Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #267 of Jujutsu Kaisen
Whilethe unexpected return of fan-favoriteNobara Kugisakito theJujutsu Kaisenfold was a happy development to the rather dark conclusion of the story, it did pose more questions than it resolved – such as why Nobara was kept “under wraps” for so long. However, one question that it seems to resolve is whether the story will see a return of that other fan-favorite,Megumi Fushiguro.
While the story over the last few chapters has centered on what seems to be the last round of the fight between Yuji Itador and Ryomen Sukuna, Chapter #267 threw in a surprising twist, namely the final resolution of whether Nobara was alive or dead – a question that had floated in the background of the story since her fight against Mahito way back in Chapter #125.
While her return - in and of itself – is a major development in the story, it also significantly raises the likelihood that the story will finally see the return of the last member ofthe originalJujutsu Kaisentrio- Megumi Fushiguro.
Jujutsu Kaisen Finally Teases Gojo & Nobara’s Return
Gojo and Nobara are two hugely popular characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, and the hit series just delivered a big clue that they could be returning soon.
Nobara’s Return Has Far-Reaching Influence
The Implications of Nobara’s Return Are Even More Significant Than It Seems
Nobara’s return makes it much easier from a narrative perspective for creator Gege Akutami to bring Megumi back. This is because the last time that fans saw Nobara, Mahito had blown out the side of her head with his Idle Transfiguration innate technique. While Akutami has shown that in the world ofJujutsu Kaisen, fans should always expect the unexpected, it certainly seemed likethere was no way Nobara could recoverfrom that trauma.
Nevertheless, she has survived, and while an explanation of how she did so may come before the series ends, it remains a miracle. On the other hand, Megumi is neither dead nor injured — he’s just possessed, albeit by the strongest sorcerer ever. However, he is in a stronger position to return than Nobara was when she lay on the subway platform after Mahito’s attack. Indeed, as suggested in Chapter #265,after Yuji’s heartfelt plea, Megumi finally seems to be fighting back against Sukuna’s grip.
The Soul-Crushing Effect Of Nobara’s Cursed Technique
Nobara’s return also makes iteasier to bring back Megumi from a practical perspective. This point flows from her innate abilities, and she plans to use it against Sukuna. Indeed, as fans should recall, Nobara’s innate technique – Straw Doll – allows her to strike an opponent anywhere in the country by using a straw doll that works as a proxy or stand-in for the opponent. The damage she inflicts on the straw doll - via her Resonance powers - is the same that the opponent will physically feel. With Sukuna’s last finger providing the connection, Nobara already inflicted damage on the King of Curses.
Outside the pain and physical damage that Nobara’s strikes will inflict on Sukuna,she can also attack his soul. As she demonstrated in her fight against Mahito, if the object she is using for her straw doll is actually a body part of the opponent – such as Sukuna’s finger –Nobara can also use her technique to attack the opponent’s soulwith as much damage as she inflicts physically.
Megumi’s Return Does Not Guarantee A Happy Ending
As fans know, Yuji has been using his Soul Dismantle technique to seriously weaken Sukuna’s hold over Megumi. Indeed, at one point, Yuji forces Sukuna to temporarily lose control, as seen with Megumi’s cursed technique surfacing. However, with Nobara hammering at Sukuna’s soul from a safe place outside his ability to strike at her, it’s only a matter of time before his hold completely crumbles. When combined with Megumi’s active resistance to Sukuna’s control, it’s only a matter of time before we see the young Fushiguro back again with his classmates.
The joy that Megumi’s return will give fans is likely to be short-lived. Akutami has hinted aboutthe possibility that one of the original trio might die and not come backat the story’s end. If that is indeed the case, with Nobara alive and Megumi hopefully returning, the most likely one is Yuji. To stand toe-to-toe with Sukuna, he made several Binding Vows. The price of one of these vows may indeed be his sacrifice.
This would be an interesting conclusion as it ties in with Yuji’s recurring theme of being a “cog”, willing to do whatever it takes, including dying, to fulfill his role. After all, Gojo’s original plan was to have Yuji eat all of Sukuna’s fingers before being executed. To be sure, fans will be devastated to seeMegumiandNobaracome back to reuniteJujutsu Kaisen’s original trio, only to say farewell to Yuji.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
