Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the new Jujutsu Kaisen epilogue release.
In Jujutsu KaisenIn the surprisingly updated epilogue included in the final volume of the series, creator Gege Akutami offers a more detailed “where are they now” overview of the characters who survived the traumatic events of the confrontation with Kenjaku and Sukuna. This extra chapter provides a sense of closure to some of the character arcs that were left unresolved in the initial conclusion, and nowhere is this more evident than with Yuta Okkotsu.
Although Yuta does not receive his own independent section in the epilogue, he plays a significant role in Panda's story. The chapter unfolds decades after Sukuna's final defeat. At this point, Panda —a sentient and cursed corpse— has lost his mobility, but retains the ability to see, observe and think. Now relegated to storage, he exists as a cute, furry “panda stuffed animal.” However, in a poignant but humorous layer to the scene, when a boy and a girl discover and reject Panda while rummaging through “Grandpa’s treasures,” he recognizes them as Yuta’s grandchildren – and takes offense at their disrespect.
Yuta Okkotsu has always been a family man and the new epilogue proves it
Yuta will settle down and have a happy family
Panda's heartbreak at being rejected likely stems from his memory of his pivotal role in Yuta's development, as well as his own significant contributions during the Shibuya Incident. He seems to believe that, after all these years, the younger generation lacks the respect, honor, and admiration that those who paved the way for them deserve. He feels like things were different “back in the day.”
Lost amid the discovery that Panda still lives, albeit now as a “talking toy,” and the revelation that the younger generation of wizards is a bit “rough” is the surprising fact that Yuta has grandchildren. While family and clan have always been central tenets of the Jujutsu sorcery community, in Jujutsu Kaisen series, Yuta was one of the “kids” – and one of the most inexperienced. Discovering that he has now become the patriarch of his own family is both eye-opening and pleasantly surprising. Yuta – whose love for Rika once created one of the most powerful curses to ever exist – has finally found love and built a family of his own.
Rika changed Yuta's life, but Maki silenced his fears
The only person capable of dealing with Yuta's past was someone strong enough to push him into the future.
However, what's even more intriguing than the time jump and its consequences is Yuta's mysterious partner. Although his identity remains unrevealed, many Jujutsu Kaisen fans speculate that Yuta's grandchildren's facial features hold the answer. Analyzing your appearance, @biyuujiAbbie and @okkotsulomlRai argues that the boy and the girl carry a striking resemblance to members of the Zenin clan.
In other words, the children's grandmother is probably Yuta's senpai: the person who contributed most to helping him overcome his social awkwardness, and perhaps the only one with a strong enough personality to not only snap Yuta out of his lingering feelings for Rika. but also tell Rika herself to back off for interfering in her personal relationships without just cause. That person is none other than Maki Zenin.
While Akutami may have wanted to use the chapter to provide a conclusion to Panda's story, consciously or not, he also provided one of the most satisfying resolutions for two of the series' most beloved characters. Furthermore, it's an ending that is not only reasonable, but also makes perfect sense, and Jujutsu Kaisen fans probably should have realized this early on.
Jujutsu KaisenThe Epilogue was released with its final volume, published in Japan on December 25, 2024. The English version will be published sometime in 2025.
Sources: @biyuuji, @okkotsulomi