The hand sign used by Itadori symbolizes Kṣitigarbha, a monk and bodhisattva highly respected in East Asian Buddhism. With Jujutsu Kaisen nearing its conclusion, the unexpected plot twists by Gege Akutami in Chapter 264 are driving fans crazy. There’s already a lot of excitement about Yuji’s domain expansion, and now his hand sign is adding even more intrigue.
The hand sign may seem like Sukuna’s, but its meaning is different. If the predictions are correct about Kṣitigarbha, then Sukuna may lose to Itadori. We have already seen Itadori’s domain expansion, which is a train station where he takes Sukuna to continue their battle.
Who is Kṣitigarbha and how is he connected to Jujutsu Kaisen?
Kṣitigarbha was a Buddhist monk, who took a vow that he wouldn’t achieve Buddhahood until all hells were emptied. The meaning of Kṣitigarbha is “Earth Matrix”. In other words, he is connected with being a rescuer for all beings in hell.
Now fans might be speculating about how is it connected with Yuji, well maybe, Gege Akutami wants to represent his protagonist as someone who can rescue all the beings from “hell” as it represents Sukuna’s domain expansion. We might see Yuji doing something extreme which might push Sukuna to “Nirvana”.
This adds a deep layer to Itadori’s character. The connection between him and Kṣitigarbha takes Yuji as a protagonist to the next level. Even his blindfolded teacher with six eyes, Gojo Satoru couldn’t beat Sukuna.
Giving Yuji’s domain expansion a different perspective as the end nears
Fans know the hand sign of Sukuna represents Yama, the king of hell. On the other hand, Yuji’s domain expansion is the opposite. It appears to be cleaning hell. This allows Yuji’s domain expansion to be something no one has even considered. For Sukuna, this will be hard to deal with.
Jujutsu Kaisen is approaching its end. Yuji’s hand sign represents Kṣitigarbha and is meant to enable everyone to meet their destiny. A struggle between Sukuna and Yuji’s new domain expansion is anticipated, and this could mark the end for the king of curses in the series. Yuji’s hand sign has the potential to purify Sukuna.
Aligning elements from Buddhism takes the domain expansion to a whole new level. Yuji is no longer the disciple of Gojo Satoru, rather he is a monk now. A guardian of souls, just like Kṣitigarbha.
Now we just have to wait and see whether Itadori Yuji will be able to exorcise the King of Curses. Since Sukuna is his only enemy, Yuji will have to come up with a plan that he couldn’t even imagine. Fans will be watching closely as Yuji, or Kṣitigarbha, tries to put an end to Sukuna.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available on Crunchyroll.
