Yuji Itadori vs Denji (Jujutsu Kaisen vs Chainsaw Man)
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.”
Yuji Itadori, the vessel of Sukuna.
Denji, the Chainsaw Man.
The world can be a scary and cruel place, especially when you’re still young and trying to find out who you are and what your place within said world is. But for these two once-average teenagers, that process can become a bit more complicated when you throw being possessed by a demon into the mix. But with some help from their newfound friends and their mysterious authority figures, maybe they’ll work things out… if they survive.
These two modern-day anime protagonists see quite the horrors day-in and day-out, but if the Jujutsu sorcerer were to meet the Chainsaw Man himself in battle, who would come out on top? Get ready to let it rip, because one of these two are about to curse the day they stepped up to one another in a DEATH BATTLE!
Before we start…
For this blog, we will be analyzing the entire current story for both characters, looking at their peaks even if some things relating to their peaks are a bit weird when it comes to being standard (thanks for that, Fushiguro). Us looking at their full stories also means we will be looking at the full mangas for both, not just what the JJK and CSM anime have currently adapted. Thus, while we won’t be spoiling major events in the backgrounds for the two, everything afterwards will be fair game, so consider this your manga spoiler warning.
Additionally, important databooks such as the official JJK Databook and Jump GIGA Summer 2021 JJK "Deep Learning Mathematics Lecture" will also be looked at.
Oh, and just to be safe, this blog will contain panels of graphic violence, so viewer discretion is advised for those that are squeamish to that type of thing.
Without further ado, kick back and enjoy!
Background
Yuji Itadori
“I don't know how I'll feel when I'm dead, but I don't want to regret the way I lived!”
Yuji Itadori was your average high-school student, being raised by his grandfather and spending his days with his friends Sasaki and Iguchi in the school’s Occult Club. In this club, his superior had found a mysterious rotting finger that they suspected had supernatural ties, one that would unknowingly change the young boy’s life forever. The cursed object would soon attract the attention of a horrifying monster known simply as a Curse, nearly killing Yuji’s friends had he and a new one, Megumi Fushiguro, not intervened. However, out of desperation to defeat the Curse, Yuji eats the finger, unknowingly becoming a vessel for the ancient, undisputed King of Curses himself, Ryomen Sukuna. As he takes over the boy’s body, Sukuna plans to start his massacre, but not before having that control taken back by Itadori, much to the surprise of both Megumi and the master sorcerer, Satoru Gojo.
When Yuji awakens after being knocked out by the blindfolded man, Gojo tells Yuji that he is set to be executed, but not quite immediately. He explains who Sukuna is and how there are 20 fingers of his scattered across Japan that not even Gojo himself can destroy. Gojo then tells Yuji his plan; to find and have Yuji eat the other fingers so that they can exorcize Sukuna for good. Remembering the advice his grandfather gave him before his death, to use his strength to help others, Yuji accepts Gojo’s offer, enrolling in Tokyo Jujutsu High to hone his skills as a jujutsu sorcerer alongside other first-years Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki.
Throughout his time in the jujutsu world, Yuji has come across many formidable foes, both human and not-so-human; from horrific curses like Hanami and Mahito, to fellow sorcerers like Aoi Todo and Yuta Okkotsu, all while keeping the influence of the malevolent spirit inside of him at bay. But with these foes came new friends as well, those who he’ll support and will support him right back. And although he’s had to come face-to-face with terrifying monsters and the cold touch of death, he’s learned to make sure his life is worth something so that he won’t regret it when he’s gone. No matter what challenges may come his way, Yuji’s kind heart and desire to protect his newfound comrades are what will truly define him as a hero who will surely represent a change in the jujutsu world, just as Satoru Gojo had hoped.
Denji
The meaning of life: something that has baffled many since the dawn of time, and answers greatly vary between individuals. For some, it’s success, for others it's something altruistic, and for some it's something menial. But for many people the meaning of life was just to have a "normal life”, the meaning of which varies with the individual; as was the case with a young boy named Denji.
Denji’s life… kinda sucked. His mother died to a sickness, his father committed suicide, and to make it even worse, said father had a debt to the Yakuza that was put on Denji. The boy was on death's door, however Denji would encounter a little devil who was injured. Both began to rely on each other to survive, and Denji gave the devil a name: Pochita. For a while, Denji and Pochita would slay devils for the Yazuka to pay off the debt. However the Yakuza wanted more, so for more power, they made a deal with the Zombie Devil and sacrificed Denji and Pochita, killing them. However, this was not the end, as Pochita made a contract with Denji, where Pochita would act as his new heart. In exchange, Pochita wished to see Denji's dreams of a normal life come true. And so, Denji was reborn, and became the chainsaw hybrid and killed the Zombie Devil along with the rest of the Yakuza.
After this battle, a group of Devil Hunters approached the warehouse with Denji in it. The leader of the charge, Makima, found interest in Denji and asked him to be her dog, or to die as a devil. Denji, seeing Makima as his savior and instantly falling in love with her, agreed. Denji was brought to the Public Safety Devil Hunters, with Makima enlisting him in a special team filled with other Devils and Fiends. Here, he grew a close bond with members Power and Aki Hayakawa, finally gaining some semblance of normalcy within his life with his new friends. But it wasn’t all luxury and relaxation, as Denji had to use his newfound power to hunt down the nastiest of devils, like the Katana Man or the Bomb Girl, and even someone among his own allies…
From here, Denji found a newfound purpose, and no, it wasn’t to fondle some melons, but rather to protect the new life he has so that he doesn’t have to go back to his horrendous old ways. Although Denji certainly has seen some traumatizing fights and experiences, at the end of the day, his heart of gold and desire to see his dreams come to fruition are what drive him to keep fighting day in and day out. So when you hear the sound of a chainsaw revving up, you’d better be prepared to come face to face with the Chainsaw Man.
Experience and Skill
Yuji Itadori
Yuji is one of the most talented and skilled students in the academy, and is a very fast learner despite having practically no experience with anything related to the jujutsu world prior to his enrollment. His martial arts skills are no slouch whatsoever, being able to keep up with the likes of Aoi Todo and Special Grade curses purely by skill. This prowess in hand-to-hand brawling was so refined, that Gojo suggested that Yuji only really focus on learning Cursed Energy manipulation to enhance his physical capabilities, implying there wasn’t much he needed to teach in the first place. Gojo has even gone as far as to say that Yuji, alongside fellow students Yuta Okkotsu and Kinji Hakari, has the potential to surpass him one day.
In combat, Yuji is usually depicted as being very acrobatic, being able to hit his opponent at several different angles and evade several oncoming attacks, giving him great offensive and defensive capabilities. He is also skilled in a fighting style known as Taido Martial Arts, which were ancient uncanny techniques that were able to catch the likes of Mahito off guard. Plus, Yuji is extremely good at using the environment and terrain to his advantage, as well as planning his next moves mid-battle. During his fight with Todo, Yuji's ass-loving adversary noted how difficult it was to keep up with him due to the unusual way his Cursed Energy flowed throughout his body. Additionally, while he was not trained in the use of weapons, Yuji showed proficiency in weapon-based combat, being able to make short work of a cursed spirit in close combat with the Slaughter Demon.
Although there is still a lot that Yuji doesn’t know, he’s shown to be adapting constantly, and has a lot of potential to be an extremely powerful sorcerer in the future.
Denji
While not exactly a master of hand to hand combat like some other Devil Hunters, Denji is still no stranger to close up brawls. He is efficient at using his powers to overcome giant foes who dwarf him in size, and has frequently shown impressive reflexes mid-combat. He has also received some training from Kishibe alongside Power, meaning that Denji is not just randomly attacking in combat. There are at least a few thoughts going through that small head of his. However, Denji’s greatest skill is his frankly headache-inducing ingenuity.
It is best explained with examples. One time, Denji was fighting someone who had been empowered by the Darkness Devil. This meant that wherever there was darkness, this opponent grew stronger. Denji’s solution? Explode a gas tank so he could light himself on FIRE, so that whenever the enemy got close, they would be significantly less powerful due to the fire causing there to be light everywhere. To emphasize again, Denji’s solution was to LIGHT HIMSELF ON FIRE. Specified headache-inducing for a reason. There was also the time Denji was fighting both a Devil who could form a mini-typhoon, and his former lover Reze, who was protected by the mini typhoon. Denji’s solution? Connect his chains to the Shark Fiend Beam, and then proceed to basically WATER SKI INSIDE THE MINI TYPHOON LIKE IT’S GODDAMN SHARKNADO.
It’s not that Denji does not have his moments of more uh… sane creativity. The resourcefulness explained above is key, like when fighting Katana Man, and after losing both of his arms, was still smart enough to use the saw attached to his head to catch his opponent off guard. Though typically, Deni usually resorts to more unorthodox strategies to overcome trickier foes. However, considering said strategies always tend to work out, maybe they’re not that crazy after all.
...what are we saying? THIS IDIOT LIT HIMSELF ON FIRE, LIKE COME ON, MAN.
Equipment
Yuji Itadori
Slaughter Demon
This knife with the most edgy-sounding name ever was a cursed tool, a weapon imbued with Cursed Energy that originally belonged to Maki Zenin before Satoru Gojo borrowed it and lent it to Yuji to use in his first field test with Fushiguro and Nobara. He used this weapon to cut through several cursed spirits like butter, though eventually had it break in half when a Finger Bearer sliced his hand off.
Denji
Devil Hunter Suit
Every official Devil Hunter comes with a fancy suit and tie. While making them look professional during their jobs, they are stated to be very sturdy which can help Devil Hunters survive stuff like stab wounds and minor injuries.
Axe
While still in his regular human form, Denji has used an axe from time to time. Denji doesn’t really use it anymore, but it can come in handy for more small-time Devils.
Abilities
Yuji Itadori
Cursed Energy
The main source of all sorcerer’s abilities, Cursed Energy is created from negative emotions such as anger or sadness. Being common emotions within society, almost all humans possess it in some way. Those with a high amount of Cursed Energy have the ability to see both it and beings composed of it. Controlling one’s emotions is vital to controlling Cursed Energy, and as such, all jujutsu sorcerers have been taught how to do so, and all skilled sorcerers can do so with ease.
Cursed Energy can be utilized in a variety of ways, such as increasing the user’s physical capabilities, and coating their body with energy to protect themselves from oncoming attacks, like a suit of armor. Yuji in particular primarily uses his Cursed Energy combined with his martial arts skills and superhuman strength to reinforce his strikes, increasing their impact and allowing him to hurt Curses, which are usually non-tangible.
Divergent Fist
A technique in which Yuji punches his opponent, then sends Cursed Energy through his fist to create a second, stronger impact. Although this was an effective move that Yuji still uses from time to time, seen in his second fight with Mahito, Todo noted the flaws within the technique and advised Yuji to improve it by applying the Cursed Energy right at the moment of impact, which led to him learning…
Black Flash
An extremely powerful attack that greatly amplifies a user’s strike when Cursed Energy is applied to it within one-millionth of a second, creating a spatial distortion. This technique requires extreme focus, and not even someone as skilled as Gojo is capable of using it at will. When successfully using Black Flash, sorcerers are in a state similar to what athletes experience, where the process of manipulating Cursed Energy becomes as second-nature as breathing.
Despite the complex nature in which Black Flash can be used, Yuji was able to land four in a row against Hanami, tying the current record with Kento Nanami at four as well. Additionally, Mahito noted that Itadori’s use of the technique was so effective that it looked like he could use it at will.
Knee Release/Manji Kick
A series of ancient Taido Martial Arts techniques that Yuji utilized during his fight with Mahito. By using Knee Release, he can effectively eliminate the starting motion of dashing towards his opponent, appearing right in front of their feet in a near-instant. Then, by throwing his legs upwards, he can strike his opponent with a roundhouse kick, known as the Manji Kick.
Resistances
Poison: Being a host of Sukuna, Yuji gained a resistance to all types of poison.
Soul and Biological Manipulation: Experienced Sorcerers can protect their soul from Mahito's spiritual and biological attacks, with Yuji especially standing out because of Sukuna being able to interfere with any soul-related attacks.
Extreme Heat: Unaffected by being in Jogo’s Coffin of the Iron Mountain, which produces heat so great that the average jujutsu sorcerer would combust upon entering the domain.
Denji
Hybrid Physiology
Devil Hybrids are a form of Devil in the Chainsaw Man world. Hybrids are when humans can turn into Devils with a trigger of sorts. For Denji's case, he just needs to pull the cord on his chest to turn into his Chainsaw Devil. The main way for a Hybrid to become one is for a Devil to become a person's new heart, this can be done by either making a contract with said Devil or through surgery.
Hybrids in their human form still retain all their human body’s functions like nothing ever happened, not really affecting the body in any way. However, Hybrids have a form of immortality meaning they can not be killed by conventional means. An example of this is when Katana Man, another hybrid, was cut in half by Denji, but was still able to reattach his body and return to his human form. Another main example of this immortality is when both Katana Man and Denji came back to life from an attack from the Curse Devil. The main thing with the Curse Devil is that if a person with their contract lands enough stabs on someone, the Curse Devil will just kill them. However when both Katana Man and Denji got attacked from the Curse Devil, they were able to come back just moments later.
Nut Kick
When all else fails, Denji has his ace in the hole: the Nut Kick. When Denji ever fights another guy he only aims for the nuts, though sadly against other Devils it's not quite as useful. However, as shown by Aki, enough well placed shots will knock them down.
Body Creation
Denji has the ability to, get this, throw his heart in the air and make a new body for Pochita to control. When this happens, Pochita gains a body of his own and becomes the Chainsaw Devil and can do everything he can in that state. However Denji will not be able to turn into that form and will still be in his human form. It was because of this ability that it was able to sneak up on Makima and beat her.
Regeneration
Along with his immortality, Denji can also regenerate. Normally Denji can reattach his limbs if by some chance he loses them, but there are some injuries that while not killing Denji, will leave him immobilized or incapacitate him for a few moments. However, if Denji gets even a tiny bit of blood, he will heal up almost instantly. There are many examples of this such as, Kishibe breaking Denji and Powers necks which made it so they can’t move, but the second they drank some blood they got right back up. Another time is with a battle against Reze, Denji lost most of his body and was unable to move, but the second he was fed blood, Denji regrew his body in mere seconds. Finally, there have been times when he was messed up and lost his arm and leg, but again, the second he drank blood, he regrew his body. Suffice to say, you can say goodbye to all your hard work if Denji ever gets even a little bit of blood.
Teleportation?
In the most recent chapter of Chainsaw Man, it has been shown that Denji possibly has the ability to teleport. Very little context is given to this and it could just as easily be a speed feat, but still, it was kinda funny ngl
Resistances
Transmutation: On multiple occasions, Denji has shown resistance to attacks that alter people's bodies. The main example is when the War Devil tried to turn Denji into a weapon and he just... didn’t, though it has also been stated that Devils like Denji can resist alterations to their bodies in general, like when he resisted being turned into a doll by the Doll Devil.
Mental Attacks: Denji can use his chainsaws to slice his brain if someone were to try mental attacks. Because of course he would do that.
Forms
Yuji Itadori
Sukuna
The undisputed King of Curses himself, Sukuna is the most powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer from over a thousand years ago, unmatched by anyone during the Golden Age of Jujutsu. After his eventual defeat, he would transform into a cursed object, splitting his essence into twenty indestructible fingers. In the present day, Sukuna would be reawakened unknowingly by Yuji, eating one of the fingers in a desperate attempt to save his friends from cursed spirits. This causes Sukuna to be reincarnated into Yuji’s body, but as he’s about to start his massacre once more, Yuji is somehow able to retake control of his body, seemingly able to give and take back control at will.
It’s important to note, however, that at the time of us writing this, Sukuna has left Yuji and entered Megumi Fushiguro’s body. It is currently unknown whether or not he’ll return to Yuji’s body, but for the sake of this matchup and debate, we’ll be allowing Sukuna for Yuji to use.
Sukuna-Exclusive Techniques
Cleave
A simple slashing attack that allows Sukuna to hack through opponents in one fell swoop with his bare hands, seen when he effortlessly sliced up a cursed spirit.
Dismantle
Another slashing attack that is normally used to tear apart inanimate objects, but can be used against cursed spirits and sorcerers to great effect.
Spiderweb
A technique in which Sukuna repurposes Cleave into a spiderweb, allowing for a greater range of effect.
Fire Arrow
Sukuna can manipulate fire and utilize it for long-range attacks by forming an arrow, an ability that exceeds even that of the pyrokinetic adept Jogo.
Reverse Cursed Technique
The act of converting negative Cursed Energy into positive energy, which can be used to instantly heal any injuries, including even regenerating lost limbs within moments. Sukuna was able to use this technique to regenerate his hand after an attack that scorched it off.
Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine
The ultimate technique of any sorcerer is the ability to release their Cursed Energy to create a barrier and separate dimension that will ensure any attack they land cannot be avoided, known as a Domain Expansion. Escaping one is almost impossible, since the cubic volume inside is different from the cubic volume outside, making it extremely difficult to find the boundaries of the Domain while inside, especially while trying to survive the sure-hit sure-kill technique.
Sukuna's Domain Expansion creates a shrine decorated with skulls known as the Malevolent Shrine. This DE has a unique trait in comparison to others in that it doesn't create a separate space using a barrier. In exchange for not having the power to confine targets, the Domain’s guaranteed hit radius expands to nearly 200 meters, allowing Sukuna to use Cleave and Dismantle relentlessly and automatically until the Domain expires.
As a payoff, however, Domain Expansions usually expel an immense amount of Cursed Energy, making it take a long time for them to replenish said energy and leaving sorcerers wide open.
Innate Domain
The Innate Domain is the space that both sorcerers and non-sorcerers are born with, which can be considered a "mental landscape" that embodies our heart and mind. In fact, Domain Expansions are essentially an Innate Domain imbued with a Cursed Technique, as it is the act of embodying with Cursed Energy.
Innate Domains are just as spiritual as they are mental, as Sukuna was able to cross over and speak to Jogo’s spirit as he passed on. Likewise, after dying due to Sukuna ripping his heart out of his body while in control, Yuji was able to enter Sukuna's Innate Domain. The two of them were able to converse and fight while Yuji's body was still dead. Sukuna was even able to use the Reverse Cursed Technique on Yuji while in his Innate Domain to regenerate his heart and revive him.
Domain Amplification
An anti-Domain technique that envelops the user in their Domain to neutralize any opposing cursed technique or DE they come into contact with. Sukuna used this technique to neutralize Gojo's Limitless technique, becoming able to come into physical contact with him. The only limitation of this technique is that while it is active, the user cannot activate their own technique.
Denji
Chainsaw Man
He literally got that dawg in him fr
As stated previously, a hybrid’s second form is their Devil form. For Denji, to change into this form, all he needs to do is pull the ripcord on his chest and his head and arms will change into a chainsaw, allowing him to use the powers of the Chainsaw Devil. In this form, Denji's main way of combat is, well, his chainsaws. Denji uses them to slice his foes into pieces, and can even use the chains themselves as a sort-of grappling hook to wrap around objects or people and pull himself closer to them.
However, this is merely when Denji is in control. If Pochita were to be in control, well then comes in…
Hero Mode
Hero Mode is when a Hybrid undergoes a Devil Transformation, where the human contracted with the Devil breaks said contract and the Devil gains control. In Denji’s case, Makima was able to break Denji and Pochita’s contract in which Denji should have a normal life by destroying said life by killing both Aki and Power, both of whom Denji considered family. With the contract broken, Denji pulled the cord, and Pochita gained full control.
With this transformation, Pochita has shown to be stronger, faster and far more durable, seen when he effortlessly plowed through multiple Devils and Hybrids in quick succession. This transformation also grants Pochita two more arms which can also turn into chainsaws. With this, Pochita was able to use more chains to grab multiple people because of it.
However none of those come into comparison to the main ability Pochita shows off, which is the ability to eat Devils. Now why is that so impressive? Well, when Pochita eats a Devil, their name ceases to exist, including their past, present and future, and all actions from the Devil eaten also cease to exist, as if nothing it has ever done has ever happened. This ability alone was able to make World War 2 and its ramifications seemingly never happen after eating the Nuke Devil and other Devils in the process. It was this ability alone that made Pochita in his prime the most feared Devil in the universe.
Feats
Yuji Itadori
Overall
Enrolled in Tokyo Jujutsu High and became one of its star students
Became a worthy vessel for the undisputed King of Curses Sukuna
Adapted to the jujutsu world and developed his skills relatively quickly
Overcame Mahito and Sukuna breaking his will
Defeated a Grade 1 sorcerer and Special Grade curse with only a few months of experience
Defeated Mahito and Hanami as himself, and Jogo and Mahoraga as Sukuna
Power
In Base
Megumi is confident that Yuji could beat Todo in a fight without any Cursed Energy involved, and Todo himself even says that he’s stronger than him
Alongside Todo, is able to damage Hanami, who can sprout many large trees (3 kilotons of TNT)
Able to hold his own against Yuta Okkotsu until Rika intervened, the former of which deflected a blast from Ryu Ishigori with his bare hands, which should be this strong: (5.3 - 704.4 tons of TNT)
When Sukuna is in control
Easily beat Yuji in his Innate Domain, and thus should naturally be stronger
Slammed a Curse into a bridge and then broke it with one stomp
Launched Fushiguro through several buildings and ripped apart his Great Serpent
Creates a large explosion with his fire arrow (34.77-156.48 kilotons of TNT)
Scorches Jogo with his fire arrow, who created a meteor stated to be able to turn an entire town to ash (155.3-832.1 kilotons of TNT)
Speed
In Base
Finished a 50-meter track race in 3 seconds
Dodged gunfire
Moved out of the way of a blood shot that was inches from his face, which was stated to exceed the speed of sound
Has shown relativity to Todo, who was fast enough to react to an attack and have a long stream of thought about it in just 0.01 seconds
Comparable to and even stated to be faster than Maki Zenin, who can catch a bullet at close range (Mach 7.4 - Mach 16.3 - 21.3)
Capable of performing Black Flash, which involves applying Cursed Energy within a microsecond of striking your opponent. No Jujutsu sorcerer can do so at will, but many of them are capable of activating their ability through unconscious reaction within this time-frame. (Mach 284.4)
When Sukuna is in control
Likely much faster/comparable to Yuji’s feats and scaling
Appears behind Megumi from a far distance before he can even react
Moves Shigemo out of the way of an attack before he can even perceive what happened (Mach 15.8)
Moves out of the way of Jogo’s Maximum Meteor before it hits
Durability
In Base
Gets beaten, stabbed, slammed, and hit with a Black Flash by Mahito and continued to fight
Unaffected by being in Jogo’s Domain Expansion, where average jujutsu sorcerers would've been burned up just by being in it
Tanked a blood blast from Choso, who described it as being similar to a buckshot
When Sukuna is in control
Should be tougher than Itadori
Ripped out Yuji’s heart and was able to function as normal
Took many strong hits from Satoru Gojo, who kicked Jogo hard enough to send him flying into a lake, creating a gigantic splash
Both of these instances were likely done super casually as Gojo has been stated to be the strongest character in the verse by the author
Denji
Overall
Survived many missions while being a Devil Hunter
Was able to stay alive while the whole world was targeting him
Defeated other Hybrids like himself such as Katana Man and Reze
Was able to escape out of hell twice
Killed Makima and stopped her from ever coming back
Became a popular hero known as Chainsaw Man
Power
As Chainsaw Man
Lifts up a car then throws it
Comparable to Reze, who:
Killed the Typhoon Devil, who made a storm (10.577 kilotons of TNT)
In Hero Mode
Should be superior to the Gun Devil (See Before The Verdicts), who:
A 100% Gun Devil with its speed can create large shock waves via KE (107 megatons of TNT)
Speed
As Chainsaw Man
Matched Katana Man in speed, who was fast enough that Power couldn’t see him move
Defeated Reze, who blasted herself fast enough to catch up with a car
Should match Quanxi, who blitzed several Devil Hunters and Dolls
Match Angel Devil, who was fast enough to block gunshots with his wing
Pochita, while in control, was able to keep up with Makima, who shot Denji in orbit in a short time (Mach 103)
In Hero Mode
Cut Katana Man into pieces while looking like he never moved
Should match Makima, who was able to perceive and activate her ability just the Gun Devil was attacking
The Gun Devil was able travel to various countries in a short time frame (Mach 635)
Durability
As Chainsaw Man
In Hero Mode
Should be more powerful then Power’s amped form, which survived being eaten by zombies
Survived multiple Bangs from Makima
Weaknesses
Yuji Itadori
Despite being a talented sorcerer in his own right, Yuji is far from perfect. His biggest flaw is his… well, we’ll just say contentious relationship with Sukuna, meaning he has limited control over whether he’ll willingly come out or not, and also runs the risk of Sukuna forcibly taking his body and never letting him regain it. Additionally, Yuji is still somewhat inexperienced in the world of jujutsu, still learning and developing his techniques and understanding of Cursed Energy and how it works, which may sometimes leave him at a disadvantage against more seasoned opponents. Also, Yuji’s techniques and abilities are quite basic in comparison to his peers, mostly relying on brute strength to get the job done rather than the more complex techniques utilized throughout the series.
Denji
(Average Death Battle fan)
Even though Denji might have the Chainsaw Devil inside of him, he still has his fair share of shortcomings. Firstly, if enough time passes, Denji can lose blood and can return back to his human form, making him far weaker and more vulnerable. Also, even though his healing factor is impressive, it can be overtaxed and can leave him unconscious. Lastly, as covered before, he is just… such an idiot. While his unorthodox tactics and unpredictable nature can certainly catch the opponent off guard and give Denji the edge in a fight, his mindset can also lead to him making dumb moves and receiving unnecessary damage.
Before The Verdict
JJK Speed
We’ll keep this one short and simple, as two other JJK-related blogs have gone more in-detail as to why the proposed speed cap of Mach 3 is inconsistent. But to summarize, speeds faster than Mach 3 are simply much more consistent given the feats; Choso is able to shoot blood faster than sound, and several characters like Yuji and Kenjaku are able to dodge these when they were only inches away from them. Maki Zenin was also able to grab a bullet at at least Mach 7 speed, and many Jujutsu sorcerers, including Yuji, can perform Black Flash, which involves applying Cursed Energy within a microsecond of striking their opponent. They can’t do so at will, but many of them are capable of activating their ability within this time-frame, and even Todo was able to use Boogie Woogie while Yuji used Black Flash. Again, there’s far more detailed information in the linked sites above, but in general, JJK has shown far more impressive speed than a mere Mach 3.
Could Yuji hurt Denji’s soul?
A factor in this fight one might bring up is Yuji's ability to attack the soul. This was shown with his first fight with Mahito, where Yuji punched Mahito and he couldn’t regenerate, which he does with his soul, with Mahito saying Yuji somehow hit it. So how usable is this ability? There’s nothing inherently wrong with the ability, but its effect on Denji is questionable.
To explain, there is very very little to take from this instance, and there can be many problems with this. Firstly there is the fact that Yuji just doesn’t use this ability at all after his fight with Mahito and it practically never brought up again, so we can’t really say how effective it is on other people. Secondly, there is the fact that we don’t know how many times Yuji needs to hit someone's soul to outright kill them. We know it's not one, given that an enraged Yuji punched Mahito in the face with this ability and the latter was still able to keep fighting, and the fact that he hit Mahito many, many, many more times and he was still alive.
Overall, it's definitely an ability Yuji has, but it’s far too vague and inconsistent to say that it’d be a major factor in this fight, considering we don’t really have context to how it would affect Denji.
100% Gun Devil Scaling
As you have seen, we are scaling Denji to the Gun Devil at 100%. Why is that though? We never see Denji nor Pochita fight the Gun Devil, let alone it at 100%. Well there are 2 main reasons.
Reason 1: This comes with Pochita being stated to be the strongest Devil. As we know in CSM, the more the Devil is feared the more powerful they are, and Pochita has been stated to be the strongest Devil. However you could make an argument that the Pochita Denji has isn’t the same level as the one we know is powerful, and to that we bring to…
Reason 2. This is a more direct version of the scaling. So in Hero Mode, Pochita was able to survive multiple hits from Makima’s Bang ability. Now the reason this should reasonably get scaling from 100% Gun Devil is because we have seen in previous chapters that Bang could make the Darkness Devil bleed, and the Darkness Devil was stated to be more powerful than the Gun Devil. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean Makima physically scales to this, but the fact that one of her attacks can harm a character stated to be more powerful than the Gun Devil, means that Denji should at the very least downscale the 100% Gun Devil.
Verdict
Stats
Comparing stats for these two can be easier said than done. Given there are two ways to look at the debate (Yuji vs Denji and Sukuna vs Pochita), let's go over them separately. First off with Yuji vs Denji, both are straightforward with what they can scale to.
Starting with Yuji he has two feats of power that are notable. The first by scaling to Hanami, as Yuji, albeit with help from Todo, was able to harm him. The Curse, with their energy, was able to sprout some trees which would equate to 3 kilotons of TNT, putting Yuji around Small Town levels of power. As for speed, Yuji has shown capable of dodging bullets, and is even stated to be faster than Maki, who could catch a bullet at close range, putting her around the Hypersonic+ to High Hypersonic ranges. Yuji’s best speed feat, however, is with Black Flash, which requires the user to activate it in a microsecond, which would require him to be reacting at Mach 284 speeds. Given this is one of Yuji abilities, and has shown he can do it 4 times in a row against Hanami, and has even shown such proficiency that it looks like he can use it at will, Yuji should reasonably scale, which nets him around the Massively Hypersonic range of speed.
Now onto Denji, and like Yuji, it’s quite easy to gauge his feats. Starting with strength, Denji can scale to the likes of Reze blowing up buildings, the Bat Devil destroying a building while attacking Denji, and the Cockroach Devil, which also destroyed a building (these Devils really hate buildings). However, the best feat of power Denji can scale to is with the Typhoon Devil, who was capable of making a storm that requires energy equivalent to 10.577 kilotons of TNT. Given Denji kills the Typhoon Devil, he should reasonably be within that Town-level range. With speed, there is a bit more to go over. The more general area of feats come from the Angel Devil and Quanxi. With the Angel Devil early in the series being shown to be fast enough to block bullets to protect him and Aki, and with Quanxi its her blitzing a crowd of other Devil Hunters and some of Santa’s dolls, both feats get around Supersonic speed and Quanxi’s feat having a highball of Hypersonic.
So comparing both, it is shown that both Denji and Yuji are mostly comparable in stats. In terms of AP, Denji does have the slight edge with the storm feat, but Yuji does have a notable speed advantage with Black Flash which gets him to MHS while the best Denji has is Hypersonic, which itself is a highball. So when comparing both Yuji and Denji themselves, Yuji should be superior thanks to his speed and the gap in power not being quite that big to make a difference. But as you can imagine, that’s not where the fight ends, as we still need to determine who is stronger between Sukuna and Pochita.
Starting off with Sukuna, his two biggest feats involve the explosion he makes with his fire arrow, and scaling to Jogo, who he was able to beat. The former feat upgrades Yuji from Small Town to Large at best, and given that Sukuna is likely much stronger than Jogo, he should reasonably scale above him. Jogo in particular has the ability to create a meteor that can turn an entire town to dust and ash, requiring over 800 kilotons of TNT. Sukuna unfortunately doesn’t have any real speed feats that get above Black Flash, so he’s still sitting in the MHS ranges.
With Pochita being the strongest Devil, he would reasonably upscale from all previous feats, though it is reasonable to say the Pochita shown was weakened than his more prime state. Though that doesn’t stop Pochita from having impressive feats, as it was shown that just him moving can make shockwaves and can destroy buildings. However, his best feat of power is his scaling to Makima, mainly Bang. As we explained previously, Bang was able to make the Darkness Devil bleed, who is stated to be at higher level then all of Gun Devil. This is important, because the Gun Devil’s kinetic energy with his speed would net him around Mountain levels of power. That’s not all, as Pochita has shown to also keep up with Makima in battle, which is impressive given Makima was able to perceive and activate her ability while the Gun Devil was attacking, who traveled around the world in a short timeframe, putting his speed around Mach 635.
So when comparing Sukuna and Pochita’s stats, it's a clear edge in Pochita's favor. When looking at the best feats for both, Sukuna just can’t compete given his best feat is 832 kilotons at max, which pales in comparison to Pochita being able to scale to 107 megatons.. Even in speed, Pochita’s Mach 635 scaling is much higher than Sukuna’s Mach 284; sure, Sukuna heavily upscales Yuji given that he was able to blitz him, but nothing quite like what Pochita is capable of.
Overall, while Yuji vs Denji does have the former holding his own impressively well, the tides change when comparing the King of Curses to the Chainsaw Devil, nabbing Denji a win in raw stats.
Arsenal and Abilities
Initially, these two don’t really have that many crazy abilities in comparison to their peers. However, when Sukuna comes out, Yuji starts to take the advantage, as with abilities such as Spiderweb, Fire Arrow, and Domain Expansion, his range is far superior to that of Denji. But where Denji loses in quantity, he more than makes up for it in quality. First off, Denji having chainsaws for arms, legs and a head means he has the advantage in a close range battle, given having chainsaws for hands is way better than measly fists. Denji also has some ways around the range disadvantage, mainly he could just as easily grab Yuji with his chains, which he has shown to have done in long range. There is also Denji’s ability of being able to make a new body for Pochita to use which he can use to throw it right at Yuji, taking away the range disadvantage and leaving Yuji open for Pochita to attack. Lastly there is the possible ability of teleportation Denji might have; again, it’s questionable whether or not it’s an ability or a speed feat, but whichever one it is, Denji can reasonably use his superior speed to simply avoid many of his attacks sans the Domain Expansion.
On topic with body creation though, that can just as easily give Denji and Pochita the numbers advantage. Both Pochita and Denji have shown to work as a team before with their fight with Makima, though Denji did wait out until Makima let her guard down, it does show that both Denji and Pochita can help each other in a fight, which we’ll go over a bit more in detail later.
Now probably the most important aspect of both abilities is how both healing factors go against each other. Both have shown to be able to regenerate lost limbs, but to put it simply, Denji has just survived way more. Sure, Sukuna has survived his hand being blown off and is generally fine after some pretty fatal blows, but Denji’s been twisted, blown up and blasted to the point where he just had half of his body and a head, and regenerated just fine. One might note that Denji needed blood for these instances of, while Sukuna needs no such energy. However, it starts to turn back around in Denji’s favor, as Yuji can essentially be his battery.
Remember how we said chainsaws are way better in close combat than fists? Well, it also helps Denji in the fact that his chainsaws would start to cut Yuji, causing him to bleed. Meaning as long as he can get a hit in, he’ll always have a method to heal from his injuries. Hell, Denji can just bite Yuji for blood, which he has done before with the Eternity Devil. Given his combat intelligence, Yuji would most likely rely on range attacks, which we already stated Denji can get around, but can’t spam them for the whole fight, because Cursed Energy has a limit, meaning Yuji will likely run out soon. This process would especially speed up if Sukuna uses his Domain, which uses up almost all Cursed Energy reserves. This also matters in terms of Sukuna’s regeneration, since that also relies on Cursed Energy, which means Sukuna would not be able to heal from his injuries.
However, what would truly put the Curse users down for good is Denji and Pochita’s most powerful ability. Given the stat gap between the two, Yuji and Sukuna really have no counter to Pochita eating them, which would cause their very concept to cease to exist. So while Yuji definitely has an assortment of techniques to help him keep Denji at a distance, the Chainsaw Man’s superior healing, ways of getting around the range issue and method of permanently killing Sukuna are simply better than what the Curse users have.
Tertiary Factors
When comparing skill and experience, it’s mostly in Yuji favor. In terms of pure skill, Yuji outclasses handedly, as while Denji has got training from Kishibe, it was not all that noteworthy. Meanwhile, Yuji’s training and athletics were enough to give the likes of Todo trouble. This also translates to intelligence, as Yuji has shown great ingenuity when it comes to combat, being able to use the environment to his advantage. Although Denji could be argued as being more unpredictable given the insane things he’s pulled off, Yuji could likely counter it by having a more clear head in battle, while Denji pretty much swings like a madman. Experience could likely be an interesting debate, but we’ll just say it’s even, since both have fought a variety of different opponents in their time.
Sukuna and Pochita are a weird case, however. With Sukuna, he has shown he can easily defeat other sorcerers like Megumi with little effort. However we don’t see much of his experience which leaves it open to interpretation. Pochita’s skill and experience is similarly quite vague. While we do see him basically no-sell the Hybrids, when it comes to his background before the events of the main story, we don’t get much detail. We do know he erased many Devils, which means he very likely bested them in combat, and even beat the War Devil who has shown in the recent chapters to be quite skilled in fighting, but there really isn’t much detail other than that. So really, you can pick either one here.
Lastly, and arguably most importantly, there is the debate of how both Denji and Yuji work with their devils, and it's quite clear that Denji and Pochtia are the better team. Even before the events of the main story, both Denji and Pochita have shown to work greatly together, killing minor Devils and clearly seeing each other as companions they can trust. It is also shown during the final fight with Makima that Pochita and Denji can come up with a plan, showing they are capable of still working as a team.
Yuji and Sukuna on the other hand are far from companions, as it has been shown several times that they fight on a regular basis and just outright hate each other. Even during life threatening fights like Yuji’s fight with Mahito, Sukuna basically refused to help and even laughed at him when he was mourning Junpei’s death. They also constantly fight for control of their body, and have shown they would rather die than letting the other take control. So overall, Denji and Pochita easily take the edge in teamwork by virtue of actually being friends in comparison to the equivalent of a bickering married couple.
Conclusion/Overall
Yuji Itadori
Advantages
Faster than base Denji
- Far more skilled in hand-to-hand combat
- Better training
Better AoE and ranged options at his disposal
Could overtax Denji’s healing factor before he can drink blood
Could possibly kill Denji and Pochita by attacking their soul…
OMG GUYS HE’S IN FORTNITE SO HE SCALES TO GALACTUS PLEASE LAUGH
Disadvantages
Slightly weaker than base and outright loses the stat trinity against Hero Mode
Has no counter to Denji eating him
Can run out of Cursed Energy and lose many of his most powerful abilities
Chainsaw > Fists
Yuji and Sukuna could fight for control in the middle of the fight, leaving them wide open
…but we don't know how many hits Yuji needs to destroy the soul
Legit lost Sukuna lmao (THANKS, FUSHIGURO.)
Denji
“If there’s a devil I can be friends with, then I'll take it. ‘cause I never had any.”
Advantages
Slightly stronger then Yuji in base and becomes massively stronger and faster than Sukuna in Hero Mode
Superior and more readily-available healing factor
Has ways around Sukuna’s range
Far better in terms of teamwork with Pochita
- Chainsaws > Fists
Arguably more unpredictable
The Chainsaw Man community
Disadvantages
Slower at first
Less skilled in hand-to-hand combat
- Not as well-trained
Fewer long-range options compared to Sukuna
Can possibly be overtaxed if Denji cannot get near blood
The Chainsaw Man community
Got rode less than Kobeni’s car
In conclusion, Denji just takes the edge in the factors that matter most. In terms of strength and speed, he might lose at first when it comes to the latter, but once the fight becomes Sukuna vs Pochita, he’ll easily be able to bounce back. Additionally, he has ways around Yuji moves and attacks that Yuji just doesn’t have an answer for. Along with Denji basically being near unkillable for Yuji, the fight will either end with Denji landing the one hit he needs or Yuji running out of Cursed Energy, leaving him open for Denji to slice him up or eat him. While Yuji does have some ways to win, like possibly overtaxing Denji healing factor before he gets the chance to drink blood or Yuji landing enough hits to kill Denji through his soul, it simply is way harder to pull off then Denji who’s wincons are far more straightforward.
It should be noted that this fight’s outcome can easily change since both series are still ongoing, whether it be making Yuji and Sukuna strong enough to pull off a win, or at worst making it a harder loss. However, as of now, Denji is simply stronger, more durable and way harder to put down for the vessel of the King of Curses to handle. This fight may have ended in a flash, but man, it sure was off the chain!
Results
Team Yuji (0) - I thought you had that dawg in you...
Team Denji (6) - LandonTalksALot, Hi Hi, 08, Robert Lee, Asura, StrangeFate
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