Gege Akutami, you have certainly outdone yourself with JJK 265. Just when manga fans are eager to know more about Yuji Itadori’s Domain Expansion or how many Black Flashes he and Sukuna are dishing out in the train station, Gege makes you sit down and lets you enjoy a cup of tea on the side for this one. And, honestly, it’s a nice break from the non-stop action fans have been getting since the start of the Shinjuku Showdown Arc.
JJK 264 was as epic as it could’ve been. It featured what fans have wanted to see since laying eyes on a Domain Expansion for the first time: Yuji Itadori’s very own. It’s like watching the boy who only knew how to punch become a man who has fully immersed himself in the world of jujutsu. The recent chapter continues with the hype but in a welcomingly different way. In this feature, let’s talk about what happened in JJK 265 and how it turned from just an innocent walk to an outright intimidation session between an uncle and his nephew.
An Innocent Stroll Through Yuji’s Memories in His Domain Expansion
Before things get heated, SPOILERS AHEAD! According to Myamura’s (@Go_Jover) leaks, JJK 265 picks up where JJK 264 left off—on the train station in Yuji’s Domain Expansion. Bamboozled just like the rest of the fans, Sukuna asks if they are inside Yuji’s domain. He says that he wants to talk, and so he did. For most of the chapter, the two engage in a refreshing dialogue as if they weren’t just beating the heck out of each other a couple of minutes ago.
Yuji opens up about his childhood and says that he was born in Sendai and he left the city pretty early in his childhood, but went back for his grandfather’s work. They stroll along the city to look for more of Yuji’s frequently-visited places like the park. Sukuna even corrected Yuji about what flower he was holding, saying that it was an ajisai, not an asagao. He realizes that Sukuna might already know of the places they’re going to after staying inside Yuji’s body for so long, but Sukuna says these are all useless memories for him.
What’s a city walk without some shenanigans, right? Yuji takes on Sukuna in a couple of challenges including who can catch the bigger crawfish and some archery. It didn’t go well for Jujutsu Kaisen‘s protagonist (Sukuna got the bigger crawfish and instantly hit the bull’s-eye).
Continuing their journey, Yuji says that one of the department stores in the area shut down most small businesses, but it also had a movie theatre so he forgave them. He also talks about how green the countryside is, how much he loved catching locusts, and how the heads of the horses are huge. Yuji then realizes that these experiences are all thanks to his grandfather who showed him the world as if he was his real parent.
After doing crawfish catching, an inevitable defeat in archery, looking at pretty flowers that he knows the correct names of, and seeing the life his nephew once had, Sukuna feels frustrated and asks Yuji to get to the point. Yuji says that he’s shown enough and Sukuna, in turn, comments that it’s all unpleasant to his eyes. However, this is where it all gets interesting!
Tensions Rise in JJK 265: Yuji’s Ultimatum and Sukuna’s Terrifying Response
“Spicy” is the only correct word to describe what happens next. After rambling about his past, Yuji says that his meaning in life is understanding and fulfilling his role. If he dies fulfilling or having fulfilled that role, then he would’ve died peacefully and rightfully. But he doesn’t feel like that’s the case anymore. He feels differently about it now and says that the value of someone’s life is imparted through their memories and Yuji hates those who don’t value that.
JJK 265 here does an amazing job of establishing their opposing views: Sukuna sees no value in anybody’s life, other than himself, meanwhile Yuji has finally realized that there’s value in every life. He doesn’t want to treat himself or anyone else for that matter, like a cog. He realizes that people aren’t tools!
Yuji states he could be mistaken in assuming that Sukuna would ever be able to find value in people other than himself. Sukuna sees what Yuji is trying to do, but Yuji is mistaken—the King of Curses is already numb to that feeling.
Sukuna suddenly realizes that Yuji is acting sympathetic towards him. Yuji, staring adamantly at Sukuna, exclaims that he can kill him, but he doesn’t have to! If he releases Megumi Fushiguro and returns to Yuji’s body, Yuji will spare him. Sukuna doesn’t take this threat lightly. He feels enraged that Yuji is pitying him. The last panel then shows what might be the scariest Sukuna illustration of the manga—saying that he will kill everyone he loves in front of his eyes.
X/Twitter Reacts to JJK Chapter 265 Leaks: Hilarious Comparisons and Emotional Reflections
With so many fans anticipating the release of JJK 265, most couldn’t help but wait for the leaks. A massive turnaround of fans greeted the leaks and ensured their voices were heard, especially on X (formerly Twitter). Some were fun because of the different nature of the chapter, but some were getting to the nitty-gritty of every panel—and that’s how we like it.
With the height of the recent Olympics 2024, fans were comparing Sukuna to the recent silver medalist of the women’s 10-meter air pistol wherein she set a world record. Getting a 10 on Sukuna’s first try, he might be able to pull a solid score in Olympic archery. Wait, will they allow fire arrows though? One user even said: “they’re having their own olympics“
The premise of the whole chapter was for Yuji to set the stage, but fans couldn’t help but notice how indifferent Sukuna feels towards it. It’s still nice to see that Sukuna follows Yuji throughout all this—even giving in to lines like “Or the strongest sorcerer can’t even catch a crawfish?” After an exhausting batch of chapters with all the fighting and trump cards, it’s as if fans can feel the fresh breeze in Sendai as well. @BIGDADDYGOJO even joined in on the fun, tweeting: “sukuna is so mad to be with yuji rn but still just cooperating, twin energy #JJK265“
Fans can’t escape this reality now. As Yuji reminisces about those who’ve passed on, he remembers people like his grandfather, Nanami, Junpei, and Choso. But the real gutwrenching names on this list feature his sensei, Satoru Gojo, and one of his best friends, Nobara Kugisaki. Here’s what one fan said: “I knew nobara was dead but she’s ACTUALLY dead… like it’s really hitting that she is never coming back #jjk265“