Why Nobara's return in Jujutsu Kaisen isn't a retcon by Gege Akutami, explained

Modified Sep 04, 2024 06:37 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen didn't retcon anything with Nobara's return (Image via MAPPA).

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 267 shocked most of the anime community with the return of Nobara Kugisaki, a character most people thought had died during the events of the Shibuya Incident arc. There were a lot of theories that she was still alive and the ways she could be a major asset fighting Ryomen Sukuna but most fans had assumed that she was dead by that point in the story.

Now that she has come back into the story, there have been discussions within the Jujutsu Kaisen fandom regarding whether this twist was a retcon and whether author Gege Akutami did it out of fanservice. The truth of the matter is different, Nobara's return can't be a retcon because it was never fully confirmed that she was dead, which is something that played a huge role, compared to other characters.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Explaining why Nobara Kugisaki's return to Jujutsu Kaisen makes sense and wasn't a retcon

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

Nobara fought Mahito during the events of the Shibuya Incident arc and her left eye was touched by the Curse's Idle Transfiguration technique, leading to that side of her to blow up, much to the shock of protagonist Yuji Itadori and the audience as a whole. However, it was revealed in chapter 267 of the manga that she managed to survive the hit and only lost her left eye in the process, which is why some people claim that it was a retcon.

It is worth pointing out that Arata, one of the Kyoto students, told Yuji a few minutes later that Nobara perhaps could be saved but he shouldn't get his hopes up. Later on, when talking with Megumi Fushiguro, the latter never outright tells him that she is dead, which is something that a lot of fans picked up on, especially considering that her body was never shown after the Mahito fight until chapter 267.

Another factor is that, Akutami has always been very clear when a character dies, such as splitting Satoru Gojo in half against Sukuna or blowing Nanami Kento to pieces against Mahito. While Nobara took a massive hit, what remained of her body could still survive.

The consequences of Nobara Kugisaki's return

Nobara's return has been divisive (Image via MAPPA).

The return of Nobara Kugisaki was one of the most shocking moments in Jujutsu Kaisen and had a lot of ramifications for the character's legacy in the story, particularly when it comes to the way she has been used. While many people have celebrated this comeback and were happy that their theories were proven correct, there is no denying that this comes with a series of problems.

There is a section of the fandom who thought that Nobara was, as a whole, wasted as a character because she was taken out during the Shibuya Incident arc when the stakes were getting higher. She was out of commission during the Culling Games arc and most of the final battle with Sukuna, which means that her character didn't have the chance to develop and play a more vital role, thus undermining her legacy in the story.

Final thoughts

While Nobara's return to Jujutsu Kaisen can be divisive from a narrative and storytelling perspective, this doesn't mean that it was a retcon. Gege Akutami established some crumbs and hinted that the character could make a comeback, which rewarded the reader in chapter 267.

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Edited by Bharath S