Jujutsu Kaisen’s Execution Ending Explained: Why Yuta Must Kill Yuji

Spoiler alert: I am about to talk openly about the Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution movie and where it leaves things heading into season 3.

2026 is going to be a lot for Jujutsu Kaisen fans. Season 3 is locked in for January 8, 2026, and before we even get there, the series is slipping in a surprise bridge film called Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution. It plugs the gap between season 2 and season 3 and, yes, it leans straight into the Yuji-as-Sukuna problem in a way that is both cruel and clever.

So what is Execution actually doing?

Short version: it picks up the mess from Shibuya and lines up the start of the Culling Game arc. The headline: Yuta Okkotsu 'kills' Yuji Itadori. The twist: he fakes the whole thing to protect Yuji at Gojo's request and to get the Jujutsu higher-ups off Yuji's back. It is the exact kind of bureaucratic workaround this world loves.

How we get from Shibuya to the Culling Game

Season 2 ended with Yuta stepping out of the shadows and saying he was going to kill Yuji to avenge Toge Inumaki. Execution shows that promise in motion. Yuta teams up with Naoya Zenin to hunt Yuji. Meanwhile, Yuji has reconciled with Choso and is on a personal mission to wipe out as many curses as possible. That triangle naturally turns into a fight: Yuta versus Yuji, with Naoya battling Choso nearby.

When it looks like Yuji might actually push through, Yuta calls in Rika and ends it. He hauls Yuji's body over to where Naoya and Choso are clashing and tells Naoya to report up the chain that Yuji Itadori has been executed. Then the movie flips the table: we cut to a flashback, and when we jump back to the present, Yuji wakes up in front of Yuta. The 'execution' was staged from the start.

From there, Megumi Fushiguro arrives to explain the Culling Game situation (if you hear it as singular or plural, you are not alone) and asks Yuji to help him save his sister. The group then reconnects with other sorcerers to get the bigger picture from Tengen. The movie ends on a deliberate cliffhanger so season 3 can roll right in.

Why Yuta fakes it (and what that says about him)

Execution does two things at once: it clears the air around Yuta's character and it elevates him for what is coming next. He is not some cold company man; he is honoring Gojo's call, protecting Yuji, and outmaneuvering the elders in one move. By the end, Yuta and Yuji have an uneasy but real bond, which matters because the threats ahead are built to crack even the strongest characters in this world.

The cost of the lie

Fans spent a lot of time wondering why Yuta would ever agree to execute Yuji. The movie answers that, but it also raises a tough follow-up: what happens when you lie to the higher-ups and they figure it out? Gege Akutami's story does not dwell on the elders discovering the truth. What it does make clear is the trade-off. Yuta saving Yuji helps the good guys in a big way against Kenjaku. It also keeps Ryomen Sukuna in play long enough to truly wake up and start breaking things, which is exactly what the elders feared. It is a morally messy decision, and the fallout is very much season 3's problem.

Execution in one glance

• Timeline: Bridges season 2's Shibuya fallout to season 3's Culling Game kick-off; season 3 premieres January 8, 2026.
• The mission: Yuta swears to kill Yuji to avenge Toge Inumaki and teams up with Naoya Zenin to find him.
• The fight: Yuji (after making peace with Choso) clashes with Yuta; Yuta summons Rika and seemingly finishes Yuji.
• The twist: Yuta drags the 'body' to Naoya and tells him to inform the higher-ups of the execution; a flashback and cut back reveal it was staged on Gojo's orders, and Yuji is alive.
• The handoff: Megumi breaks down the Culling Game plan and begs for help saving his sister; the crew seeks answers from Tengen.
• The setup: Yuta's choice protects Yuji and strengthens the sorcerers against Kenjaku, but it also keeps Sukuna free to unleash his full power.
• The tease: The movie ends on a cliffhanger to feed directly into season 3.

Where to watch

Jujutsu Kaisen is streaming on Crunchyroll. Execution lands before season 3 to set the table for the Culling Game.

Was Yuta right to fake Yuji's death? Smart play or disaster in the making? I have thoughts, but I want yours too.