Without a strong female character, the protagonist trio in every Shonen anime is incomplete. The magnificent Nobara Kugisaki in Jujutsu Kaisen only serves as more evidence of it. She attracted a sizable following after her debut and even took home the “Best Female Character” award at the 2022 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. However, Nobara fought against Kenjaku and his curse army in the Shibuya Incident arc and faced a tragic attack. Every single fan, including me, was heartbroken by this incident. So, to learn whether Nobara Kugisaki is dead or alive in Jujutsu Kaisen, read on.
Spoilers Warning: This article includes spoilers for Nobara Kugisaki’s character in Jujutsu Kaisen. We suggest you watch the anime and read the manga to avoid ruining the experience.
Who is Nobara Kugisaki in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Nobara Kugisaki was one of the supporting characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, serving as the tritagonist. Nobara was introduced as a first-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High and began working as a Grade 3 jujutsu sorcerer. She was also a part of the protagonist trio, along with Itadori Yuji and Megumi Fushiguro, and played a vital role in the series.
Nobara was rapidly shaping up to be a stronger character in the series. And as a testament to that, she truly unleashed her potential and showed it on numerous occasions. Just when we thought she was starting to achieve new highs in her Jujutsu sorcerer career, she was met with tragedy.
How Was Nobara Killed in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Nobara’s death was not at all imminent and happened all of a sudden. So, let’s take a look at how really things went down leading to her death.
The Shibuya Incident arc turned out to be a massive battle royale-like incident, as we can see all the characters battling out for their lives and the greater good. It’s also the event where Gojo gets sealed inside the Prison Realm by Kenjaku (aka Psuedo-Geto). On October 31st, 2023, the dreadful battle between Nobara and Mahito began. Nobara Kugisaki really wanted to knock Mahito out of the park, as it would be a big win for the sorcerers.
When the battle kicked off, Nobara put on a stellar performance against Mahito and caused several fatal injuries to him. Nobara hugely succeeded in injuring his soul, which made him pull back from the battle against Yuji.
Mahito realized the bloody potential of Nobara and her techniques, and there was only one way he could emerge as the winner in this fight. And that was to perform a sneaky move and outplay her, which eventually led to Nobara’s death.
Who Killed Nobara Kugisaki in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Itadori saw through Mahito’s ruse and told Nobara to flee, but it was too late to save Nobara from her death. Mahito successfully pulled off his sneak attack by switching places with his double and catching her off-guard. Since Nobara badly wanted to defeat Mahito, she let her guard down, and she never knew the double was the original body.
Mahito instantly utilized this opening and landed a blow (based on Idle Transfiguration) to Nobara’s face. Nobara Kugisaki became overconfident, ultimately leading to her getting killed by Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 124 and episode 43 of the anime.
There is a popular saying or belief that on the brink of one’s death, one will experience their life’s moments flashing before their eyes. It was the same here as upon receiving a brutal hit to the face, Kugisaki recalled her favorite memories on the edge of death. Her last words were “Tell everyone it wasn’t so bad” to Itadori. And these last words can be taken as a huge confirmation of Nobara’s current status in JJK.
These last words during Nobara’s death were so painful and crushing that they offered a bittersweet moment from nowhere. In chapter 126 of Jujutsu Kaisen, we see Nobara lying on the floor with half of her face disfigured by Mahito’s bloody attack. Honestly, this wound look like there was no coming back from that. Itadori stood there frozen looking upon his best friend’s death, and our reaction was just the same.
Nobara’s Current Status in Jujutsu Kaisen: Is She Back from the Dead?
The last time fans ever saw Nobara Kugisaki was in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 126, which makes us ponder whether Nobara is dead or alive. In the next chapter, Nobara’s death is mentioned again along with Kento Nanami’s by Aratta Nitto. This is because both the loss of Nobara and Nanami occurred at the hands of Mahito.
Fast forward to chapter 144 in Itadori’s Extermination arc, Yuji asks Megumi about Nobara’s status. To which, Megumi reacts in silence and the focus and sad reaction of Itadori also acts as an indirect confirmation of Nobara Kugisaki’s death in JJK. Furthermore, he clenches his fist and says, “I get it,” basically accepting the loss.
Even though it looked like Nobara was dead in Jujutsu Kaisen, in reality, it was not confirmed by Gege Akutami in the manga officially.
Nobara’s Finally Back in JJK Manga Chapter 267
In Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265, Yuji was shown conversing with Sukuna about how he could not forgive those who took other people’s lives because they believed they were unworthy. Many of the friends and family of Itadori Yuji, who had died in the series, appeared in these panels when he spoke about this issue.
Along with Wasuke Itadori, Junpei Yoshino, Nanami, Choso, and Gojo Satoru, Gege also included Kugisaki’s image in a dedicated panel. This piece of information was crucial in confirming Nobara Kugisaki’s death in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. However, Gege being Gege had a twist in store.
While we thought Nobara’s status was finally confirmed, Gege had different plans in mind. The fans believed she was still somewhere alive, and it became a reality in JJK chapter 267. Nobara Kugisaki has made a great comeback and she is well and alive in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. She was seen wearing an eye patch and was at the location of the final finger of Sukuna.
Upon coming back, Nobara used her Resonance cursed technique on the last remaining finger of Sukuna to severely damage his soul. As black spikes emerged from Sukuna’s body, Yuji recognized this technique and realized that his friend Nobara was alive after all. She greatly helped in creating an opening for Yuji, and we are now left to see her full powers in the remaining chapters of the JJK manga.
After summarizing all the information, we can conclude that Nobara Kugisaki is still alive in Jujutsu Kaisen. Previously, there have been several indirect confirmations for Kugisaki’s death but now her comeback in the series has been officially confirmed. In the meantime, what do you think about Nobara’s comeback in JJK, share your thoughts in the comments below.
There have been plenty of indirect mentions of Nobara’s death in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga earlier. As of right now, in chapter 267 Gege Akutami has officially confirmed that Nobara survived Mahito’s attack and is still alive in Jujutsu Kaisen.
No! Nobara has been confirmed to be alive in chapter 267 of JJK. She was seen helping Yuji in his final battle with Sukuna in the series.
Hana Kurusu is considered a replacement for Nobara Kugisaki now in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
Technically, Mahito dealt the final fatal blow to Nobara during the Shibuya Incident. However, she has survived that and recovered from it successfully.
When Mahito landed his Idle Transfiguration blow on Kugisaki’s face, the burst followed made Nobara lose her left eye as it was seen splashing and thrown to the ground. Thus, she is now wearing an eye patch like a pirate as she made her comeback in the series.
