Jujutsu Kaisen fans misunderstood Mahito's most important words to Junpei

Jujutsu Kaisen is a series that doesn't stand out greatly because of its character interactions, but the conversations between Junpei Yoshino and Mahito serve as a way to establish the mentality of the two of them. In that regard, the way Mahito seemed to talk to Junpei showed how the former views Curses and humans, highlighting something that perhaps fans misunderstood.

In layman's terms, Mahito views Curses the same way someone like Yuji Itadori views humans in Jujutsu Kaisen, thus serving their duality and ideological clash in the series. It goes without saying that it has been regarded as the most developed conflict in the story, especially considering the manga's initial conflict being one of humans against Curses.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Explaining how Mahito's words to Junpei highlight his ideology in Jujutsu Kaisen

Junpei in his final moments in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

During the arc in which Junpei Yoshino was involved in the story, he was manipulated by Mahito because of their friendship and their conversations allowed the audience to understand a lot more of the latter's mentality. Something that a lot of fans seemed to have missed is that this villain views Curses, his kind, the same way that a human would see the people of his own species.

The logic of this, which is something that author Gege Akutami emphasizes, is that Yuji Itadori views humans as his friends, loved ones, and people who deserve to live, while perceiving Curses as monsters that need to be eradicated. This isn't very different from Mahito's own perspective, which is shaped by his own existence and ideology, especially considering that he was born out of human hatred.

Akutami made this parallel quite obvious during the Shibuya Incident arc and the now-iconic "I'm you" line that Yuji tells Mahito at the end of their battle. It is a way of how showing the way both characters hold similar ideologies and are destined to clash because of it, which is why it is widely regarded as one of the few plotlines well executed in the series.

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The character of Mahito in the story

Mahito as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

The character of Mahito is widely regarded as one of the few in Jujutsu Kaisen who were excellently executed by Gege Akutami, which is saying a lot in a series that has been criticized for having an underdeveloped cast. His ideology of Curses and the soul and how that clashed with human sorcerers, coupled with his evil nature, endeared him greatly to the fandom.

Furthermore, it can be argued that the best moments of Yuji Itadori as a protagonist were during his fights with Mahito, strengthened by the loss of the likes of Nanami Kento or the aforementioned Junpei. All of that made their conflict feel a lot more personal, with the conclusion in Shibuya feeling quite cathartic.

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Final thoughts

All in all, Mahito's words to Junpei in Jujutsu Kaisen serve as a way to understand his mentality and ideology a lot more. In hindsight, it also helps to give fans a greater understanding of the duality he held with the protagonist of the story, Yuji Itadori.

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