This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen’s epilogue.
Summary
- Nobara’s supposed death in the Shibuya Incident arc was orchestrated by Mahito to make Yuji stronger.
- Nobara returned in the Shinjuku Showdown arc to help Yuji defeat Sukuna, showcasing her growth and power.
- Despite some development in the epilogue, Nobara’s lack of progression and screen time throughout Jujutsu Kaisen led to disappointment.
Jujutsu Kaisen conclusion saw the author drop the curtain on some of the most incredible story arcs that he established over the years. Fans finally got to see everything concerning the character of Sukuna, as well as his incredible fight against Yuji Itadori. It is safe to say that Jujutsu Kaisen lived up to expectations when concerning the main character, as well as the main antagonist.
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Of course, the story did end up disappointing certain fans as well due to characters not being given the treatment they deserved and it is safe to say that Nobara Kugisaki is certainly one of them. For the longest time, fans had been wondering if Nobara was even truly dead or not, and the finale of Shinjuku Showdown gave the fans the answer to the question, along with much else to ponder upon. Needless to say, Nobara’s whole character was a mixed bag and something that fans would’ve wanted more from since the writing left a lot to be desired.
Nobara’s “Death” In The Shibuya Incident Arc
- Nobara Was Taken Down By Mahito
- Used As A Means To Make Yuji Stronger
Nobara Kugisaki was one of the brightest characters in Jujutsu Kaisen at one point. Upon witnessing her terrific performances, fans were absolutely certain that she would go on to shine later down the line as well. It is safe to say that everyone had high expectations of Nobara when the story began. Her progress was fascinating to watch and what’s even more shocking was the fact that she was successfully keeping up with Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro, something that isn’t common for female characters in manga. Yet, Nobara stood as a character who defied all that, until a certain period of time, that is.
There are only so many seats open in my life, and I can’t let myself be swayed by anyone who’s not in one of them. — Nobara
Following the first few arcs, especially after her fight with Eso and Kechizu alongside Yuji, Nobara definitely started to struggle for quality time in the story. This was especially compounded in the Shibuya Incident arc, where her entire plot took a very dark turn. Nobara didn’t get the shine that she deserved in Shibuya, but what’s even worse was that she was essentially killed off in the story here, or so the author would have the fans believe.
Nobara came face to face with Mahito’s double and although she did get in some good hits on him, eventually, her lack of focus meant that the real Mahito tagged her face and used Idle Transfiguration to beat him. One side of her face was seen bursting open, and with that, the character of Kugisaki Nobara came to an end for the most part. This was then used by Yuji as fuel to fight against Mahito and beat him, and he shaped his early ideology around this death as well. Needless to say, Yuji ended up defeating Mahito in the end and he grew even stronger.
As the story headed into the Culling Game, fans saw more attention being turned to Yuji and Megumi as they continued to grow. Nobara was left far behind. But, with time, even Megumi was cut out of the plot as he became Sukuna’s vessel and then a tool for him to beat Gojo. Yuji was essentially being singled out as the only character in the main trio worthy of attention, and this is something that fans heavily regret.
How Nobara Returned In The Shinjuku Showdown Arc
Nobara Kugisaki Helped Yuji Beat Sukuna
When Nobara “died,” the author made it very clear that there was still a chance for her to survive. She was clearly on death’s door, but Nitta gave the fans hope, reminding them, however, that the chances of survival were slim. Still, fans clung to this, knowing that Nobara could’ve potentially survived. After all, Gege did introduce a very important detail in the story that suggested she wouldn’t die.
Let’s see some smiles boys! — Nobara
Finally, in the Shinjuku Showdown arc of JJK, Nobara Kugisaki was shown to have finally woken up. With Nobara returning from her coma, it was time for her to immediately head to battle and make a big impression in the battle against Sukuna, the King of Curses. She did just that when she found Sukuna’s final finger and managed to use her soul-damaging power to hit him.
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This, when combined with Yuji’s tremendously powerful attacks on him, and Megumi’s shadow doing bits, allowed for the King of Curses to lose. Needless to say the King of Curses couldn’t withstand two heavy soul hitters and ended up falling when Yuji settled things inside his domain. Nobara played a significant role in the final battle in Shinjuku, and she gets all the credit for that. But, for her character to be cut out of the story entirely for the vast majority, undergo no progression at all, and not even be fleshed out to have her own moments here and there meant that Nobara was always going to be an incredibly bizarre character with no particular direction panned out by the author.
Nobara’s Role Beyond Shinjuku Showdown
Nobara Finally Met Her Mother
Nobara played a small role in defeating Sukuna, and that was certainly brilliant for the fans to see. Following the war, Nobara was shown to have grown in maturity quite a bit. Fans even got to see Nobara meeting her own mother, all thanks to Gojo finding the info out for her. Their meeting certainly didn’t grow as planned, but at the very least, fans got to see that Nobara had now grown tremendously and at the same time, that she was going to live her own life the way she wanted, never living for anyone else.
All in all, Nobara’s story was quite fun at first, but her being cut out of the vast majority of the plot and undergoing absolutely no growth still sticks out and pains the fans. Whereas she was a very unique female characters at one point, she ended up becoming one of the most disappointing ones by the time Jujutsu Kaisen ended. The epilogue certainly added a bit more depth to the character, but she certainly needed much more than just that. Hopefully, if JJK ever continues, fans can get to see more of Nobara and her adventures through life. At the very least, one can say that the main trio of JJK is back and that they’ll get even stronger the more challenges they face in the future.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s last chapter, JJK 271, was finally released on September 29, 2024. Fans can read the series on the Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.