Are 'Jujutsu Kaisen' One Shots Canon To The Main Story?

The one-shots in 'Jujutsu Kaisen' aren't directly tied to the main storyline, but they offer valuable glimpses into the world-building and character dynamics. Gege Akutami's early works, like the 'Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School' one-shot, introduce concepts and characters that later appear in the main series. For instance, Yuta Okkotsu, who stars in the prequel one-shot, becomes pivotal in the Shibuya Incident arc. While these stories aren't required reading to follow the manga, they enrich the experience by providing backstory and thematic depth. The one-shots feel like bonus content for hardcore fans rather than essential canon material, but their ideas definitely influence the main narrative's development.

As someone who's analyzed 'Jujutsu Kaisen' extensively, I can confirm the one-shots occupy a unique space in the canon hierarchy. The four-chapter prequel featuring Yuta was later referenced in Volume 0, which bridges the gap between standalone content and main story relevance. What makes these sidestories fascinating is how they experiment with tone and power systems before the main series solidified its rules. The Tokyo Tech one-shot shows early versions of cursed techniques that evolved dramatically in the manga proper.

Gege's approach reminds me of Tite Kubo's 'Burn the Witch' relationship to 'Bleach'—same universe, different focus. The one-shots aren't mandatory, but they reward attentive readers with Easter eggs. For example, certain cursed tools introduced in short stories reappear during the Perfect Preparation arc. The manga occasionally nods to these stories through background details or offhand remarks by characters like Gojo, suggesting they're canon-adjacent rather than core material.

If you're craving more content while waiting for new chapters, the one-shots provide worthwhile extras. They showcase Gege's artistic growth and offer alternative perspectives on sorcery society. Just don't expect them to directly advance the current plot—they're more like flavorful side dishes complementing the main course.

The canon status of 'Jujutsu Kaisen' one-shots depends on how strictly you define continuity. Unlike series where spinoffs drastically alter the plot, Gege treats these as narrative playgrounds. The Yuta-focused chapters got retroactively incorporated through Volume 0, proving Akutami isn't afraid to merge standalone ideas into the larger mythos.

What's brilliant is how these shorts explore concepts the main story doesn't have time for. The 'Tokyo Metropolitan' one-shot dives deeper into the ethical dilemmas of exorcism that the manga only touches upon during the Star Plasma Vessel arc. We see early versions of domain expansions that lack the refinement of later techniques, suggesting these stories might represent proto-canon—ideas in development rather than finalized lore.

For completionists, tracking down the one-shots is worthwhile. They contain character designs that reappear as background sorcerers and showcase cursed spirits with abilities too niche for the main plot. The tone differs slightly, leaning more toward horror-comedy before the manga settled into its current balance. Think of them as beta tests for ideas that eventually evolved into the phenomena we know today.