The spoilers of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 248 showed that Yuta Okkotsu, one of the strongest characters of Jujutsu Kaisen has finally entered the battle against King of the Curses Sukuna. Fans are too excited to see Yuta finally fight against Sukuna, which is probably the most anticipated moment since Sukuna took over Megumi’s body.
The spoiler also showed Rika, the cursed spirit that stays with Yuta attack Sukuna and challenge him which even made Sukuna excited for their future bout as he called Rika by the name of the Queen of Curses. Despite her limited manifestation, Rika helps Yuta with her extremely dynamic physical ability and acts at his request.
However, one question that has been constantly nagging Jujutsu Kaisen fans since Yuta’s arrival is how can he still use Rika’s terrifying powers after the event of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 as Yuta was able to free Rika’s soul and let her move on peacefully. There is a very simple answer to that question.
Rika Was Freed by Yuta in Jujutsu Kaisen 0
A tragic car accident when they were young claimed the life of Yuta Okkotsu’s close childhood friend Rika Orimoto. His natural cursed abilities made Rika unintentionally curse in his grief, binding her spirit to him. Instinctively, they were still fond of each other, even after their relationship took a nasty turn.
From then on, Yuta is always followed wherever he goes by a hideous cursed spirit. By the time the film ends, Yuta has broken the curse, enabling Rika’s soul to pass on in peace. Following that, Yuta virtually disappears from the main plot of Jujutsu Kaisen until making a surprise appearance after season 2.
Ideally, when Rika’s soul was freed, her cursed spirit should have left Yuta alone. But what surprised fans was Rika’s cursed spirit was still present with Yuta and he could still use her powers ever after Rika’s soul was freed. This question has not been answered in Jujutsu Kaisen anime as of yet.
Reason Behind Yuta Still Being Able to Use Rika’s Powers
Even though Rika Orimoto’s spirit may have passed away following Jujutsu Kaisen 0, her essence is still present in Yuta’s cursed technique, “Rika.” Chapter 178 of the manga explains that the vessel known as “Rika” is not an independent entity, but rather an embodied unit of storage with a free will of her own.
In addition to serving as his combat partner, this enables Yuta to store cursed energy reserves, techniques, and weapons. In contrast to his previous Jujutsu training, Yuta is now able to fully utilize Rika’s abilities.
Despite her general willingness to listen to Yuta, Rika occasionally becomes partially apparent and attacks without his permission to defend him. She can also carry out independent tasks at a suitable distance from Yuta to accomplish separate tasks. Thus, essentially, Yuta manages to maintain access to Rika’s power even after the events of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
You can watch Jujutsu Kaisen on Crunchyroll.
