Yuta Okkotsu is the main protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen 0. The film serves as a prequel to the main Jujutsu Kaisen story that takes place during the time when Maki, Panda, and Inumaki are still freshmen at the Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Unlike his classmates, Yuta entered the Tokyo Jujutsu High as a Special Grade Cursed Human. The reason he received such a strong evaluation is due to the fact that Yuta is haunted by the violent cursed spirit of his childhood friend, Rika Orimoto. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 tells the story of how Yuta comes to accept and learn how to utilize his power. There's also a revelation about Yuta's true identity and finally, everything ends with Rika Orimoto finding peace and moving on to the afterlife. So, does it mean Rika the cursed spirit is no longer with Yuta after that?
About Yuta & Rika
It's important to first let's talk about Yuta and Rika before going further into things. Rika Orimoto was a dear childhood friend of Yuta Okkotsu who lost her life due to an auto accident when they were still little. Ever since then, a gruesome cursed spirit appears and follows Yuta wherever he goes. What's even worse, this cursed spirit will violently attack anybody that had the nerve to get close to Yuta.
For the longest time, the reason why this dangerous cursed spirit manifested is thought to be due to Rika's extreme love for Yuta at the time of her death. However, Satoru Gojo's investigation during the events in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 reveals that it is actually the other way around.
Gojo reveals that Yuta is actually a descendent of Sugawara no Michizane, one of the three legendary Japanese vengeful spirits. When he witnessed the death of Rika, Yuta unconsciously rejected her death and put a curse on her in order to let her stay in this world. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 ended with Yuta successfully dispelling the curse and Rika could finally move on to the afterlife.
What Happened After The End of Jujutsu Kaisen 0?
Yuta is pretty much absent throughout the main Jujutsu Kaisen storyline. It is said that Yuta, now one of the four Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers, are busy training and taking missions all over the globe. He won't make any appearance in the main series until around the end of the Shibuya Incident arc.
He is the executioner sent to kill Yuji Itadori, due to what happened in Shibuya. It has been roughly a year since the events in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and there are some things that are noticeably different with Yuta. Appearance-wise, he looks way calmer and more composed than before.
Not only that, but his overall ability has also greatly increased. Yuta's proficiency with a sword and his hand-to-hand combat capability have also increased exponentially. At this point, Yuji Itadori has become quite a capable Jujutsu Sorcerer, something akin to a Grade 2 Sorcerer or above. And yet he is clearly overwhelmed by Yuta while the man himself barely breaks a sweat.
Is Rika Still With Yuta After Jujutsu Kaisen 0?
Yes, Rika is still with Yuta after Jujutsu Kaisen 0. As a matter of fact, the first time Yuta appears in the main Jujutsu Kaisen storyline, Rika is there with him and assists his combat in all kinds of ways. During his fight against Yuji, Rika easily manhandled him which allowed Yuta to deliver the final blow to Yuji.
So how can Rika still be there to assist Yuta even though she has moved on to the afterlife at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen 0? Well, what appears after the Shibuya incident is not the same Rika as the one that appeared in the Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
In Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Suguru Geto explained that Rika is in fact a sentient spirit of endless cursed energy that can be tapped at will by Yuta. Meanwhile, in chapter 178 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, it is explained that after the spirit of Rika Orimoto passed on, the vessel called "Rika" becomes Yuta's cursed technique that can act as some sort of sentient storage.
What Can Rika Do for Yuta?
So what can this new Rika does for Yuta? As mentioned in the previous section, Rika is a cursed technique that can act as a sentient storage. It means Yuta can use Rika to store cursed weapons, cursed techniques, and even cursed energy.
However, the most exciting thing about Rika is the fact that Yuta can use her as a combat partner. Rika is inherently incredibly strong, but what makes her even more dangerous is because she can also exhibit thoughts, feelings, and free-will to a certain extent. This allowed Yuta to give complex commands to Rika and take on multiple opponents at the same time, although only for a limited amount of time.
Although the current Rika may not be as strong or as dangerous as the Rika from the past, she is still a force to be reckoned with. The current Yuta that can be seen in the main Jujutsu Kaisen story is already incredibly strong to begin with. Add Rika to the mix, and he is easily one of the strongest Jujutsu sorcerers in the entire series.