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 Geto and his curses 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 until chapter 265.
Nobara’s Death Confirmed in JJK Manga Chapter 265
Until chapter 265, there was no direct mention or official confirmation regarding whether Nobara was dead or alive in the manga. This led to fans believing she was still somewhere alive, and there were many theories out there. Fans expected Nobara to have a great comeback to the series. Well, however, as always Akutami sensei had different plans in mind.
In Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 265, Yuji was shown conversing with Sukuna about how he could not forgive those who take other people’s lives because they believe they are 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, more significantly it also included Nobara Kugisaki’s image in a dedicated panel. This piece of information was crucial in officially confirming Nobara Kugisaki’s death in the Jujutsu Kaisen series.
After summarizing all the information we have regarding Nobara’s fight, death, and conversations afterward, we can conclude that Nobara Kugisaki is dead in JJK. There have been plenty of indirect confirmations of Kugisaki’s death but now her death has been officially confirmed by Gege Akutami as of now. In the meantime, what do you think about Nobara’s death in JJK, share your thoughts in the comment section below.
There have been plenty of indirect mentions of Nobara’s death in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga earlier. As of right now, in chapter Gege Akutami has officially confirmed her death in the series.
Yes! Nobara have been confirmed to be dead in chapter 265 of JJK. She was seen along with the list of other characters who have passed away in the series.
Hana Kurusu is considered a replacement for Nobara Kugisaki now in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
Yes! It is now confirmed that the final fatal blow leading to her demise was dealt by Mahito. So, we can say Nobara was killed by Mahito.
When Mahito landed his Idle Transfiguration blow on Kugisaki’s face, the burst followed upon made Nobara lose her right eye as it was seen splashing and thrown to the ground.