Nobara's return: Why Nobara's return to Jujutsu Kaisen seems more like a "plot device," explained

Why Nobara's return to Jujutsu Kaisen seems more like a "plot device," explained

Modified Aug 30, 2024 16:00 GMT

Nobara as seen in the anime (image via MAPPA)

For almost four long years, Jujutsu Kaisen fans had patiently awaited the return of Nobara Kugisaki, who suffered a grave injury in the Shibuya Incident arc and was subsequently sidelined from the story, with her fate left ambiguous.

Given that the manga was announced to end on September 30, 2024, most of the fans had given up hope of seeing Nobara return. However, the mangaka, Gege Akutami, managed to subvert fans' expectations once again, as Nobara was miraculously brought back in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 267, which surprisingly received mixed reactions from the audience.

Fans had one major complaint while expressing their opinions on her return—that it felt more like a "plot device" to kill Sukuna, which, when given some thought, is justified to a certain extent.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the author. Reader's discretion is advised.

Why Nobara's return to Jujutsu Kaisen seems like a "plot device" to defeat Sukuna

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Nobara Kugisaki's return in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 267 ended up dividing the entire fandom once again, due to the difference in their opinions on her comeback. While some fans were overjoyed upon witnessing her return, others complained that the timing of her return was a bit too convenient for the plot.

According to the fans, bringing Nobara back during the final stages of the fight, and turning her into a "plot device" to defeat Ryomen Sukuna at the last minute, was not a good decision by the mangaka, Gege.

They pointed out that her return had almost no build-up to it, and her waking up about half an hour before the current stage of the fight was just too convenient for the narrative—her Resonance technique leading to Yuji further weakening Sukuna's hold on Megumi's body, eventually separating them.

As such, a lot of fans were unhappy with how Gege Akutami handled Nobara's much-awaited return, as they claimed that she was brought back from death just to deal a massive blow to Sukuna, that too when he was down on his last legs, and additionally to satisfy fans of her character before the manga reaches its imminent conclusion.

Megumi and Nobara as seen in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (image via MAPPA)

Looking back, by providing fans with vague hints about her fate, including her appearance in Yuji's vision of the people close to him who had died, it's clear that Akutami wanted Nobara's comeback to be one of the series' most shocking twists, especially since almost no one expected her to return at the current stage of the series. However, due to this timing, fans felt her return was slightly rushed.

Many even felt that her character's return was simply a means to generate hype, while others compared it to Katsuki Bakugo's return from death in Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia manga. Nobara's return has become a common topic of discussion for quite a long time on social media, as fans continue to either criticize it or draw comparisons with other animanga characters.

According to the fans, their disapproval of Nobara's return stems from the fact that the character was killed off very early in the story and was subsequently sidelined for the rest of the series, only to be brought back four chapters prior to the manga's conclusion.

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Nobara's popularity with fans, explored

Nobara Kugisaki's popularity among fans is mainly due to her personality, her connection with the other characters, and most importantly, because she was seen as an equally valuable team member alongside Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro.

Although she wasn't as powerful as her male counterparts, she never once became a burden to them and instead found her own ways to shine during a fight against stronger opponents.

One of Gege Akutami's most impressive feats is perhaps getting the fans deeply attached to the majority of Jujutsu Kaisen's cast of characters, and that too with limited screen time. This became prominent with the overwhelming popularity of characters like Satoru Gojo, Kento Nanami, and Nobara Kugisaki, with Nobara even being considered one of the shonen animes' best female main characters.

Even though a major portion of the fanbase complained upon seeing her being brought back as a plot device to defeat Sukuna, they eventually ended up being glad to see her alive and reuniting with her friends again.

What's more—fans were ecstatic upon witnessing her humorous interactions with Yuji and Megumi in the spoilers of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 268, where the beloved trio of characters are seen performing goofy antics and sharing a hearty laugh once more, just like how they used to towards the beginning of the series.