Gege Akutami has known Jujutsu Kaisen’s final chapter for years

Jujutsu Kaisen will be wrapping up soon enough, and while we’re all wondering how the story ends, creator Gege Akutami has had it all worked out for years.

The Jujutsu Kaisen ending is due sometime in the near future. We don’t know when, exactly, but it’s been confirmed that the epic manga is in the endgame, and has been for some time.

Amid all the speculation and discussion over what might happen to the strongest sorcerers in their battle against Sukuna, an old interview from Gege has unearthed a curious titbit – the last chapter was locked when he started the story.

“I’ve already decided on the final chapter’s content as well as several things that will happen along the way,” he said in the postscript for Jujutsu Kaisen 0, released in 2021. “However, I still don’t know how the dots will connect. I hope everything will turn out okay. But will I be able to finish it?”

First of all, yes, we think it’s safe to say we’ll see Jujutsu Kaisen end just as Gege always envisioned it. The rest of his statement is fascinating, and happens more than you might think.

Creators frequently know where they want their story to land relatively early on, at least in the form of a broad outline. George RR Martin, creator of Game of Thrones, knew who he wanted on the Iron Throne by series end, working his books around that pillar.

Some take a more freeform approach; Stephen King famously just starts writing, feeling out the concept and characters as he goes. While he might be one of the great icons of modern literature, many who read his work would agree conclusions aren’t his strong suit.

All of which is to say Gege is using tried and tested methods for sticking the landing. The runaway popularity of Jujutsu Kaisen means he has a larger audience than perhaps anticipated, but knows where he’s going.

The real question is who will be left standing. Many have died in the manga so far, and it’d be foolhardy to think we’re out of the woods just yet. Check out our guide on Chapter 264 to see what’s currently going down.