Jujutsu Kaisen: What Are the Death Paintings and Yuji’s Link to Kenjaku

Jujutsu Kaisen reveals, in its intricate plot, that Yuji Itadori’s fate was sealed long before he swallowed Sukuna’s finger. What looked like mere bad luck is actually the result of Kenjaku’s century-old obsession with human evolution and cursed energy. At the center of that obsession are the Death Paintings, and understanding what they are, how they were created, and their family bond with Yuji unlocks many of the series’ mysteries, which remains available on Crunchyroll for Brazilian fans in 2026.

The Death Paintings are, in other words, Kenjaku’s earliest and most disturbing experiments. More than 150 years ago, while possessing Noritoshi Kamo’s body, he found a woman capable of bearing children with cursed spirits. Over nine forced and interrupted pregnancies, the fetuses fused with curses, forming sentient cursed wombs that were sealed as special-grade objects. As such, they are neither pure humans nor pure curses, but unstable hybrids caught between the two worlds.

Yuji Itadori, however, is not a Death Painting. Even so, his connection to them is deep and direct. Kenjaku, while possessing Kaori Itadori’s body, gave birth to the protagonist, technically becoming his biological parent. Yuji is therefore no ordinary boy, but a planned creation. Unlike his painted siblings, his body was designed from the start to withstand extremely high levels of cursed energy, which explains his unique ability to host Sukuna without losing control right away.

Kenjaku’s Twisted Family

It is because of that creative bond that Choso, one of the Death Painting brothers, recognizes Yuji as family, calling him “brother.” Both share a genetic and spiritual origin from the same dark creator. While the Death Paintings were early experiments deemed failures and sealed away, Yuji represents the practical application of the lessons Kenjaku learned. His existence as a living being, created to host the King of Curses and unleash chaos, is central to the greater plan to force humanity’s evolution. Thus, the painted brothers help explain why Yuji is here, and Yuji helps explain the tragic importance of those early tests.

The legacy of these experiments continues to shape the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, and the series’ third season explores precisely these complex ties of family and fate. For Brazilian fans following the saga, understanding this background makes every twist and every fight even more meaningful, showing that behind the spectacular action lies a carefully built mythology about creation, identity, and the consequences of playing god.