Unfulfilled Potential: The Most Underutilized Characters in Jujutsu Kaisen

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This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shinjuku Showdown arc.

Summary

  • JJK’s promising start hooked fans, but many characters got sidelined as the story progressed.
  • Nobara, a main character, was poorly utilized and deemed the most wasted character in the series.
  • Shoko, with great potential due to her abilities, remained underutilized and wasted in the story.

Gege Akutami’s “Jujutsu Kaisen” is undeniably one of the most loved stories currently circulating. Despite the manga wrapping up last year, its fanbase remains robust and passionate about this tale for numerous reasons. The climactic arc of “Jujutsu Kaisen,” Shinjuku Showdown, was nothing short of spectacular in terms of action, offering fans some of the best battles that this series has ever showcased.

Essentially, long-awaited character arcs were finally wrapped up, giving many fan-favorite characters their well-deserved conclusions. Simultaneously, aspirations for significant roles of numerous characters remained unfulfilled, ultimately leaving them underutilized and without any definitive demise in the narrative. While some characters initially held little significance, others had immense promise.

The Many Wasted Characters In Jujutsu Kaisen

  • Jujutsu Kaisen Started Off Well
  • Many Characters Got Sidelined

From the moment Jujutsu Kaisen debuted, it was clear to fans that this story would become a massive phenomenon. Even the initial chapters hinted at a series that would stand head and shoulders above other contemporary manga in Shonen Jump. What truly captivated readers about the manga was its extraordinary art style and action-packed battles, but let’s not forget that its compelling characters played a crucial role in gaining such a large following. Initially, the main characters like Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Gojo Satoru, Ryomen Sukuna, and Nobara Kugisaki took center stage. Over time, more characters were introduced, gradually expanding into a diverse and intriguing cast.

Itadori, tell everyone that it was fun! — Nobara Kugisaki

It can be confidently asserted by fans that the characters in Jujutsu Kaisen were consistently well-crafted. However, one area where it seemed to falter, like many other Shonen Jump series, was character development due to its relatively short run. Specifically, author Gege Akutami struggled to give each character their due attention because the story didn’t reach 300 chapters, making it challenging to provide justice to every cast member within that time frame. The story’s duration was largely impacted by the author’s health, which is regrettable. Although this helps explain why certain supporting characters weren’t as fully developed as anticipated, it does not justify the focus not being given to key characters, such as Nobara Kugisaki, the main female character in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Why Nobara May Be JJK’s Biggest Fumble

  • Nobara Was A Main Character
  • Gege Failed To Make Nobara Important

In terms of underutilized characters within JJK, opinions may vary, but it’s widely recognized that Nobara stands out as one of the most overlooked characters. Here’s why: There are certainly other characters in JJK who receive even less screen time than Nobara, and some are indeed mistreated. However, these characters do not carry significant weight within the story. In contrast, Nobara does. Since she is a main character, it is more detrimental to the narrative if her development and involvement are neglected compared to lesser characters like Miwa.

Sadly, Nobara’s role seemed to diminish significantly throughout the series, despite a promising start in JKK. Initially, she played a pivotal part and was often in the limelight. However, as the narrative progressed, her significance appeared to wane.

The author strategically included Nobara in several pivotal and thrilling fights throughout the story, which fans adored so much that they proclaimed her as the top female character in all of Jump. While these assertions were undoubtedly overstated, it was pleasing to observe her receiving significant recognition.

Regrettably, in the Shibuya arc of Jujutsu Kaisen, Nobara was significantly less impactful than expected, almost vanishing from the narrative due to Mahito’s abilities. Mahito’s powerful assaults left Nobara in a critical state, leading spectators to believe she had perished. However, the author hinted at her potential comeback, which sadly didn’t occur until more than half of the story was told, which feels disappointing given her status as a main character.

In the closing chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen, Nobara made a reappearance solely to deliver a single strike against Sukuna without ever setting foot on the battlefield, then exited the story. Regrettably, her character development was limited, and although she had great potential, the author didn’t fully explore it. As a result, Nobara remains a largely underdeveloped character in the series.

Shoko Could’ve Been More Important

Shoko Was A Glorified Hospital

In the anime “Jujutsu Kaisen,” yet another character who seemed to be underutilized was Shoko. Despite possessing the Reverse Cursed Technique, a skill highly regarded by fans, she primarily only showcased this ability throughout the storyline. Interestingly, Shoko formed one of the major trios in “JJK,” alongside Geto and Gojo. While both Geto and Gojo had significant roles developed, Shoko was mostly relegated to the background, leaving her full potential unexplored.

In addition to her, there are numerous other underutilized characters in JJK. However, among all of them, it’s clear that Nobara stands out the most because she is one of the main characters and the author hasn’t fully explored her potential yet. Yet, this doesn’t diminish Nobara’s popularity as fans adore her based on the impact she made when she initially appeared in the narrative.

If there’s ever another installment of JJK (which is currently quite improbable), fans can merely wish that the author chooses to focus on some characters who weren’t heavily involved in the original JJK plotline, as they could greatly benefit from more screen time and development.

At long last, the final chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen, numbered as 271, came out on September 29, 2024. Readers can enjoy this series on the Manga Plus or Shonen Jump mobile applications.

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2025-02-18 00:34