Jujutsu Kaisen season 1 establishes the rules of its world quickly, but it also makes one thing clear: survival is never guaranteed.
In breaking down who dies in Jujutsu Kaisen season 1, the story shows that even its opening arcs are willing to cross lines that most long-running series hesitate to approach.
Death arrives suddenly, sometimes off-screen, and often as the direct result of manipulation rather than brute force.
| GO DEEPER INTO THE FANDOM What is the Culling Game? Jujutsu Kaisen’s biggest arc explained Who dies in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2? And which characters might still be alive |
These early losses shape the direction of the series and set expectations for how cruel the jujutsu world can be. By the end of the season, the consequences of facing curses feel permanent, even when not every outcome is final.
Who dies in Jujutsu Kaisen season 1
Death in Jujutsu Kaisen season 1 is limited in number, but deliberate in placement. Rather than overwhelming the story with constant losses, the season uses death selectively to establish stakes, introduce moral consequences, and define how curses manipulate both civilians and sorcerers alike.
Several deaths occur off-screen or as the aftermath of larger incidents, reinforcing the idea that danger in this world is not always visible until it is too late.
The following table lists every confirmed death shown or explicitly acknowledged during season 1, presented in chronological order and based strictly on anime canon.
| CHARACTER | DIED TO | EPISODE NUMBER | EPISODE NAME | DESCRIPTION |
| Ryomen Sukuna | Sealed by Heian-era sorcerers | Episode 1 | Ryomen Sukuna | Rather than dying, Sukuna split his soul into 20 indestructible fingers after being defeated and sealed by Heian sorcerers, allowing his essence to persist and eventually reincarnate. |
| Nagi Yoshino | Mahito (implied) | Episode 11 | Narrow-minded | Nagi’s death is confirmed through official reports, with her body discovered mutilated and partially missing. |
| Junpei Yoshino | Mahito | Episode 12 | To you, someday | Mahito distorts Junpei’s soul using Idle Transfiguration, killing him shortly after in front of Yuji. |
| Kechizu | Nobara Kugisaki | Episode 24 | Accomplices | Killed when Nobara uses Hairpin to detonate his cursed blood technique. |
| Eso | Yuji Itadori | Episode 24 | Accomplices | Killed when Yuji lands a Black Flash that punches through his chest during their fight. |
Does Yuji die in Jujutsu Kaisen season 1?
Season 1 includes moments that deliberately blur the line between death and survival, particularly when curses interfere with the body or soul.
This approach reflects a storytelling style specific to Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami, where apparent deaths are sometimes used to mislead in the moment before later clarification recontextualizes what actually occurred. As a result, not every apparent death in season 1 is permanent or final.
The most notable example occurs in Episode 5, Curse Womb Must Die part 2 II, when Yuji Itadori has his heart torn out by Ryomen Sukuna after relinquishing control of his body.
Yuji’s body ceases to function and he is officially declared dead by jujutsu authorities, though his consciousness remains active within Sukuna’s innate domain.
Sukuna agrees to restore Yuji’s heart only after establishing two binding vows. First, if Sukuna speaks the word Enchain, Yuji must surrender control of his body to him for one minute. Second, Yuji must forget that the binding vows were ever made.
After Yuji agrees, Sukuna repairs his heart and revives him, establishing that death in Jujutsu Kaisen is not always final—and that survival can come at a hidden cost, one the host may not even remember, but will eventually be forced to pay.
