Warning: Spoilers for the ending of the Shibuya Incident Arc
The Shibuya Incident Arc has finally come to an end, and with it, a bridge is built that leads directly into Jujutsu Kaisen’s next arc.
But before we continue on this journey, it’s worth understanding the significance of season 2’s ending for the remainder of the story. A lot happened in the last episode, not in terms of action – the action was tame in comparison to the previous handful of episodes – but in terms of narrative significance and plot points.
Pseudo-Geto’s plan, his whole reason for opening the way – or gate, rather – to the Shibuya Incident, has finally manifested before everyone’s eyes.
We’re here to understand what that plan is, how he’s put it into motion, its foreseeable impact on the world of Jujutsu, the implications of the Incident for the rest of the characters, including the large special-grade curse in the room impossible to ignore: Yuta Okkotsu is now assigned to be Yuji Itadori’s executioner. Something that is surely to give most fans conflicting feelings.
Big Brain Geto’s masterplan
In the second to last episode, we are told that the Brain controlling Suguru Geto’s body is the same that took over Noritoshi Kamo the ancestor, and conducted the twisted experiments that resulted in the birth of the Death Paintings. The Brain, who is older than Noritoshi Kamo and has been jumping from body to body for quite a bit, seems to be an avid experimenter with curse energy and cursed objects.
His newest experiment required the absorption of an evolved Mahito – the curse metamorphosed into its perfected form during his fight with Yuji – combining it with the usage of the Curse Manipulation’s Supreme Art Uzumaki to extract Idle Transfiguration and make it his own. During episode 23, not-Geto casts (what used to be) Mahito’s technique long-range, finally tipping off the first domino in a long row of dominoes he’d meticulously put in place. As he summarizes to Yuki Tsukumo, his ultimate goal is to optimize cursed energy in Japan.
His plan to do so required two types of non-sorcerers – Tsumiki, Megumi Fushiguro’s step-sister was one of those chosen – which he’d already marked: one type, similar to Yuji, consumed a cursed object, the second, like the late Junpei Yoshino, could see curses but their bodies were meant to be non-sorcerers. One type is now going to be capable of jujutsu, which they weren’t previously, and the other is to be possessed and overtaken by ancient sorcerers. In addition, he also frees a ton of cursed spirits onto the streets of Tokyo to wreak havoc. The evil sorcerer aims to bring back the golden age of sorcery and kickstart a battle royale of sorts that will deepen everyone’s understanding of jujutsu.
A fan on Reddit, after the respective manga chapter came out, explained it as such:
This lays the foundation for the next arcs’ conflicts.
Here comes our sleep-deprived boy
Special-grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu is back from his Africa stay and he’s on a mission.
While we’re all happy to see him back, and, in the nick of time save a little girl alone in a city that has become overrun with curses, it’s still a bit conflicting to learn of the ostensible reason why he has returned: To kill Yuji Itadori.
Is Yuta really on board with killing Yuji? He alleges to the higher-ups he is, after all, his classmate and good friend Toge Inumaki got caught in Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine and lost his arm as a result. On top of that, he doesn’t know Yuji personally, even if they share a Sensei – who’s now locked inside the Prison Realm and can’t do anything about any of this.
But, unless you intend to dive into Gege Akutami’s manga and find out ahead, it remains to be seen how Yuta intends to approach being Yuji’s appointed executioner.
Another thing that also requires an explanation: Why is Rika still around? Wasn’t her soul freed at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen 0? Don’t worry, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is completely canon. The reason for the enduring existence of the special-grade apparition is but an answer for later.
Bad End(?): chaos, death sentences, Yuji alone
While, there is some legitimate, defensible excuse to execute Yuji – his body was used in a way that slaughtered countless innocent lives and essentially erased a huge portion of the city from the map – as much as we don’t want to admit it, most of the other decisions the higher-ups came to all stand against reason. Why act on the assumption that Gojo had anything to do with it? Why sentence Masamichi Yaga to death too?
Well, we’ve known for a while that Gojo loathes the higher-ups and, in turn, they return the hate a hundredfold. However, they could never do anything about Gojo themselves – for obvious reasons. So, this seems like the perfect chance to get some pebbles out of their shoes without moving a muscle. We can start to fathom the rest of their intentions from here.
At the very end of the episode, we see Yuji all by himself. Even in his solitude, he looks resolute.
Another fan posted an insightful reading of that closing moment:
With some questions answered many others have now emerged. But these, unless you’re too tempted to dive straight into the manga, are questions for when season 3 rolls around.