While many aspects of the ending to mangaka Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen series were unexpected, Mahito’s appearance is likely the most so. There had been no signs that the character still existed in any capacity, making his sudden conversation with Ryomen Sukuna following the King of Curses’ death especially shocking.
However, Mahito’s final appearance in Jujutsu Kaisen was more than just surprising; it brought some significant implications. One such implication directly affects the future that fan-favorite character Nobara Kugisaki has after the events of the series’ conclusion. While fans obviously won’t get to see this come to fruition, the possibility remains that Nobara may not have gotten her happy ever after.
Mahito’s reappearance in Jujutsu Kaisen suggests he lives in on all of his victims, including Nobara
The implication in question from Mahito’s reappearance in Jujutsu Kaisen suggests that he continues to exist inside his surviving victims. This is seemingly achieved via the “residue” he allegedly leaves behind in those whose souls he has touched. He was likewise able to speak with Sukuna because he touched the latter's soul during the events of the Vs. Mahito Arc. In other words, a piece of his soul resides in all those who survived his Idle Transfiguration’s effects.
However, this will only be relevant for a scant amount of people since most of those on whom Mahito used his Cursed Technique were turned into monsters that eventually died. While it’s possible that some of these Transfigured Humans survived and are in hiding, this seems unlikely. As a result, the number of people affected by this aspect of Mahito’s abilities is substantially smaller than it otherwise would be.
The true implication of this fact comes from Mahito’s final words in the series, which see him essentially say he’s the “only [one] left” amongst the most notable Cursed Spirits. This would suggest that he isn’t fully dead despite being absorbed into and used as ammo for Kenjaku’s Uzumaki in the Shibuya Incident Arc’s final moments.
Enter Nobara is the only one of Mahito’s victims in Jujutsu Kaisen to have survived, kept her sentience, and maintained a stable body. Coincidentally, or rather not so, Nobara also has a Cursed Technique that affects the souls of others. In Nobara’s case, this comes from contact with her Cursed Energy rather than conceptually touching a person’s soul, as is the case with Mahito’s abilities.
Given that she is the only one of Mahito’s victims to fall into such a specific niche, it’s possible that she may become his host in a manner similar to Yuji hosting Sukuna. Even if Mahito still has other pieces of his soul in existence, as Sukuna did via his fingers, Nobara would likely host his main soul, as Yuji did Sukuna’s. This is comparable to the Cursed Womb Death Paintings, who were essentially hybrid beings of humans and Cursed Spirits.
Likewise, if other pieces of Mahito’s soul did exist and he somehow forced Nobara to come into contact with and absorb them, he could even claim control of her body for himself. Again, this would be similar to Yuji and Sukuna’s situation, in which the latter overpowered the former once his own soul became strong enough.
The synergy of their Cursed Techniques and the potential for Mahito to improve would be more than enough motivation for him to do so.
Final thoughts
Unfortunately, this is all speculative as of this article’s writing. However, if Akutami ever chooses to greenlight a sequel series or author one himself, this would be an intriguing and exciting plot point to explore.
Related links
- Jujutsu Kaisen: How Did Nobara injure Mahito? Her Cursed Technique, explained
- Is Nobara Kugisaki dead in Jujutsu Kaisen? Explained
- 5 Jujutsu Kaisen manga moments that were perfect for Nobara Kugisaki's return