation as a sorcerer. On December 24, 2017, Suguru Geto targeted Yut and injured his friends while invading the school. This set Yuta off, unleashing extraordinary levels of cursed energy throughout through his body. This resulted in a mighty increase of Yuta's physical abilities and fine-tuned of his senses.

Alongside Rika, Yuta was able to match Geto one-on-one. He revealed not only the ability to use the extremely rare reverse cursed technique but the capacity to copy other cursed techniques like cursed speech as well. This led Geto to claim he was glad that he attacked Yuta before the student learned to properly wield Rika's power. Yuta was only able to defeat Geto by vowing to give his life one exchange for removing the limiters on Rika's boundless power, ultimately overpowering Maximum: Uzumaki and Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate. The major difference in their battle was that Yuta was willing to give his life to win while the cursed manipulator didn't have the vast majority of his curses, with over four thousand serving the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

Following his victory, Yuta discovered he was the one who cursed Rika when they were young, not the other way around. He is a descendant of Michizane Sugawara, one of the greatest sorcerers to ever live, making Yuta a distant relative of the Gojo clan. Yuta severed the bond tying servant to master and Rika didn't desire to punish him, so the curse was broken, freeing Orimoto's soul.

Yuta originally thought that after Rika passed away he wouldn't be able to be a sorcerer anymore. Kenjaku believes that Yuta's vast cursed energy and his ability to copy cursed techniques were tied to detaining his loved one's soul. However, these are incorrect assumptions and Satoru Gojo has stated on more than one occasion that Yuta still has the potential to surpass him.

By March of 2018, only three months after the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Yuta regained his rank as a special grade sorcerer. He is a prodigy who boasts incredible power and unusual abilities second only to Satoru Gojo. Satoru forced Geto's comrade, Miguel, to train Yuta. Miguel mentored Yuta overseas while they searched for the Black Rope. By the time he returned to Tokyo following the Shibuya Incident, Yuta was able to dispatch large cursed spirits without much effort.

Upon arriving to execute Sukuna's vessel, Yuta was recognized as a major threat to everyone. Yuji, Choso, and Naoya, three strong jujutsu users, were all briefly stricken by Yuta's unsettling cursed energy. Naoya, who especially prides himself on his abilities, was quick to ally himself with Yuta in order to avoid any potential conflict. Choso, another special grade, told Yuji to run away immediately because he could feel Yuta's overwhelming strength is on a scale similar to Satoru Gojo's, ensuring death.

Following Choso's advice to get away from Yuta, Yuji attempted to flee but Yuta was able to run him down and engage his target one-on-one. Due to what occurred in Shibuya, Yuji was holding himself back, and Yuta was easily able to overpower him. Yuta displayed more overall cursed energy then their sensei as well as reinforcement techniques far beyond the average sorcerer. Yuji's normal reinforcement was no match for the amount Yuta was enhancing his own body with, leading the former to evade attacks most of the fight. Following his victory, Yuta found Choso after he defeated Naoya and knocked him unconscious with a single blow.

In addition to mastering close combat skills, Yuta has become a proficient user of reverse cursed technique. After executing Yuji, Yuta instantly restarted his heart by outputting reverse cursed energy into him. His ability to output reverse cursed energy at will is something even Satoru is unable to do.

Yuta only showcased a small portion of his abilities against Yuji and yet his very presence intimidated the likes of Naoya and Choso. He displayed the full extent of his powers during the Culling Game, where Yuta was matched up against some of the strongest players the deadly battle royal had to offer. He effortlessly dispatched Dhruv Lakdawalla, an incarnated sorcerer who once conquered Japan, single-handedly shattering the four-way deadlock in the Sendai Colony. Yuta likely could've also made short work of Kurourushi if he had chosen to use reverse cursed technique from the beginning. However, Yuta handicapped himself to avoid displaying his abilities to those observing him and still managed to overpower the cockroach curse in multiple exchanges. Yuta was eventually cornered and nearly defeated but he ultimately exorcised the curse using a calculated maneuver that blasted Kurourushi's head with reverse cursed energy.

Yuta put up fierce resistance against Takako Uro and Ryu Ishigori directly after defeating Kurourushi. He used reverse cursed technique and his cursed energy manipulation to survive their attacks but could hardly go on the offensive against their cursed techniques. In order to ensure victory, Yuta went all out and showcased the full extent of his abilities. Utilizing Rika and his full skillset, Yuta completely took over the momentum of the battle and overpowered both his opponents, forcing them to rely on domain expansion. Yuta cast his own domain in response, displaying his capacity to use the supreme jujutsu art as well. Even after the domain struggle resulted in everyone being unable to use cursed techniques for a limited time, Yuta still excelled and was directly involved in eliminating Uro and Kurourushi's offspring from the fight. Yuta's advanced reinforcement techniques gave him an edge over Uro and his reverse cursed energy was used to easily dispatch Kurourushi's offspring.

Ryu proved to not only be the strongest among the participants of the four-way deadlock but the toughest opponent for Yuta as well. His cursed energy output could even bypass Yuta's toughness and his directed blasts were far superior to Yuta and Rika's. Yuta was able to achieve victory due to his growth as a fighter, made abundant by his tactical awareness and the ability to contend with the experience of a four-hundred-year-old being like Ryu. By copying Uro's power to control space, Yuta turned his opponent's own destructive force against him. Even without Rika backing him up, Yuta bought enough time for his plan to succeed by matching Ryu in close combat. Once Yuta was victorious, Ryu proudly admitted that Yuta gave him the most satisfying fight he's ever had, proving that Yuta's strength surpasses that of the vast majority of jujutsu sorcerers, past or present.

Physical Prowess
Expert Weapons Specialist: While first training as a sorcerer, Yuta was given a katana mainly as an object to stabilize his cursed energy. Through vigorous training with Maki, the most proficient cursed tool user at Jujutsu High, Yuta became decent with a sword, able to hold his own against cursed spirits and even Geto, who has exceptional physical prowess.

Yuta has continued to hone his skill as a swordsman and still wields a katana as his weapon of choice. His skills have improved dramatically and are perfectly balanced with his enhanced cursed energy manipulation, allowing Yuta to wield a blade with superhuman physical prowess. He's fast and makes decisive attacks that Yuji could barely avoid. The blade is constantly surging with cursed energy just like the rest of Yuta's body, giving it superior cutting ability. He defeated a large cursed spirit with a diving stab so powerful it cracked the ground beneath them.

Yuta cut down Dhruv Lakdawalla using his katana and fought on even terms with Kurourushi using it as well. Rika has gained the ability to store cursed tools, implying Yuta is now capable of utilizing a wide variety of weapons. He chose a steel arm attachment to fight Takako Uro and used it to further reinforce his close combat skills.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Yuta has grown into a very capable hand-to-hand combatant who is more than comfortable engaging his opponent's up close. He generally throws single powerful smashing blows that can crush his opponent in a single move. A mere front kick to Yuji's sternum was enough to send him reeling back and one backhand from Yuta knocked Choso out cold.

Yuta employs hand-to-hand combat consistently against extraordinary opponents in the Culling Game. He used his katana to disarm Kurorushi before hitting the special grade cockroach curse with a powerful backfist. Yuta fought the early stages of his battle with Takako Uro and Ryu Ishigori entirely barehanded against their powerful cursed techniques.

Intelligence
High Tactical Intellect: Yuta is a smart individual but was initially a complete novice sorcerer and could hardly apply his intellect to battle. However, he's always had a good idea of his skillset and how to best use it. When he and Toge were faced with a semi-grade 1 curse, Yuta was aware he couldn't win on his own and focused on restoring Toge's cursed speech so he could exorcise it.

Currently, Yuta is entirely capable of solving most conflicts with brute force, but now he has the experience to properly apply his intellect to battle. He also uses his wits to navigate other situations in the jujutsu world, such as when he was selected to execute Yuji. Yuta entered a binding vow with higher-ups and managed to fool them by stopping Yuji's heart and immediately healing him with reverse cursed technique. He was aware very few people knew about his ability to output reverse cursed energy and that Yuji had "died" and returned to life before. Thanks to his act, Yuta fooled the higher-ups and took Yuji off their radar.

Yuta displayed his cleverness and intellect in battle when he was faced with exceptionally strong fighters in the Culling Game. While being observed by other players, Yuta knew it was in his best interest not to display his full power. He did his best to try to avoid using Rika and reverse cursed technique while fighting Kurourushi, only doing so when his life was in immediate danger. While trying to restrain showcasing his own strengths, Yuta was keen on figuring out his opponents. After a quick exchange with Takako Uro, Yuta was able to grasp the basics of her complex innate technique. Ryu's wide attack range led Yuta to close the distance and bring their battle in close. While approaching Ryu, Yuta fooled his opponent by using a hole in the path toward his opponent that he created early to create the perception he had been struck down.

At full strength, Yuta applies his intellect to ensure an efficient victory. His heightened fight awareness enabled him to counter Takako's ability to redirect attacks by using cursed speech to immobilize her first. He also immediately noticed her concern over Kurourushi and utilized it to land an unguarded hit, ultimately leading to her defeat. Yuta defeated Ryu by copying Takako's technique and using it to redirect his own blast back at him, an attack the latter never saw coming.

Battles & Events
Cursed Child Arc
 * Yuta Okkotsu & Maki Zenin vs. Cursed Spirits
 * Yuta Okkotsu & Toge Inumaki vs. Cursed Spirits
 * Yuta Okkotsu vs. Suguru Geto

Itadori's Extermination Arc
 * Yuta Okkotsu vs. Cursed Spirit
 * Yuji Itadori vs. Yuta Okkotsu

Culling Game Arc
 * Culling Game
 * Yuta Okkotsu vs. Kurourushi
 * Yuta Okkotsu vs. Takako Uro vs. Ryu Ishigori

Trivia

 * Yuta ranked 7th place in the manga's 1st Character Popularity Poll with 7,934 votes.
 * Yuta's surname contains the kanji for "the second of the ten Celestial stems" (乙, otsu) and the Kan-on reading for "skeleton, bone" (骨, kotsu); the "tsu" from the first kanji is not included, instead replaced by the second. His given name has the Kan-on reading for "anxiety, worry, grief" (憂, yū) and "big, thick, large" (太, ta). His given name reflects his initial demeanor before he got the necessary guidance on controlling his abilities.

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