Warning: This contains SPOILERS for Jujutsu Kaisen #207Based on her importance to the ongoing effort of stopping Kenjaku, the apparent death of Yuki Tsukomu has naturally heightened Jujutsu Kaisen fan fears that he will succeed. However, whether Kenjaku is ultimately able to achieve his goal, Yuki's death exposes what seems to be the series' problem with powerful female characters.
As one of three remaining special-grade jujutsu sorcerers, Yuki Tsukomu is one of the most powerful practitioners in the sorcerer community. Blessed with immense reserves of cursed energy, superior innate cursed technique, and tons of experience using her skills such that she knows how to capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. In taking on Jujutsu Kaisen's big villain Kenjaku, Yuki revealed categorizing her as a special grade was no overreach. Her techniques include, Star Rage, domain expansion, and reverse cursed techniques. Still, despite being so powerful, and just moments away from ending Kenjaku as a threat, he miraculously discovers a weakness, which he takes advantage of to blow a hole through her chest, leaving her most likely dead.
If Yuki is actually dead, this would be the first time a woman is killed in Jujutsu Kaisen. In fact, it's not even the second time. Rather it points to the tendency of the series to kill off its most powerful and important female characters, even while male characters seem to die a thousand times before ultimately surviving. In addition to Yuki, what fan can forget the heartbreaking death of fan-favorite Nobara Kugisaki, who was killed by Kenjaku's partner in crime Mahito. Before her death, Nobara was a pillar of Jujutsu Kaisen's "up-and-coming" generation of jujutsu sorcerers. She was smart, tough, and knew how to handle herself in a dark alley. Most sadly, there was the killing of Riko Amanai, the teenager who volunteered to become a vessel for Master Tengen, but was murdered by Megumi's father Toji Fushiguro. If she was able to merge with Tengen, Kenjaku's plan would have been foiled.
Yuki's Death Has A Number Of Implications
There's also Rika Orimoto, a cursed spirit so powerful she was known as the "Queen of Curses." She was so powerful she arguably single-handedly took out special-grade sorcerer Suguru Geto. While she wasn't killed, strictly speaking, she was permanently removed from the story. Some might point to the continued existence of Jujutsu Kaisen's Maki Zenin as disproving this point. While Maki has indeed become one of the most powerful and important women in the series, she is the only one in a cast that originally did not have many female characters. Outside Maki, moreover, what other female characters are currently in the series who have the power or importance to warrant major character status? Her continued existence does not disprove the series' fatal tendencies towards powerful or important female characters.
While it would be a miracle if Yuki Tsukomu were able to survive the injury she suffered, especially considering the fact that Kenjaku is not likely to let up until he is sure she is no longer a threat, it's always possible she somehow escapes death. However, assuming that she does not, Yuki Tsukomu's death not only eliminates a major obstacle to Kenjaku's success in Jujutsu Kaisen, but also continues the series' tendency to kill off the most important and powerful female characters.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available now from Viz Media.
