Even if it hasn’t been confirmed, he has to be one by now.
Jujutsu Kaisen manga spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Yuji couldn’t be given a special grade like Yuta because Sukuna is nothing like Rika.
- Yuji’s current grade is officially unknown.
- He’s moving towards becoming a special grade.
Special grade sorcerers are basically anomalies in the Jujutsu Kaisen world. They are the strongest sorcerers in the world and are extremely rare. We’ve seen only four of them in the series: Gojo, Geto, Yuki and Yuta.
Yuji’s current grade is unknown, but fans thought that he was Grade 1 after defeating Mahito. It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but it makes a lot of sense, since he can deal with Grade 1 curses.
Why Wasn’t He Given a Special Grade?
A number of fans compare Yuji with Yuta. Both are powerful and have curses that can assist them, but one of them is a Special grade (Yuta) and the other one used to be far from that (Yuji).
The main difference is that Rika is always there to protect Yuta and help him. She makes him stronger in the best possible way, and their combined effort is enough to take down a Special grade sorcerer, as we saw in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 when they fought Geto.
Sukuna is nothing like that. His goal is never to help Yuji, he might be of assistance only when their goals align. Sukuna is too unpredictable and uncontrollable. Yuji is just his vessel, and they’ve never been allies.
That’s why Yuta was given a Special grade instantly, while Yuji’s status didn’t change the moment Sukuna started using him as a vessel. Sukuna holds no loyalty to Yuji and never intends to save him, which is nothing like Rika.
Is He a Special Grade Now?
Again, nothing has been officially confirmed by the manga, but the latest chapters showed another side of Yuji. He’s hit multiple Black Flashes and beaten all the records. He used a Simple Domain, and some readers are confident that another Domain is coming.
There’s no doubt that Yuji has become much stronger since his battle with Mahito when fans were sure he was a Grade 1. Which can only mean one thing: Yuji is either a Special grade already or moving closer to being one with each chapter.
Yuji’s power development is unmatched. His natural talent allows him to learn fast and become more and more efficient with each battle. Judging by the current manga events, Yuji will be a Special grade by the end of the story. Or perhaps, he is one already.