In a recent interview, Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami discussed various influences on his hit manga series. Beyond well-known inspirations like Bleach, Naruto, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akutami also credited the visual novel series Fate/stay night and its prequel Fate/Zero as shaping Jujutsu Kaisen’s plot, world-building, and storytelling style.
Specifically, Akutami praised Fate/Zero author Gen Urobuchi’s approach of not over-explaining the complex lore and vocabulary, expecting readers to research earlier installments if needed.
Interview translation of Gege talking about Fate Zero influence in Jujutsu Kaisen (Thanks to @BocchiZaYoru)
“I really love how they just skip the explanation of the plot and the terms,…It's like theyre telling us to just look it up if we didn't understand it” pic.twitter.com/fAhmNXkeFd
— Jujutsu Kaisen (@Go_Jover) February 5, 2024
Akutami said he admires this technique of letting the mysteries and gaps in knowledge drive reader curiosity and engagement.
He implemented a similar style in Jujutsu Kaisen, dropping readers into an intricate world with long-hidden histories and unexplained terms, fueling theories and analysis within its passionate fanbase.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Narrative Ambiguity and Fate’s Influence
Jujutsu Kaisen fans had mixed reactions to Akutami’s praise of Fate’s ambiguous storytelling. Some fans expressed concern on Twitter, noting unfinished plot threads and unexplained concepts in Jujutsu Kaisen’s recent manga arcs.
They worry the series could be building to a rushed or confusing conclusion, especially since it lacks supplementary media like Fate’s games and visual novels that fleshed out its lore.
In particular, fans were anxious hearing Akutami was inspired by Fate after only reading the manga, not its core visual novels.
Since Jujutsu Kaisen has no such multimedia expansions, the manga alone may not adequately cover all of the series’ complex worldbuilding before ending.
Additionally, Akutami cited Gilgamesh as his favorite Fate character. This led fans to speculate whether the powerful antagonist Sukuna was modeled after Gilgamesh, given their similar domineering personalities and connections to ancient eras.
While purely speculative, it underscores fans’ fears that Jujutsu Kaisen could follow some of Fate’s most cryptic or unfinished story arcs.
According to Akutami, the Fate Zero series and Kinoko Nasu’s broader Type-Moon universe were major influences on Jujutsu Kaisen.
He admires how both works plunge readers into complex, jargon-filled settings without much explanatory exposition, an approach also seen in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Akutami notes his style may differ somewhat from Fate Zero author Gen Urobuchi’s, instead drawing from Nasu’s distinctive plot building across the wider Type-Moon franchise.
Nonetheless, Akutami praises their unapologetic commitment to layered storytelling that encourages fans to research elements on their own if confused initially.
In addition, Akutami cites the arrogant, uncompromising Gilgamesh as his favorite Fate character.
He expresses appreciation that Fate Zero depicts Gilgamesh as highly demanding of others while steadfast in his self-righteousness.
Though unconfirmed, this could suggest inspiration for similarly domineering Jujutsu Kaisen antagonist Sukuna.
More About Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is a popular Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami.
First released in 2018, it has been serialized weekly in Shonen Jump magazine, with 25 compiled tankōbon volumes published as of early 2024.
In 2020, studio MAPPA adapted the manga into a hit anime series, airing the first 24-episode season from October to March 2021.
A second season covering later manga arcs premiered in mid-2023, with additional adaptations planned.
The basic premise, as described by Crunchyroll, follows high schooler Yuji Itadori. Though a gifted athlete, his life changes forever when he swallows a demonic finger to save a classmate from a deadly curse. This act leads Yuji to share his body with the powerful spirit Ryomen Sukuna.
Under mentor sorcerer Satoru Gojo, Yuji enrolls in Tokyo Jujutsu High School to learn magic and exorcise curses. But containing Sukuna’s evil presents an ever-present threat.
Yuji must balance his normal teen life with the dangerous world of jujutsu sorcery.
The fusion of supernatural battles, ancient lore, wry humor, and complex characters has earned the series widespread popularity and acclaim overseas.
Yuji Itadori begins as an extraordinarily athletic high school student in Sendai, though his life changes forever in June 2018.
On his deathbed, Yuji’s grandfather imparted two pieces of advice: “Always help others” and “die surrounded by people who care about you.” Soon after at school, Yuji’s Occult Club friends unseal a cursed talisman, attracting dangerous spirits that threaten students’ lives.
To protect sorcerer Megumi Fushiguro, Yuji swallows the talisman’s rotten finger, becoming host to the powerful Curse Ryomen Sukuna.
All Jujutsu sorcerers are duty-bound to immediately execute Curses like Sukuna.
However, mentor Satoru Gojo sees potential in Yuji’s retainment of bodily control. He recruits Yuji to Tokyo Jujutsu High School to train while consuming Sukuna’s 20 fingers, after which Gojo promises Yuji’s exorcism.
Meanwhile, a faction of Curses led by Mahito and reanimated sorcerer Suguru Geto plots to destabilize Jujutsu society.
