Does Nobara wear an eyepatch in Jujutsu Kaisen after her return? Explained

Modified Aug 23, 2024 10:00 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen and the origin of Nobara's eyepatch (Image via MAPPA).

Nobara's eyepatch in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 267 spoilers is major evidence that shows how the character survived Mahito's attack during the Shibuya Incident arc. The character's return, much to the fandom's joy, and the eyepatch is a testament to the challenges she had to overcome in Shibuya and the lasting impact of said battle.

That is something that even most Jujutsu Kaisen fans thought of when they theorized how the character could return, with several fan art featuring her wearing an eyepatch. In that regard, it shows that Mahito did impact Nobara and led to her losing her eye, which many people will have to consider.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series.

Explaining the origin of Nobara's eyepatch in Jujutsu Kaisen

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The origin of Nobara's eyepatch goes all the way to the events of the Shibuya Incident arc, where she aided Yuji Itadori during his battle with Mahito. During this battle, the evil Curse used his Idle Transfiguration technique on Nobara's left eye, resulting in what a lot of people assumed was her death, losing said part of her face in the process.

For a long time, most people assumed that the young sorcerer was dead and no longer was a part of the story. However, some fans came up with theories that she was still alive and hidden to use her Cursed Technique on Ryomen Sukuna's finger to hurt him. Some fan art also showed her using an eyepatch.

This is one of those moments where fans got ahead of the author, Gege Akutami, as he reintroduced the character in the recently leaked chapter 267 wearing an eyepatch. That is the origin of Nobara's new look since she no longer has her left eye, although it is a small price to pay, considering she could have died against Mahito.

Final thoughts

Nobara, as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

There is no denying that Nobara's return is one of the most surprising moments in recent Jujutsu Kaisen memory, especially when even her biggest fans assumed she was dead. However, this might have some divisive ramifications in the story moving forward, considering Gege Akutami's approach to character deaths.

Akutami received much praise throughout his run for not being afraid of killing popular characters in his manga, with Satoru Gojo being the most prominent example. Nobara's return feels like a cop-out to a degree. Additionally, it feels like Gege did the character a disservice since she was out of commission during almost two entire arcs, which makes her feel quite underdeveloped.

Her return generated a lot of hype among the JJK community, but there is an argument that, at this point, she could have had a greater impact dead than alive. However, that is up for interpretation.

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Edited by Shreya Das