Yuta Okkotsu is one of the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerers of the modern day and a student of Gojo’s. His main weapon a Katana, he’s capable of channeling incredible amounts of cursed energy making Yuta a force of nature. 

So is his blade the source of his powers? What makes it so special? Let’s look into that, shall we! 

Purpose of the Katana

Yuta’s understanding of cursed energy and how to control it was abysmal at best. Because of this, Satoru Gojo had the young man concentrate his efforts on training to stabilize his cursed energy. 

This is where Yuta Okkotsu’s katana enters the picture. As a Special Grade Vengeful Spirit, Rika acts as a sort of external storage unit for the vast majority of Yuta’s inhuman cursed energy reserves. At the time however, it was believed Rika was an entity with its own cursed energy and Yuta needed to subjugate her power. 

As such, the first step to utilizing these reserves was learning to control Rika’s power and channeling it. 

Having already done this subconsciously through his ring, which acts as a reminder of human Rika, Yuta is told to now attempt the same with a cursed katana. A weapon used by Jujutsu Sorcerers capable of conducting cursed energy for various purposes. 

Conduit for Rika’s Power

As per Gojo’s explanation, this would allow Yuta to not only fight on equal footing with cursed spirits and curse users, but also help him eventually free himself and Rika of her curse. 

By learning to channel more and more cursed energy from Rika through the katana over time, Yuta would eventually gain control of all her cursed energy. At that point, he would become capable of simply lifting the curse at his own discretion. 

Destruction of the First Katana

Unfortunately, it was very shortly after his transfer to Jujutsu High that Yuta would be forced to face his first major opponent; Suguru Geto. During this battle, Yuta’s over-exertion of cursed energy paired with the adrenaline pumping through him was the only reason he managed to survive long enough to finish Geto off. 

This however, had the exact opposite effect on Yuta’s katana, destroying it as it couldn’t handle the sudden influx of such massive levels of Cursed Energy. 

After the events of the battle with Suguru Geto, Yuta was able to finally gain closure and free Rika of the curse he’d unknowingly placed on her, leaving him with a lot of ground to cover to maintain his special grade status. 

A New Katana, A New Yuta

To this end, Yuta continued his training in swordsmanship and grew to an incredible level of skill with the blade. The next we see him practicing this is after the Shibuya Incident, first to save a child and later in the battle to execute Yuji Itadori. The Katana Yuta uses here is once again however, broken, this time by the frantic efforts of Yuji to survive the fight. 

Despite this, Yuta is able to trap Yuji using his renewed Cursed Spirit Rika, no longer attached to the soul of human Rika. Then, using his broken katana, Yuta pierces Yuji’s heart, bypassing his natural defenses which can hold off most other weapons. 

Third Katana’s the Charm

Later during the Culling Games, Yuta is seen brandishing yet another new katana against Kurourushi. Here, we see his masterful skill as a swordsman, fighting against the bug-like curse with incredible efficiency. This is also the first time Yuta displays his ability to use his katana for long range attacks. 

That is, by infusing his cursed energy into the blade with perfect control, he can then swing the katana to release a powerful blast wave, incinerating all in its path. 

After winning his battles in the Culling Games, Yuta is next seen towards the end of the battle between Kenjaku-Geto and Fumihiko Takaba. And once again, his curse katana’s durability and power in his hands is displayed when he slices Kenjaku’s head clean off his body, far too fast for the body snatcher to react. 

The Katana’s Role in Yuta’s Domain Expansion

Finally, the most powerful and incredible instance of Yuta’s swordsmanship is seen in his Domain Expansion; All Encompassing Unequivocal Love. This domain, perhaps one of the most visually appealing ones in the series, merges Yuta’s most powerful ability with his most practiced fighting style. 

Within Yuta’s Domain lies an area littered with innumerable copies of his signature katana, surrounded by cross-like structures bound together with ropes. The true power of this domain lies in the Katanas themselves as much as it does in Yuta. 

Within this Domain, the limits on Yuta’s copy ability are lifted by imbuing the technique into every single katana there. That is to say, each and every single cursed technique Yuta has copied over his time as a Jujutsu Sorcerer is infused into one of the katanas. 

Added onto the sure-hit effect of the Domain Expansion, Yuta’s katanas go from a simple cursed tool made deadly by their wielder to weapons of absolutely insane power in themselves. 

The Blade is Him/He is The Blade

However, in conclusion, as impressive as Yuta’s feats with a katana are, they too are entirely due to his own power. Yuta’s katana is little more than a conduit for his Cursed Energy, no more special than any other cursed tool with conductive properties. In a way, it’s poetic, as this is a recurring theme with Yuta. 

Even from the very beginning, he believed Rika to be a whole other being whose power he was only borrowing. And yet, in the end, it turned out she was a creation brought about by his own power. In the same way, his feats with his bladed companion are entirely due to his own power and resolve. 

The very thing that makes Yuta Okkotsu’s katana so special isn’t some secret power within the weapon, nor any flashy gimmick. It’s a classic case of whether the man makes the suit or the suit makes the man. Or in this scenario, the blade.