The One Spin-off That Absolutely Needs To Happen

This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen’s Final Saga.

Key Takeaways

• JJK has untapped potential for spin-offs.
• Fans are eager to explore the Heian era.
• Author’s health concerns may prevent a proper JJK sequel.

Jujutsu Kaisen concluded recently after the final war between Sukuna and the sorcerers led to the defeat of the former. It is safe to say that this story etched a place in the hearts of the fans, and that even after its conclusion, it is going to be talked about for years to come. Jujutsu Kaisen was a massive series that influenced people all over the world, so much so that even after its conclusion, fans are desperately waiting for more content, in one way or another.

Of course, given that JJK has now ended, fans have to make peace with the fact that this manga is likely not going to get a sequel. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that it can’t continue in other ways. Usually, even after the conclusion of a story, the author tends to drop a small spin-off or even a one-shot. JJK desperately needs a few, especially because there is a ton of unexplored material in the story that fans need more context about.

Why Jujutsu Kaisen Could Continue Through Spin-Offs

• Jujutsu Kaisen has a lot of potential still
• Fans need to know the answers to JJK’s many mysteries

Jujutsu Kaisen ended earlier this year and ever since then, fans have not heard anything from the author in regards to his next work. The only thing that fans know is that Gege is not done with Jump. He is set to continue working in the magazine at some point later down the line, but for now, his focus is on resting. This is especially true because Gege suffered from many health-related complications during the serialization of JJK, and most recently, he even had surgery for the removal of his appendix. Even more than that, he has had many stress-related issues as well, which only compound the problems that he suffered from even further.

Please look forward to Sensei’s next work in Jump! – Editor

All the issues of the author also affected the ending in many ways, as is evident. JJK’s ending is deemed to be rushed by many fans, and rightly so. But, when taking into consideration the issues that the author was dealing with during the serialization of the manga, it isn’t hard to see why that is the case. Because JJK ended in a specific way, fans know that there is certainly a potential for continuation. In fact, Gege can even continue his story with the sequel and a part two, and certainly deliver a fantastic story. But, it is highly likely that when the author does return to Jump, he will continue with a completely new manga, because he’s still very young, and, at the same time, has not dropped any hints about continuing JJK with a proper sequel.

This is sad for the fans, but, at the same time, there exists a possibility for Gege to continue JJK through one-shots and spin-off stories. For instance, even Kishimoto, after the conclusion of the Naruto series, did a spin-off manga of 10 chapters surrounding Sarada Uchiha and her parentage. More recently, he did a one-shot manga that went over the life of Minato Namikaze, and showcased the creation of the famed Rasengan technique. It isn’t uncommon for authors to do one-shots or spin-off series. In general, they are considered to be easier to handle, and this is because they can be concise, consisting of as few as two or three chapters, or they can be a one-shot, which would be a singular chapter. They don’t add any stress to the author, and they can simply handle them at their own pace, making it an exciting project, far more than working in the hectic schedule of Jump. As such, JJK, which is a story that has a lot of untapped potential, is likely to continue through one-shot and spin-offs.

Why Fans Need To See Heian Era Battles

The Heian Era Is What Fans Want To See The Most

When it comes to the future one-shots of JJK, there is one particular event that fans are desperate to see and this is a flashback of the Heian era. As fans know, the Heian era was when Sukuna, the King of Curses, was born. Sukuna dominated the era and rose to the very top, being termed as the King of Curses.

In fact, sorcerers from all over the world banded together and tested their skills against Sukuna. This also allowed them to get stronger, and it raised the general level of sorcerers of the Heian era even higher. There also existed Kenjaku during this time, and his bond with Sukuna is proof of that. Unfortunately, despite this ruthless era holding a ton of potential, fans hardly ever saw anything from it.

Sukuna was the strongest in the Heian era! – narrator

Fans were expecting a Heian era flashback within the manga itself, but it never came, and in many ways, it can be said that it wasn’t necessary to drive the plot forward. But, that doesn’t mean that fans wouldn’t have loved a flashback on this particular part of the story and that Gege could not have used it to add more depth to JJK. Now that the series is over, fans can only hope for a flashback through a one-shot or a spin-off series, where Sukuna would take center stage. Fans could finally get to see how Sukuna was born, why exactly he took the path that he took, how he met, and how he rose to the very top. Fans would also get to see how Sukuna eventually turned himself into a cursed object and what exactly his thought process was when he did so.

Fans would see Kenjaku and Sukuna’s first meeting, and at the same time, possibly most importantly, they would see who taught Sukuna the meaning of love. Sukuna clearly states in the last chapter of JJK that he had two paths in front of him, to be precise, and that he chose the part of hatred and survival. It would be interesting to see what the other path was, and why Sukuna did not take it. Taking all things into consideration, a Heian era flashback would add so much more to Sukuna that he could end up becoming one of the best characters in anime and manga as a whole. It would also showcase the level of sorcerers of the Heian era as well.

Will JJK Ever Show Fans The Heian Era?

Fans Can Only Hope For A Side Story

The question of whether fans will ever get to see this flashback or not cannot be answered. It all depends on the author. At the very least, fans can say that there is a possibility that it could be delivered. The author can easily write a one-shot where some character takes center stage, or he can even go on to write a spin-off, spanning over a few chapters. What’s more, the author can even do a movie, where he provides the plot of the story and notes to the staff, who can then go on to bring it to life. There are many ways in which the Heian era can be brought to life, and fans can only hope that the author goes on and does it at some point.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s last chapter, JJK 271, was finally released on September 29, 2024. Fans can read the series on the Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.