Jujutsu Kaisen Finally Confirms The Death Of A Major Character

Summary Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265 seemed to confirm Nobara's death through thematic contrasts and character montages.

Despite some ambiguity, chapter #265 makes it unlikely that Nobara is still alive.

Nobara's death highlights ongoing criticisms of Jujutsu Kaisen's handling of its female characters.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265.One of the biggest points of contention in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga has been the ambiguity of whether Nobara is dead or alive. The Shibuya Incident arc ended with a heavy emphasis on how there was a small chance she was still alive after Mahito’s attack, but there has yet to be a direct statement on anything surrounding her fate in the four years to follow.

Nobara’s fate in Jujutsu Kaisen has been a major question for years, but it might have finally been resolved. Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265 doesn’t directly address Nobara’s fate following the Shibuya Incident arc, but in a pivotal scene near the end of the chapter, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265 all but confirms that Nobara is dead by how she’s contrasted with other characters in the story.

There’s still some degree of ambiguity, but it’s less than ever before, and unfortunately, it further emphasizes one of the biggest problems with the series.

How Jujutsu Kaisen Finally Confirmed Nobara’s Death

Nobara Is Juxtaposed With Other Dead Characters

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265 was focused primarily on Yuji using his Domain Expansion to try appealing to Sukuna’s emotions one more time before killing him, and part of that involved Yuji talking about how he’s realized the importance of life and has moved past his mentality of being a cog. That idea was further contrasted by a montage of people who were important to Yuji that died throughout the series, and Nobara was included in that montage, so Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265 seemingly confirms Nobara’s death by putting her together with other characters who have died in the series.

There is still a bit of ambiguity surrounding Nobara’s death, however. In addition to how there still isn’t a direct statement of her being dead, in a recent flashback surrounding Todo’s involvement in the final battle against Sukuna, it was revealed that certain information was kept from Yuji out of fear that Sukuna could still access his memories, so Yuji could only think Nobara is dead because people are hiding the fact that she’s alive from Yuji. Considering the framing of chapter #265, though, that’s highly unlikely, and everything that happened should be treated as a confirmation of Nobara’s death.

Nobara’s Final Fate Was Never Definitively Addressed in the Story

However, as the Story Takes a Turn to Focus on Yuji, Nobara’s Return No Longer Seems Plausible

Unfortunately, there has not been much confirmation either way regarding whether Nobara is dead for good or will return to the series. Since the Shibuya Incident arc, no definitive news has arisen to explain the popular character's ultimate fate. She died quite suddenly, in an absolutely shocking moment, as Mahito transfigured her and killed her instantly, giving both viewers and Yuji little time to recover or even process what had just happened. Her death was indeed surprising, but for a character as integral to the story and well-developed as Nobara, her death should hold greater meaning than pure shock value.

Since another character, Aoi Todo, was able to resurrect briefly after his death and participate in a fight, some fans hoped that Nobara would be able to come back as well, if only for a short time. However, this does not seem plausible anymore, considering Jujutsu Kaisen's imminent end. The final few chapters highlight Yuji, the protagonist, as he gears up to take down the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. Since he is the main character, he deserves his chance to shine, but the way the story is drawing to a close seems to hint that Nobara's return is a lost cause.

Jujutsu Kaisen Continues Its Poor Handling Of Female Characters

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A constant point of criticism of Jujutsu Kaisen's handling of its female characters has been how they never get as much screentime, development, or overall good showings as the men. With Nobara confirmed to be dead, that both emphasizes her lack of development and means that Jujutsu Kaisen used Nobara to invoke the cliche of killing off a female character for the sake of a male character’s development. One other instance where this trope presents itself is in Tsumiki's death. Her death seems to have served as a tool to further Megumi's story and increase Sukuna's power.

However, Tsumiki's untimely demise resulted in her character never receiving the development or relationships with other characters that she deserved, since she died before many details about her were ever revealed. Similar complaints have been voiced about characters like Hana, Mei Mei, and Yuki. Each of these incredible women garnered interest from viewers who hoped to see them fleshed out and developed in the story, but each time, they either quickly died at the hands of an enemy in a shocking way or they received very sparse moments of screen time when compared to the series' male heroes.

One of the Biggest Problems With the Series Is How It Treats Its Heroines

Nobara’s Death Is Another Example of Jujutsu Kaisen Failing Its Female Characters

Over the course of Jujutsu Kaisen, its portrayal of female characters has been its massive sticking point. Missed opportunities occur again and again with Jujutsu Kaisen's heroines, who often die before realizing their potential or receiving the same development as male characters. Tragically, it seems Nobara is now just another example of a female character who deserved a better fate, but is doomed to never receive one. Now that she is all but confirmed dead in Jujutsu Kaisen, there isn’t a clear way to fix that, and with the story about to end, there are few opportunities to change that.

Unfortunately, by not confirming or denying Nobara's death and the way her passing was handled, Jujutsu Kaisen has again failed another one of its female heroes. The series is often praised for its powerful female heroes with interesting powers and intriguing personalities, but as wonderful as these characters are, the story often does not use them properly. These stellar women too often become mere plot devices, shock value deaths, or tools to prove another character's power or develop their character arc. As amazing of a story as Jujutsu Kaisen is, this is one area in which it continually falls flat time and time again.