Yuta Okkotsu is a major supporting character in Jujutsu Kaisen who has not fully appeared in the first season of the anime. However, he is often brought up by the characters in some episodes. If you’re an anime-only fan, he has probably piqued your interest too, especially with the way characters speak highly of him.
Todo believes that Yuta is the only worthwhile opponent in Tokyo Jujutsu High. Gojo admits on multiple occasions that Yuta’s power is nearly on par with his. Even the fan favorite Megumi Fushiguro has openly expressed his admiration for this particular upperclassman.
Even with barely any screen time, Yuta has established a strong presence in the series simply because of how other characters raved about him. It might make you wonder, what’s so great about Yuta Okkotsu? Why does everyone seem to like and respect this guy?
Who is Yuta Okkotsu?
Yuta Okkotsu is the protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (originally titled Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School) written and illustrated by Gege Akutami in 2017. It was initially a one-shot series, but it became surprisingly popular that readers can’t help but demand for more. So, Gege decided to expand the world of Jujutsu Kaisen and produced a weekly Shōnen Jump series in 2018. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 served as the prequel to the series, and in 2021, MAPPA adapted it into a movie that became an instant blockbuster.
The events in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 took place before the current Jujutsu Kaisen series, so unfortunately, the main trio won’t be making an appearance. However, it also includes a lot of familiar faces like Gojo, Maki, Toge, and Panda.
The best thing about it is the protagonist Yuta Okkotsu who was first introduced as a timid, anxious, and insecure young man. He was haunted by the cursed spirit of his childhood friend Rika who gets uncontrollably violent with anyone who tries to hurt Yuta. In hopes of breaking her curse, Yuta joined the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School under Gojo’s mentorship.
Yuta has been one of a kind ever since. He is gifted with immense cursed energy, so in three months’ time, he had grown into an extremely skilled and powerful sorcerer. In such a short period, he was able to climb his way up into the list of strongest jujutsu sorcerers in the series—one who could even surpass Gojo Satoru.
Aside from being insanely strong, Yuta is also a very likeable person. People are naturally drawn to him because of his warm personality. He’s very kind, considerate, polite, and empathetic, which is why it’s not surprising that Yuta is admired and respected by many lowerclassmen including Megumi.
Why Does Megumi Respect Yuta?
The author, Gege Akutami, gave a definitive answer to this question in the Jujutsu Kaisen Official Fanbook released in March 2021. According to Gege, Megumi sincerely respects Yuta because he’s the only one who “doesn’t initiate anything and saying ridiculous things”. It’s a completely valid reason, especially since we all know that the other second years—Maki, Toge, and Panda—give Megumi so much headache on a daily basis. Particularly Toge and Panda whose hobbies include trolling and pulling pranks on other people.
Let’s admit it, Yuta is obviously Megumi’s favorite senpai. He’s the only one who doesn’t pull crazy antics, and he’s very kind and considerate to everyone around him (even his opponents actually). And in Chapter 146, we can fully understand why.
As Yuji and his allies reviewed the rules of the Culling Game, Yuta volunteered to take part in the game immediately in order to gather information. When he noticed that Megumi was somewhat nervous and worried about his sister’s safety, Yuta also assured them that he will prevent any fight from taking place to avoid harming innocent people.
Apart from being good-natured, another reason why Megumi openly respects Yuta is that he’s “absurdly strong”. Given his overwhelming energy and innate technique, Yuta is no doubt very powerful. It’s not surprising that even Megumi is in awe of his unfathomable strength.
Instead of asking “why does Megumi respect Yuta”, it’s actually more fitting to ask “who doesn’t respect Yuta?”