Jujutsu Kaisen: Why did Junpei Turn Evil? The Tragedy That Befell Him

The character of Junpei Yoshino suffered one of the worst fates in Jujutsu Kaisen, which left the fans heartbroken. Here is why he was inclined towards turning evil before his death.

Published on Jul 05, 2024  |  08:08 PM IST |  12.2K
Exploring The Tragic Fate Of Junpei Yoshino In Jujutsu Kaisen
Junpei Yoshino in Jujutsu Kaisen anime (PC: IMDb, MAPPA, Crunchyroll, Gege Akutami)

This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen anime

The tragic life of Junpei Hoshino is surely one of the most heartbreaking plot points of Jujutsu Kaisen. He is the first curse-related death that Itadori had to watch which changed the protagonist forever. But even before his death, Junpei Yoshino’s life was really pathetic due to bullies. 

It is understandable why Junpei was inclined towards committing evil against those who had wronged him. However, with the guidance of Itadori, he was trying to live a better life. Unfortunately, his life ended horrifically before the young high-schooler could completely turn it around. 

Why did Junpei Yoshino turn evil?


Junpei Yoshino was one of those characters whose walk down the path of evil was short and misdirected, but understandable. From a pretty young age, Junpei was the victim of severe bullying at the hands of his high-school classmates, especially one guy named Shota Ito. The bullying got so bad that Junpei had scars on his forehead as a constant reminder of what he had to go through at their hands. What frustrated him even more was the indifference of the teachers and other adults who did nothing to help them.

When Junpei met the villain Mahito, the latter killed some of his bullies viciously in a movie theater. Fueled by anger, frustration, and the desire for retribution, he asked Mahito if he could also do what he did and take revenge upon his bullies. The final nail in the coffin came when Junpei’s mother Nagi was killed brutally at the hands of a cursed spirit that was attracted by Sukuna’s finger. Mojito was able to convince Junpei that Shota was the one that was behind the attack, which unlocked Junpei’s cursed abilities, which he unleashed upon his school and conformed Shota after incapacitating the other students. He beats Shota up until Itadori comes in to stop him. 

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Junpei’s fate in the story left everyone distressed


In the end, Junpei was killed mercilessly by Mahito, one of the very few people the young boy actually trusted. Mojito deformed his soul and body into a cursed spirit in front of Itadori, who saw the villain’s actual power for the first time. It was very sad how Itadori was only able to talk Junpei down from his evil path when he was brutally killed. 

In the end, although it is understandable why Junpei turned towards the path of evil, it is also what led to his demise. Without Mahito’s villainous influence, he could have become friends with Itadori and also might have been able to become a Jujutsu Tech student with him and the other first years. However, letting himself be controlled by his anger and thirst for revenge pushed Junpei to take action against Shota and put himself in a vulnerable position in the school. 

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Junpei was definitely not a bad person despite his attack on the school. He had a good heart, which was evident from his friendship with Itadori and he just wanted to live a normal life with his mother without any bullying. However, his tragic fate in the story did not allow him a moment’s respite as he was brutally murdered as a young teenager.

ALSO READ: Who Is Mahito In Jujutsu Kaisen? Character Explored

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About The Author

Gargi has a Masters degree in English Literature from The University of Calcutta. She has been a content writer

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