“Education is making people realise things”

- Masamichi Yaga

The highly anticipated third season of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime will debut sometime in 2025, according to a recent announcement. As we patiently (or impatiently) await the next season, let’s take the time to get to know some of the less celebrated but pivotal characters who contribute to the show’s greatness. Masamichi Yaga, the strict but kind principal who knows how to raise more than eyebrows, is one of such characters.

Even though he’s not always in the spotlight, Yaga’s influence is felt across the whole series, as he actively helps to mold future Jujutsu sorcerers and maintain a degree of sanity in the Jujutsu community.

Who is Masamichi Yaga?

Masamichi Yaga is a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer and also the principal of the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School. He is recognized as a firm yet compassionate leader, renowned for his disciplined teaching style and deep sense of responsibility to his students. Around 2006, before he became the school’s principal, he taught Shoko Ieiri, Suguru Geto, and Satoru Gojo when the trio were in their second year.

Yaga has exceptional mastery of a cursed technique that grants him the power to craft and manipulate Cursed Corpses, a type of strange puppet-like beings infused with potent cursed energy. One of his most remarkable achievements is Panda, a completely independent Cursed Corpse with its own unique personality, intelligence, and abilities.

Masamichi Yaga | Character Profile

Masamichi Yaga | Backstory & Origins

Twelve years ago, he was a second year teacher at his school's Tokyo branch. His life has since revolved around his career as a Grade 1 Jujutsu sorcerer and his groundbreaking work in puppet creation, despite his failed past marriage.

His most remarkable creation, Panda, was brought to life on March 5th as a sentient cursed corpse that is capable of generating its own cursed energy. This made the Jujutsu higher ups attempt to force Yaga’s hand into revealing the secrets of his technique, in exchange for his freedom.

Yaga's nurturing nature shone through as he raised and trained Panda. For instance, he created a cursed corpse named Takeru to assist a grieving mother, which earned him the gratitude of Kusakabe. Yaga then continued creating self-sufficient cursed corpses, carefully concealing them within a forest guarded by Tengen.

Yaga played a crucial role in shaping the young minds of Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, and Shoko Ieiri, serving as their teacher back when they were students under his care. His leadership was put to the test when Geto went rogue, committing heinous acts that left Yaga and Gojo dealing with the consequences.

Masamichi Yaga | Physical Appearance

Masamichi had a commanding presence, standing tall with a well-built physique and a sun-kissed complexion. His hair was styled with short, spiky black strands on top, while the remainder of his head was shaved. His eyebrows are thick and he has a goatee and a mustache.

In 2017, he dressed in a stylish ensemble of crisp white dress clothing, complemented by a sleek black jacket, shoes, and pants. In 2018, he started sporting sleek, long-sleeved black clothing that was zipped up, and paired with matching shoes and pants. In 2006, his hairstyle was different, with two straight parts shaved around his head and his hair not yet styled in a spiky manner.

Masamichi Yaga | Personality Traits

Principal Yaga, as he was fondly called, exhibits an intriguing blend of compassion, sternness, and unwavering dedication to his students. As a mentor, he was renowned for his strong moral compass, patience, and ability to mentor even the most difficult students, notably Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto. His commanding presence often helps to resolve problems, demonstrating his natural leadership. Despite his serious appearance, Yaga had a softer side, as seen by his affection for little things and his witty exclamation "Goddamn!"

Masamichi's teaching style was both unusual and profound. He believed in putting his pupils' values to the test, and he frequently used severe techniques to motivate them to grow personally. This was obvious in his dealings with Yuji Itadori, as he pushed Yuji to examine his motives and eventually led him to a better understanding of what it meant to be a Jujutsu sorcerer.

Yaga's feeling of duty extended beyond his human students; he was very concerned about his cursed corpses, particularly Panda, whom he raised as a son. This nurturing aspect of Yaga displayed a softer, more empathetic side that contrasted with his apparent rigidity.

Despite his harsh techniques, Yaga shared Satoru's progressive ideas on education, frequently defying the traditional customs of the higher ups at Jujutsu High. His greatest regret was Suguru's descent into villainy, which tormented him and shaped his teaching philosophy. His life and death were distinguished by a strong feeling of responsibility to both his pupils and the heritage of Jujutsu sorcery.

Masamichi Yaga | Relationships & Interactions

Masamichi Yaga was the Principal of the Tokyo Jujutsu High School, and as such, had a pretty limited interpersonal relationship with his students, much less any other character in the series. However, that doesn’t imply that he didn’t have remarkable interactions with other characters, some of which are noteworthy, especially his relationships.

With Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto

The most revealing aspects of Yaga's character are probably his interactions with Suguru and Satoru. Yaga, in his capacity as their mentor, had a profound impact on them when they were little. His connection with his two most powerful and energetic students was characterized by a combination of caring for their development and well-being and a lack of fear in disciplining Satoru when necessary.

Despite Satoru's defiant personality, Yaga shared his progressive beliefs, especially about protecting young sorcerers like Yuji Itadori and Yuta Okkotsu from the severe punishment meted out by the higher ups. The betrayal of Suguru ultimately broke Yaga's heart and changed the way he approached mentoring and teaching. Despite his pupils' frailties, Yaga continues to strive to lead them towards doing what is right, demonstrating his dual function as a disciplinarian and a protector.

With Yuji Itadori

Yaga was first skeptical when he first met with Yuji Itadori. Yuji told Yaga he wanted to be a sorcerer in line with his grandfather's dying wish, and Yaga questioned him about whether he was ready to deal with the fallout from that decision. The conversation highlighted Yaga's rigidity and his notion that people were better off with their own beliefs rather than borrowed impulses.

Even though accepting Yuji was against the decree of the higher ups, Yaga held fast to his belief in nurturing young talent and defiance against rigid traditions.

With Panda

Panda is not just one of Yaga's creations; he is like a son to him. Yaga's connection with Panda reveals his character's gentler and more compassionate aspect. He created Panda and nurtured and supported him like a caring father would. The strong bond between Panda and Yaga is evident through Panda's loyalty and his recognition of Yaga as his father.

Yaga's protective nature is further demonstrated by his decision to keep his skill of creating independent cursed corpses hidden. He did that not out of a desire for power, but rather to assist others, just as he did for Kusakabe's sister.

With Principal Gakuganji

Yaga and Principal Gakuganji have a conflicted and contrasting relationship. Gakuganji is a symbol of the organization, maintaining rigid customs and frequently issuing severe judgments, such as putting young sorcerers to death. However, Yaga represents a more progressive viewpoint and is prepared to question these choices to protect his students.

Their encounters are characterized by a basic difference over how to handle the future of Jujutsu sorcery, but also by a mutual respect for each other. Yaga's ultimate deed of not sharing his method for making self-sufficient cursed corpses with Gakuganji until his death represents his refusal to let his life's labors be used by someone he didn't trust.

Masamichi Yaga | Skills and Abilities

As of 2006, when Satoru Gojo and co were still in their second year, Masamichi had already become a Grade 1 sorcerer. He was highly skilled in the art of Puppet Jujutsu, which makes him an expert in using cursed corpses as a sorcerer. He had a remarkable ability to create cursed corpses that maintained their own cursed energy, demonstrating a level of proficiency and creativity unmatched by anyone else.

Due to the possibility of him creating intelligent cursed corpses, Masamichi was almost promoted to a special grade and faced an indefinite constraint from the higher-ups. There were concerns about his ability to effortlessly assemble his own army of cursed corpses, but this was all in a bid to frustrate him into divulging the secret of his technique.

Masamichi created a multitude of cursed corpses with the ability to carry out a wide range of tasks. While some specialized in combat, others were created to provide support or training to the Jujutsu sorcerers. Although Masamichi's main skill lay in puppet-making, he also possessed the ability to exorcise cursed spirits without any assistance. It appears that he possessed a high level of skill in close-range combat, evident from his role as Panda's combat instructor and his willingness to engage in a battle against another sorcerer without relying on his cursed corpses.

Masamichi Yaga | Jujutsu

Jugai – Cursed Corpse Creation

Masamichi is highly skilled in handcrafting dolls, and then bringing them to life by imbuing the core of these dolls with cursed energy. This technique also allows him to effectively control them using incantations. He has used Jugai to create a diverse range of cursed corpses, one of which is Panda.

However, unlike others who have techniques similar to his, and could also create cursed corpses, Masamichi has an impressive grasp of cursed energy and deep knowledge of the intricacies of the body and soul, with which he can create completely self-sustaining cursed corpses.

Here are some of the cursed corpses Masamichi Yaga has created, including Panda:

Tsukamoto

This cursed corpse resembles a small bear using boxing gloves. Tsukamoto is used to train Jujutsu High students on how to regulate and control their cursed energy output. It is usually asleep, provided the user keeps pouring out a constant flow of cursed energy. Should the cursed energy output increase or decrease, Tsukamoto would wake up and punch the user aggressively.

Takeru

This cursed corpse is a manifestation of Kusakabe's nephew's soul, allowing his mother and uncle to reunite with him once more. It has a dog-like appearance, serving as a vivid and supernatural connection between the living and the dead.

Kyashii (Cathy)

Unlike Tsukamoto, this is a slightly bigger and round doll. It is a green doll that has a bear/dog appearance and is capable of rebounding off walls, and also throwing heavy punches.

Panda

Panda is Masamichi's masterpiece. It is a unique creation, built from a panda's body that has undergone a mysterious transformation. Panda is a special cursed corpse that possesses three cores, each belonging to a distinct entity, which, according to Masamichi, are Panda’s brother and sister.

Masamichi Yaga | Trivia

• Masamichi’s favorite expression is “Goddamn”.
• He enjoys smoked daikon pickles, considering it his favorite dish, while sweet liquor is his least-liked dish.
• He has a passion for collecting sunglasses and an obsession with all things adorable.
• While he has a likeness for cute things, he doesn’t like making his cursed corpses cute.
• He has an excellent rapport with Satoru Gojo and they both understand each other very well.
• Whenever Yaga notices that any of his students are stressed, he leaves one of the dolls for them to help make them feel better.
• Ever since he took on his position of principal, he has been wearing sunglasses.
• Masamichi was formerly married but is now a divorcee.

Masamichi Yaga | An Educator to the End

Masamichi Yaga is a not-so-popular character among Jujutsu Kaisen fans, but that doesn’t underscore his importance and impact in the storyline. Think of him as the behind-the-scenes powerhouse, shaping the sorcerers who take center stage. His mix of tough love and compassion makes him the heart of Tokyo Jujutsu High, guiding Gojo, Geto, and Panda in his own gruff way. Yaga’s legacy isn’t about being rigid—it’s about being real. And, let’s face it, in a world full of curses and chaos, having someone like Yaga around is a blessing in disguise.