Where Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Fits In The Series Timeline

Anime films based on shonen manga have come a long way. We're finally starting to move past the time where these standalone movies were just fun yet disposable cash grabs with no contributions to the overall franchise.

After the huge success of "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train," the "Jujutsu Kaisen" franchise finally got its own theatrical feature film that made waves at the box office. A film that expands on the world of the original manga and anime series, "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" is one of the best anime films based on a TV show in years, with stunning action sequences, an emotional and complex story and rounded and memorable characters.

But you might find yourself asking: Where is Yuji? Why doesn't Geto have a big scar on his face? Well, that's because "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" takes place before the events of the TV series, but certain events take place even further back and also after the events of the first season of the show. If you're confused, don't worry. Here's your guide to where "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" fits in the series timeline.

"Jujutsu Kaisen" begins in November 2016 with high schooler Yuta Okkotsu being bullied by a group of classmates. Rather than beat him up, the bullies themselves are attacked and gravely injured by the cursed spirit of Yuta's childhood best friend, Rika Orimoto. Turns out, Rika died in 2011 after a horrific traffic accident and has been haunting Yuta ever since, attacking anyone who dares try to harm him. 

This leads to Yuta being recruited into joining the Jujutsu High School in Tokyo, where he trains to control Rika's cursed spirit alongside fellow Jujutsu sorcerers Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki, and Panda. He spends the next school year training and quickly becoming one of the strongest Jujutsu sorcerers in Japan.

But then, on December 24, 2017, a former student of Jujutsu High named Seguru Geto unleashes an army of curses that he amassed with his powers during what became known as the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. This was a widespread attack both at the school, and also on the streets of Shinjuku and Kyoto, involving virtually every sorcerer in Japan.

When we first meet Yuji Itadori in the first episode of "Jujutsu Kaisen" it is June of 2018, as he literally ingests the cursed finger of the most powerful cursed spirit in the world in order to fight another curse haunting his high school. And so begin the events of the first season.

But while the story continues from that with a new protagonist, that doesn't mean the movie doesn't impact the anime. On the contrary, throughout the first season, we hear other characters talk about Yuta and how cool and strong he is, as everyone holds him in very high esteem. 

Then there's the post-credits scene. Without spoiling much, it takes place at some point after the events of the first season of "Jujutsu Kaisen," and it teases Yuta's return to the story in what manga readers know as the "Shibuya Incident" arc. What that means will have to wait until "Jujutsun Kaisen" returns with its second season in 2023.