Should You Watch Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Before Season 2? (2024)

Spoilers for JJK 0 and season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is an incredible film with awards and accolades to back up its legendary status. The movie received the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Award for Best Film, as well as being nominated for awards from the Japanese Academy and the Anime Trending Awards. Boasting impressive 98% audience and critics' Rotten Tomatoes scores, it is abundantly clear that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a movie worth watching.

Many fans of the Jujutsu Kaisen franchise are curious whether it is necessary to see Jujutsu Kaisen 0 before beginning the season 2 Gojo's Past and Shibuya Incident arcs, or if the movie is simply just an entertaining addition to the franchise that is not critical to understanding the larger story.

While one could probably understand and enjoy Jujutsu Kaisen's second season without watching the film beforehand, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 provides so much additional backstory and features a few pivotal moments that do impact the following seasons. While it is perhaps not obligatory to watch the film first, it is definitely strongly recommended.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Should Ideally Be Watched Before Season 2

The movie expands on the backstories of multiple characters and includes key information

The first part of Jujutsu Kaisen season two is the Gojo's Past arc, which is split into two halves: Hidden Inventory and Premature Death. As the title suggests, both of these portions of the season delve into Gojo's high school days at Jujutsu High, his friendship with Geto Suguru, and the circumstances that led to their eventual falling out and Geto's turn away from the world of Jujutsu sorcery. The second part of season 2 is the infamous Shibuya Incident arc. While the Gojo's Past arc will make sense without watching JJK 0, the film is necessary viewing before the Shibuya Incident arc.

The Shibuya Incident arc is the most serious, heartbreaking Jujutsu Kaisen anime arc yet, with monumental consequences that affect the rest of the story. This season follows Gojo and Geto's friendship from its beginning in their youth to its tragic end, and JJK 0 fills in the gaps in their story. The Gojo's Past arc only covers Gojo's time in high school, while the Shibuya Incident arc jumps ahead, picking up after the events of JJK 0. For this reason, it is wise to watch Jujutsu Kaisen 0 at least before the Shibuya Incident arc, if not before watching the entirety of season 2.

Without the Background Information in JJK 0, Aspects of the Shibuya Incident Arc Will Be Confusing

The film covers Gojo and Geto's complex relationship, as well as Geto's death scene

To watch the series chronologically, the order would be: the Gojo's Past arc, JJK 0, season 1, and then the Shibuya Incident arc. However, fans can choose to watch in the original order: season 1, the movie, then season 2, if they prefer, and still receive a fantastic viewing experience. JJK 0 is packed with important moments. One of the most critical scenes occurred at the end, which depicted Geto's final moments. As he leaned against a wall, him and Gojo shared one final conversation before Gojo killed him. Geto spoke his last words, "at least curse me a little at the very end."

After Geto's death, Kenjaku used his body as a vessel. The evil Cursed Spirit teamed up with other spirits to carry out a horrific scheme to seal Gojo in the Prison Realm. Gojo was absolutely stunned to see his best friend again after his death, prompting the line, "My six eyes tell me you're Suguru Geto. But my soul knows otherwise." Witnessing Geto's death scene in JJK 0 helps viewers understand what led up to this moment, why Gojo was surprised enough to let Kenjaku catch him off guard, and why he was so enraged by Kenjaku taking possession of Geto's body.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Also Introduced a New Sorcerer Who Became Very Important in the Franchise

Yuta Okkotsu, a prominent character in the film, is featured heavily in later chapters of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga

Aside from important scenes regarding Gojo and Geto's relationship and Geto's last moments, the film also introduced a new sorcerer to the series, Yuta Okkotsu. Yuta became immensely important later on in the manga and crucial in the fight against Ryomen Sukuna. In the film, Yuta Okkotsu, and his childhood friend, Rika, who fought alongside him as a Cursed Spirit after her death, are the two main characters. The villain of the movie was Geto Suguru, who devised a plot to destroy Yuta and Rika, but failed, as the pair worked together to defeat the previous Jujutsu sorcerer.

In JJK 0, Yuta learned to utilize his newfound abilities, interacted with other characters at Jujutsu High, and battled with the help of the very powerful and intimidating Cursed Spirit, Rika. Yuta and Rika are incredibly crucial characters in the series. Rika's soul did pass away at the end of the film, since Yuta eliminated the curse that was keeping the spirit from resting in peace, but he still fights with the cursed spirit as his "shikigami". Yuta's importance increases as the manga continues, making it helpful to learn how he grew into the sorcerer he is today in Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

The Upcoming Long-Awaited Season 3 Culling Game Arc Means This Is the Perfect Time to Catch Up

This arc promises to be the most brutal and intense yet, and there is ample time for fans to catch up

After his appearance in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Yuta was absent from the story for quite a while, multiple seasons in fact. Unfortunately, at this point, he has not been reintroduced to the anime series, but has showcased his powers and Jujutsu sorcery skills in the manga. As one of very few characters currently left standing in the fight against evil Cursed Spirit, Ryomen Sukuna, Yuta has clearly proven himself as a strong and talented Jujutsu sorcerer. Although Yuta was not frequently featured in the past two seasons of the anime, he was referenced by other sorcerers and shown very briefly a few times.

Yuta fans will be delighted to hear that he will feature heavily in the anime's upcoming season 3 Culling Game arc. Viewers can look forward to learning more about Yuta and the full extent of his powers in the new episodes, which makes it a perfect time to catch up on Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Since Yuta has not been shown often in the anime up to this point, his scenes in JJK 0 will prove even more valuable to those hoping to gain an understanding of the hero before he begins to unleash his full potential in season three of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Jujutsu Kaisen

PG-13

Fantasy

Animation

Action

Director

Sunghoo Park

Release Date

March 18, 2022

Writers

Hiroshi Seko

Cast

Mikako Komatsu (Japanese) , Lex Lang (English) , Megumi Ogata (Japanese) , Matthew David Rudd (English) , Allegra Clark (English) , Yuichi Nakamura (Japanese) , Kayleigh McKee , Koki Uchiyama , Kana Hanazawa (Japanese) , Kaiji Tang , Xander Mobus (English) , Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese) , Anairis Quiñones (English) , Tomokazu Seki (Japanese)

Runtime

105 minutes