Jujutsu Kaisen: Are Choso and Yuji Brothers? Relationship explained

Since the onset of author and illustrator Gege Akutami’s original Jujutsu Kaisen manga, the parentage of protagonist Yuji Itadori has been at the forefront of fans’ minds. Upon meeting Yuji, it’s revealed that he was raised by his grandfather, Wasuke Itadori, rather than his parents, who go unnamed for a significant portion of the series.

While fans do eventually get information on Yuji’s parentage, it doesn’t occur until much later, even after the Shibuya Incident arc. Likewise, when Jujutsu Kaisen finally gives fans information on Yuji’s parents, it’s only a tease that lasts for a mere few pages.

However, this fleeting revelatory moment is more than enough for fans to draw some exciting conclusions about Yuji’s parents, family, and potential familial relationships. In fact, Jujutsu Kaisen fans have since created an all but airtight theory that Yuji Itadori and Cursed Womb: Death Painting Choso are siblings by shared parentage through Kenjaku.

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What is the relationship between Choso and Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Choso in Jujutsu Kaisen episode 46 (Image via MAPPA)

As of chapter 246 in the manga and episode 46 (season 2 episode 22) of the anime, Choso and Yuji are brothers via sharing the blood of a third parent, who goes by the name Kenjaku. However, before explaining the intricacies of this connection, it’s worth going over everything fans know about the origins of both thus far.

Choso is the eldest of 10 siblings, all of whom belong to the special class of Cursed Spirit created by the ancient sorcerer Noritoshi Kamo, called Cursed Womb: Death Painting. It’s eventually revealed that the Curse User, known as Kenjaku, was possessing Kamo's body when Choso and the other Death Paintings were created. Technically speaking, Kenjaku is the “third parent” of Choso.

Noritoshi Kamo, as seen in the Anime (Image via MAPPA)

Choso's mother was a woman known for being able to give birth to children of Cursed Spirits. Kenjaku, in the guise of Noritoshi Kamo, mixed his own blood with her while she was pregnant with Choso and his siblings. While Choso doesn’t remember much about his past, he does remember Kenjaku’s interference in his birthing process as Noritoshi Kamo.

Yuji Itadori, meanwhile, has much less parentage information in the current Jujutsu Kaisen series. What fans do know is that Yuji was born to Jin and Kaori Itadori, who both either died or abandoned him sometime before the start of the series. In a flashback, Kaori was seen with Kenjaku's signature forehead stitches.

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Is Choso the real brother of Yuji?

With this information, fans have come up with a family tree that is all but confirmed by the currently available canonical material in Jujutsu Kaisen. They assume that Kenjaku interfered with Yuji’s birthing process in some way, shape, or form, just as he did with Choso’s.

While it's unknown whether Kenjaku took over Kaori’s body before, during, or after her pregnancy, Yuji's grandfather was seen reminding Jin that Kaori died before they could conceive a child. Jin did not heed his father since Kenjaku had "revived" Kaori by that point, but it implies that he took over her body before Yuji's birth.

Supposing that assumption to be true, Yuji and Choso would be considered related by the nature of Kenjaku being a “third parent” to each of them. This theory also assumes that Yuji is either completely or partially a Death Painting Womb himself.

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 244 mentions Noritoshi Kamo (the Kyoto student) helping Yuji with something that Choso could not. Many fans believe that this pertains to some form of Blood Manipulation, which is shared by Noritoshi, Choso, and now presumably Yuji.

Their relationship is further supported by Kenjaku calling Yuji his son to Sasaki in chapter 160 and Choso constantly calling Yuji his brother. He even compares the bond they share to his relationship with his actual brothers by blood.

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