Is Jujutsu Kaisen a Naruto Knockoff? When You Realize Gege Akutami May Have Blatantly Copied 1 Character

While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is anything but mediocre in this case. It isn’t uncommon for most shonen anime to have similarities. Be it character designs or tropes, Jujutsu Kaisen is often referred to as a cheap copy of Naruto. While there are resemblances between both anime, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Ryomen Sukuna in a still from the series | Credit: MAPPA

While Akutami takes inspiration from Kishimoto’s manga, both series differ in various aspects. Although the series isn’t a knockoff, the author may have based Maki Zenin on Rock Lee. Furthermore, both series differ in their treatment of the antagonists.

Maki Zenin’s character in Jujutsu Kaisen is similar to Rock Lee from Naruto

Maki Zenin is one of the strongest characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. Despite her lack of cursed energy, she can outmaneuver her opponents due to her mastery of physical combat. Additionally, she’s fluent with several cursed weapons. Apart from being a member of one of the strongest sorcerer clans, she possesses immeasurable strength and endurance.

Maki Zenin in a still from the series | Credit: MAPPA

This was evident when she caught a rubber bullet with her bare hands in her fight with Mai. Her resistance and endurance compensate for her lack of cursed energy. Moreover, she shares similarities with Toji because of her hate for the Zenin Clan. Additionally, her heavenly restriction is another similarity between the two. However, this runs parallel with an iconic Naruto character.

Maki’s resemblance to Rock Lee is nothing short of uncanny. While both characters differ in their personality and goals, they share a similarity. Maki’s heavenly restriction is quite similar to Rock Lee’s inability to perform genjutsu and ninjutsu. Both characters display resilience and immense character growth. Furthermore, they surpass their limitations in the series.

While Akutami draws inspiration from Kishimoto’s magnum opus it differs from the series in most ways.

Gege Akutami’s series differs from Masashi Kishimoto’s magnum opus in several ways

Gege Akutami is notorious for killing off fan-favorite characters in their series. While they took inspiration from Masashi Kishimoto for their character designs, their series differs from the mangaka’s magnum opus in several ways. Despite similar tropes in both series, Akutami’s series sets itself apart, especially with its treatment of characters.

Kurama in a still from the series | Credit: Studio Pierrot

While both Kurama and Sukuna are vessels for the protagonists, their treatment in the series is completely different. Kurama is reduced to a weapon in Kishimoto’s series while Sukuna carries out atrocities. Akutami strips the villain of any possible empathy. He revealed this in an interview shared by @soukatsu on X. He quotes :

In NARUTO, it’s the relationship between the main character Uzumaki Naruto and the Nine Tailed Fox (Kurama). For Itadori, it’s Sukuna and for Okkotsu, it’s Rika. In Volume 0, the story ended in reconciliation like in NARUTO, but I thought Jujutsu Kaisen needed a different approach, so I tried to portray Sukuna as someone completely incompatible [with Itadori].

Furthermore, the protagonists in both series are written differently. While both series underscore clan massacres, the motives behind the events are completely different.

All in all, Akutami has cited the Big 3 as inspiration for his manga. While there are several similar tropes in both series, they’re truly different. This holds especially true in terms of character development, power-scaling, and motives behind the events. To say that Akutami’s work is a knockoff would negate the years of hard work he invested in its success.

Jujutsu Kaisen and Naruto are available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The mangas are available for reading on Viz Media.