One of the biggest anime properties in the world is Jujutsu Kaisen, based on the best-selling manga series by Gege Akutami, which launched its third season at the start of the year. Among the fan-favorite actors who bring the English-language dub of the hit supernatural action series to life is Adam McArthur, who voices the show’s protagonist Yuji Itadori. Den of Geek sat down with McArthur for an exclusive interview at New York Comic Con 2026 where he reflected on his recent work with Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 and teased his upcoming starring role in the Netflix original anime series Fool Night.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 really dials up the cinematic qualities of the series, especially coming off the intense highs of the preceding season’s Shibuya Incident story arc. The stakes escalate even higher this season, though through it all Yuji maintains sight of the wisdom that his grandfather imparted on him at the start of the series to help others. That advice is something that McArthur takes to heart and helps guide his performance every time he comes back to play the character again even as Yuji gradually understands what his bigger purpose in the story is.
“When he’s getting his butt kicked by Kinji Hakari, he has a whole speech about what his function is,” McArthur observes. “He’s accepting his role in the bigger picture. I think without the path that his grandpa sent him down, we wouldn’t necessarily have that speech and that realization from Yuji that he’s just a cog, that he’s meant to keep killing curses until he rusts away. It allows him to have this viewpoint that he brings up to Hakari but what their function is in all of that.”
Audiences can also see McArthur’s memorable performances in Tokyo Revengers and Kaiju No. 8 but there is something particularly special about his work in Jujutsu Kaisen. For McArthur, a big part of his own appeal in playing Yuji is the character’s resilience and his firm moral compass, something that he’s reminded of whenever he meets fans that have gone through a lot in their own lives but still come out intact and inspired.
“After everything that happened to Yuji in Shibuya, he has every right to be the villain,” McArthur continues. “He could have very well taken all of that stuff and let it turn him bad. What I love about him is that he still tries to make the right decisions despite the adversity and that makes him really special.”
For McArthur, connecting directly with fans is a huge part of the responsibility and joy that comes with the role, estimating that he does around 40 conventions and shows around the country each year. Meeting and interacting with fans, McArthur takes to heart how much the stories and his work in bringing his characters to life resonate with the audience on a personal level. This in turn inspires him every time he gets in the recording booth himself.
“I tell people all the time that the fan-side is just as important as the voiceover actor side,” McArthur explains. “Without the fans, there is no community and without the community there is no show to be had. The shows would go away and, without the show, there’d be nothing to have these conversations about.”
Among the most exciting new projects that McArthur has coming up is the upcoming Netflix anime series Fool Night, based on the manga series by Kasumi Yasuda. With all 12 episodes set to debut on the streaming service on November 26, the show boasts an all-star voice cast led by McArthur and some truly stunning animation to bring this story to life. McArthur plays Toshiro Kamiya, whose hardscrabble existence on a post-apocalyptic world takes a turn when he tries to save his ailing mother. This leads to catastrophic consequences, with McArthur really bringing out how tortured Toshiro becomes through his emotional performance.
“This guy has nothing left to live for; he is the ultimate sad boy,” the actor teases. “It’s a pretty sad story. He comes from nothing. His family takes him for granted and is abusive. He’s trying his best to save his mother, so he makes a very drastic decision and it affects what’s remaining of his life.”
Toshiro Kamiya in Fool Night is very much in line with McArthur’s acclaimed work in playing Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen, both young characters forced to grow up quickly and sacrifice tremendously in face of extraordinary circumstances. McArthur leaves everything on the field for his soul-searing performances, noting that he often leaves recording sessions physically and emotionally exhausted to bring those raw qualities out in his work. But for audiences who find their own inspiration in what characters like Yuji endure and persevere through, McArthur settles for nothing less in reflecting that emotional honesty through his performance in the recording booth.
“When I’m in there, I’m breaking my heart for you guys, for the audience,” McArthur reflects. “I have to live those moments as if they’re happening to me and it feels heartwrenching. I’m feeling all of those emotions as I’m acting them.”
All three seasons of Jujutsu Kaisen are available to stream on Crunchyroll. Fool Night premieres November 26 on Netflix.
