One of the biggest mysteries in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga has been whether Nobara is dead or alive. After the Shibuya Incident arc, there was a small hint that she might still be alive after Mahito’s attack, but there has been no clear statement about her fate in the four years since.
Nobara’s fate has been a major question for years, but it might finally be close to resolution. In Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265, although the chapter doesn’t directly address what happened to Nobara after the Shibuya Incident arc, a key scene towards the end strongly suggests that Nobara is dead by how she is compared with other characters in the story.
There is still some uncertainty, but it is less than before. Unfortunately, this also highlights one of the biggest issues with the series.
Yuji’s Final Appeal and the Controversial Fate of Nobara
In Jujutsu Kaisen chapter #265, the main focus is on Yuji using his Domain Expansion to try to appeal to Sukuna’s emotions one last time before killing him. Yuji talks about how he has learned the value of life and moved past seeing himself as just a tool.
This idea is highlighted by a montage of people important to Yuji who have died throughout the series, including Nobara. This montage suggests that Nobara is confirmed dead, as she is shown alongside other deceased characters.
However, there is still some uncertainty about Nobara’s death. There is no direct statement confirming her death, and a recent flashback involving Todo’s role in the final battle against Sukuna reveals that some information was kept from Yuji.
This was done out of concern that Sukuna might access Yuji’s memories. This means that Yuji might believe Nobara is dead because people are hiding the truth from him. Despite this, chapter #265 strongly implies Nobara’s death, making it seem unlikely that she is still alive.
One major criticism of Jujutsu Kaisen is how it handles its female characters. They often receive less screen time, development, and significant moments compared to male characters. With Nobara’s likely death, this issue is highlighted even more.
It suggests that Jujutsu Kaisen has used Nobara to further the development of male characters, a common trope where a female character’s death serves mainly to impact the development of a male character. As the story nears its end, it’s unlikely there will be a chance to address this problem.
