Jujutsu Kaisen has emerged as one of the greatest modern shonen anime series of all time, and its third season, released earlier this year, only solidified the anime’s special place in the genre. One of the best elements of the series is how its protagonist, Yuji Itadori, stands out. The anime initially sets up the classic shonen trope by having Yuji inherit the evil power of the ancient sorcerer, Ryomen Sukuna, leading fans to naturally expect him to tame and eventually become one with that power. However, the series never takes that route, instead making Sukuna even more evil as he plots his escape and commits actions that continue to haunt the main character.
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The series makes it clear that Sukuna is evil to the core and that there will never be a narrative in which he and Yuji truly become one. Because of this, one of the biggest fantasies among Jujutsu Kaisen fans has been wondering what would happen if Sukuna were good. While Jujutsu Kaisen will never answer that question, there is an anime currently airing that explores that very premise. As part of the new anime released in Summer 2026, Black Torch has emerged as one of the standout action-fantasy series streaming on Crunchyroll, answering the question of what might happen if Sukuna and Yuji became united.
Black Torch Is Summer 2026’s Surprising Replacement for Jujutsu Kaisen
Black Torch features a protagonist, Jiro Azuma, who, much like Yuji Itadori, is not an ordinary high school student and is instead gifted with extraordinary physical prowess. Jiro’s special agility is explained to have come from his ancestors, who were shinobi, and he has spent years honing his skills. An even more surprising trait is his ability to communicate with animals. Since taking care of animals has become his hobby, he encounters a strange cat named Rago on the verge of death and rescues it. However, he soon learns that Rago is actually the legendary Black Star of Doom, a title given to a powerful mononoke that devours humans.
The first episode features Rago being attacked by other mononoke because of his legendary powers, and in his determination to help Rago, Jiro is pierced by one of them. However, Rago ends up being consumed by Jiro, granting him the special powers of the mononoke that everyone sought to possess. The dynamic between Rago and Sukuna is similar, considering that both are legends within their respective cultures. Thus, seeing Rago become one with Jiro from the very beginning makesBlack Torchfeel like Jujutsu Kaisen with an amusing Sukuna twist. What makes this even more surprising is that there are several other elements of Black Torch that resembleJujutsu Kaisen.
One of the most notable similarities, besides Jiro and Yuji’s somewhat matching personalities, is the existence of the Bureau of Espionage, a special force deployed to deal with mononoke, much like the sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen, whom ordinary people know nothing about. The premiere ends with Jiro being captured by the Bureau of Espionage, whose members are also intrigued by Rago’s power. These elements have helped Black Torch emerge as a peculiar anime that feels very similar toJujutsu Kaisen. After its first episode, it truly makes one wonder if Black Torch is essentially Jujutsu Kaisen if Sukuna were good and willingly shared his power with Yuji. Crunchyroll is currently streaming the anime every Saturday, and it is worth following the new episodes to see whether it can live up to the standards of Jujutsu Kaisenand serve as its replacement in Summer 2026.
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