Nobara’s Jujutsu Kaisen Replacement Shuts the Door On Her Return

Warning! Contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 211!Ever since Nobara died in the Shibuya Incident arc, Jujutsu Kaisen fans have anxiously speculated about her return, but one manga chapter shows that she has been replaced instead of being resurrected. This may come as a disappointment to many, as Nobara is one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s best characters, with her interactions with Megumi and Yuji were a joy to read. But series author Gege Akutami has still managed to capture some of the fun of that relationship despite using a newer character.

In chapter 211, Megumi’s sister finally enters the Culling Game, as the rules have finally been added that can enable her to escape it. Megumi, being an awkward person in general, acts even more awkwardly around her, which gets Jujutsu Kaisen’s Yuji to make a snide comment to relative newcomer Hana Kurusu about how cute his behavior is.

She, in turn, smirks with him about it similarly to how Nobara would. It’s a minor detail, but it’s a very reassuring one to fans who have wanted to see a return of Jujutsu Kaisen‘s central trio of characters after the focus the Culling Game had on the manga’s side characters.

Jujutsu Kaisen Replaces Nobara With Hana

Hana started out as one of these side characters, initially being the sorcerer that Yuji and Megumi sought out to help them unseal Gojo from his prison. After meeting up with her, the trio formed a tentative alliance, strained by the fact that Hana wants to seek out and destroy Sukuna, who resides within Yuji. Despite this, the trio gets along pretty well, to the point where Yuji worries about Hana replacing Nobara in Jujutsu Kaisen in their trio in chapter 210. He eventually dismisses this as a dumb thing to worry about, and this latest chapter shows that he basically treats Hana as he did Nobara.

This is a great sign for the series as, after the Shibuya Incident, the manga became much darker and lacked the humorous interactions that its earlier chapters contained. A big part of this was Gojo and Nobara being gone, as those two characters were pretty humorous in addition to being great fighters. But now, with Hana effectively taking Nobara’s place as a person for Yuji to goof off with, the series will hopefully be able to recapture some of what made its earlier chapters so fun.

How Did Nobara Die in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Unfortunately, given the ambiguous nature of how Nobara died, some fans will likely never give up on the possibility of her being alive. Nobara died during the Shibuya Incident arc after encountering a clone of the Curse Mahito, who specialized in body manipulation. Nobara was actually able to harm the clone and by extension Mahito himself, which caused it to flee back to its original body. Nobara trailed it back to Mahito, at which point the Curse touched her, causing her eye to explode. Many fans presumed her to be dead at this point, but the series never technically confirmed her death, leaving fans with some hope.

While Hana’s introduction is likely a sign that Nobara will never return to life in Jujutsu Kaisen, her fans can at least be reassured of how well Hana mirrors her relationship with Yuji. And ultimately, despite her other awesome characteristics, this is what made her so fun to watch early on. So fans of Jujutsu Kaisen who stopped reading after Nobara’s death should pick the manga back up again, as Hana has so far been a great replacement for her.

Has Jujutsu Kaisen Hinted at Nobara’s Comeback?

Fans’ hope of Nobara Kugisaki’s potential return to the story has been renewed after an incident in Chapter #259 of the manga. In this chapter, Mei Mei used the word “Resonance” in conversation with Todo, immediately calling to mind Nobara’s technique that shares the exact same name. Not only this, Todo Aoi, another character who perished during the battle with Mahito, rejoined the fight in this chapter, surprising everyone. This suggests that not every character who died at Mahito’s hands is actually gone, giving Jujutsu Kaisen viewers newfound faith that maybe Nobara could return in a similar manner.

Todo’s revival and this mention of her technique are certainly optimistic signs, hinting that Nobara’s “death” back in chapter #125 as a result of Mahito’s cruelty was not permanent. Interestingly, her death was never confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Her demise is spoken about by other characters, such as Arata Nitta, who bluntly commented that the heroine had a greater than “zero percent chance” of living but was “probably dead.” These remarks do not outright prove her death, though. Akutami is known for throwing truly shocking curveballs in his manga, so her return is not out of the question yet.

Would it Even Make Sense to Bring Nobara Back This Late Into Jujutsu Kaisen?

Nobara’s Return is an Exciting Possibility, But It May Not be the Right Choice for the Overall Story

Bringing Nobara back is definitely a possibility. However, this prospect also provokes the question: should she return to the story at this point? She is undoubtedly a fan-favorite character and a very important part of the series, both on her own and as part of the hilarious and heartwarming friendship trio with Yuji and Megumi. The theory that she will assist Todo and Mei Mei with a plan to take down Sukuna is a compelling theory, but may not come to fruition in the end. Ultimately, it would feel more satisfying for Yuji to take down Sukuna himself.

After Gojo’s untimely death, Yuji has been passed the torch by his powerful, well-loved mentor. Gojo was not the only crucial person Yuji lost. He also watched Nanami, Todo, and Nobara die tragically before him, among countless others in later manga chapters. In light of this, it would be more impactful for Yuji himself to seek his justified revenge on the evil King of Curses and end the being’s life through his own actions. This would give the often underrated protagonist his own moment to shine and show off how strong his jujutsu sorcery skills have grown since the beginning of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Even After Her Death, Nobara Continues to Have Monumental Influence on the Story

Her Impact on Yuji’s Life was Tremendous, Inspiring Him in His Battle Against Sukuna

If Nobara does return, fans will certainly be pleased to see the mighty heroine rejoin the battle once more. But ultimately, even if her final moments in the series have truly passed, her impact was still monumental. Her charisma and humor provided much needed entertainment amidst the sorrow and death the series is rife with. Her efforts helped weaken Mahito, allowing the despicable villain to be defeated for good. Finally, her death spurred Yuji to fight even harder to ensure that Sukuna is defeated for good, proving Nobara’s undeniable influence on Jujutsu Kaisen’s story even after her passing.

Jujutsu Kaisen is available to read from Viz Media.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is a supernatural action anime that follows high school student Yuuji Itadori as he battles against magical curses. After Yuji selflessly saves a classmate by taking a curse into his own body, he is discovered and trained by a powerful sorcerer named Satoru Gojo. Gojo, who also happens to be a faculty member at a high school, enrolls Yuji there to help him and other students prepare themselves against the supernatural forces that plague humanity.

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Release Date

October 2, 2020

Seasons

3

Writers

Hiroshi Seko

Directors

Sunghoo Park , Shōta Goshozono

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