Highlights
- Nobara's death in JJK was unexpected, but her return is still possible, leaving fans with hope for her comeback in the story.
- The fact that Nobara's death was never explicitly confirmed in the series adds to the possibility of her survival and return in future chapters.
- If Nobara were to return, she could play a crucial role in the battle against Sukuna, given her ability to damage enemies' souls, making her valuable to the story.
Nobara Kugisaki was one of the main characters in JJK at the very beginning. Alongside Yuji and Megumi, she was part of the main trio in the series that the fans followed, under the guidance of none other than Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer. Nobara was on track to becoming one of the strongest sorcerers in the modern era, however, her journey in JJK was, unfortunately, cut short. This was down to the fact that Gege loves to kill off his characters, regardless of how it affects the plot, as he has explained himself before as well.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Akutami Kills Off A Major Character
Gege Akutami kills off yet another JJK character in the raid on Sukuna.
This isn't the smartest of decisions at times, and leaves many character arcs incomplete. Nobara's character arc was certainly far from complete itself, and fans were utterly devastated at knowing that she isn't going to be involved in the future of the story anymore. However, the gate for her return is still open, now more than ever before.
Nobara's Death In JJK
Nobara Lost Her Life To Mahito In Shibuya
Nobara has been in many battles in Jujutsu Kaisen right from the beginning of the series. This isn't a surprise to the fans, given that this is a story heavily focused on combat. In fact, JJK can be said to be much more battle-focused than most Shonen out there, which is a boon in many ways, but also a curse in some others. For Nobara, she got plenty of opportunities to strut her stuff at the beginning of the series, and she did so effortlessly on many occasions. Nobara, just like the other two characters in the main trio, Yuji and Megumi, was growing consistently with each passing arc.
However, in the end, things didn't go as fans would have expected for this character. In the Shibuya Incident Arc, Nobara met her end. This was an unexpected turn in the series, and one that left the fans utterly shocked, given the importance of this character to the plot. The Shibuya Incident arc gave fans their first proper taste of Gege Akutami unleashing his inner monster. He started killing off characters left, right, and center, and Nobara also ended up being caught up in the vortex. Right when the battle between Yuji and Mahito was getting intense, Nobara joined the fray as well. At this point, Mahito had split himself in two.
I'll bring her dead body to Yuji Itadori and destroy his soul!
One part of him was fighting against Yuji, while the other was fighting against Nobara herself. The one fighting Nobara could not use the power of Idle Transfiguration, which is why it was at a disadvantage against her, given that her techniques directly targeted the soul of an individual using Resonance, making her a perfect counter to Mahito. Realizing the threat that she posed, the other half of Mahito started running towards his main body that was fighting against Yuji, and swapped places. Essentially, Nobara, who was chasing Mahito at that point, did not realize that the swap happened and was hit with Idle Transfiguration when she least expected it.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Aoi Todo Returns To Fight Sukuna
Aoi Todo, a beloved character, has finally returned in JJK.
With a single touch of his palm, Mahito was able to destroy the left side of Nobara's face, and essentially leave her for dead. This shocked Yuji to his very core, and, at the same time, the fans were in disbelief as well. Fans even got a small flashback of Nobara after this, which all but solidified the fact that she had died. However, even though she suffered from this traumatic injury, there is still hope for this character, against all odds.
Why Nobara's Return Is Still Possible
Nobara's Death Was Never Outright Stated To Have Happened
The very first thing that fans need to keep in mind is that Nobara's death was never explicitly confirmed in the series. Nobara did suffer from a very dangerous injury, and it is highly likely that she did die. However, the chances for her to have survived this event still exist and this is down to the fact that the death was never confirmed. When Nobara was hit with this powerful technique, it was made immediately clear that there was slight hope for her and that she would be receiving treatment immediately. However, what was also made clear to Yuji was the fact that nothing was absolutely certain. After Aoi Todo and Yuji collaborated in defeating Mahito, and the Shibuya Incident arc was over, Yuji found out through Megumi that Nobara did not make it.
Ever since I rejoined you, I've been afraid of her replacing Kugisaki.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say that Megumi feigned silence at this moment, which, once again, only implied that Nobara had died. However, a proper confirmation of her death was never provided to the fans. Megumi never said that Nobara is essentially dead, and neither did any other character in the series. While the implication was certainly that Nobara died, the author could easily have been tricking the fans here, setting up Nobara for a grand return later down the line.
This is truer now than ever before. In the previous chapter of JJK, Todo returned to battle. Now, Todo's case is slightly different from that of Nobara. For one, fans know that Todo was alive and well after Shibuya. The only thing he supposedly lost there was the power to use Boogie Woogie, as he mentioned himself back then. However, in the previous chapter of JJK, Todo joined the battlefield with Boogie Woogie intact, stating that he started feeling the heartbeat of the cursed technique once again.
Essentially, this does set up Nobara's return in the story as well. If Todo, who was also hit by Idle Transfiguration, was able to survive, then Nobara could as well. Granted her injuries were more severe and could easily have led to death, but, if her injury somehow managed to be non-fatal, then there is absolutely a chance for her to have survived and honed her powers ever since then. When it comes to the possibility of Nobara's survival, it certainly exists, and that is something that no fan of the series can deny.
If anything, Nobara's return right now in the story makes a lot of sense. This is because she would be of great help in the battle against Sukuna. Fans know that Nobara has the power to deal damage directly to the souls of the enemies. This is an ability that she has in common with Yuji, who has punches that can damage the soul of his enemy. Nobara can do something similar with her blows. That is precisely why Mahito feared her to an extent, and why she would be pivotal in the battle against Sukuna. If Todo made it to this battle, then so can Nobara and there is nothing that's stopping her other than the author himself.
Of course, the question of whether Nobara should return or not is a different thing entirely. Even if she were to return at this point in the story, what is sad is that she would have missed over half of the series and her character progression would be very lazy and cheaply written. It would make for a cool moment, and that goes without saying. However, that would certainly not make her a well-written character and that aspect is one that should also be taken into consideration.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen, JJK chapter 260, is set to be May 19, 2024.
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