Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Episode 13, “Red Scale,” is entirely the fight between Yuji Itadori and Choso. So far in this arc each episode has tried to shift between the numerous fights occurring at once. Focusing on the fight between these two exclusively was a wise choice. When Yuji enters Shibuya Station, Choso begins his assault without hesitation. Choso is seeking pure vengeance against Yuji for killing his brothers Kechizu and Eso. He uses Blood Manipulation: Convergence Piercing Blood which penetrates Yuji’s arm. Reacting from the pain, Yuji leans back knocking the attack upward. The impact from the attack is impressive, first slicing through the ceiling then cutting the street signs above. Choso follows this attack with another Piercing Blood attack. Yuji manages to avoid another hit and lands a punch on Choso.
Choso’s advantage
He asks Yuji “if his younger brothers had any last words before they died,” Yuji responds that they didn’t have any last words but they did “cry.” It’s clear Yuji didn’t mean it in a negative manner but Choso took it as Yuji gloating. Enraged further, he uses Flowing Red Scale and begins to gather blood into a small orb in his hands. Yuji doesn’t wait and tackles Choso and knocks the blood orb out of Choso’s hand. One of the benefits of Choso’s Blood Manipulation is his ability to reuse blood by drawing it back after shooting it off. So far, Choso has the advantage over Yuji. He tries to use Piercing Blood again but Yuji has adapted. He effectively avoids it but before he can land another blow, Choso uses Supernova, detonating orbs of blood.
With his back injured after the surprised attack, Yuji is off balanced. Choso then takes the opportunity to use Blood Edge and stab Yuji in both feet. Yuji pushes through the pain and kicks Choso backward. Using Convergence and Piercing Blood too “hastily,” it doesn’t do the damage that Choso intended. Yuji has a hole in his stomach but it didn’t go through. Yuji is completely outclassed until Mechamaru gives him the idea to use the water in the bathroom to dissolve the blood of Choso’s technique making it a hand to hand fight. Jujutsu Kaisen has disrupted some of the tropes common in Shonen. One such trope is the one against many advantage that often favor the main character. Yuji rarely wins a fight alone often ganging up on an enemy.
Choso takes the win
It should be noted that Yuji doesn’t have many techniques and is mostly a physical powerhouse. As a result, his only chance against Choso is to nullify his abilities and try to win with his power. It’s noted in the episode that Choso lacks combat experience but you wouldn’t know it from this fight. While Yuji takes over the fight, the gap between his and Choso isn’t large. Yuji becomes overconfident and assumes that Choso no longer can use Blood Manipulation. However, Choso uses Blood Meteorite that pierces through Yuji’s liver. Yuji accepts that he might die but is willing to do so if he can kill Choso. They exchange in another series of blows with Yuji using the arm that was injured early in the fight.
Hoping to end the fight with a direct blow to Choso’s abdomen, Yuji is shocked when he encounters hardened blood. Choso punches a hole in Yuji’s shoulder, then finishes Yuji with a punch in the chest. After this something strange happens. While Sukuna mocks Yuji for losing he doesn’t appear. Choso deliberately misses Yuji as he’s overcome with grief. He’s witnessing a false memory, where he, Eso, Kechizu are having dinner but Yuji is present, as are the other sealed Cursed Wombs. Why is Yuji there? Is he a Cursed Womb? We obviously don’t get an answer this episode but our interest in Yuji’s origins are increased. Mimiko and Nanako find Yuji unconscious and prepare to do something to wake him. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Episode 13 is an epic fight that must be watched.