There is a common trend in shonen anime of depicting female characters as either underpowered or one-dimensional stereotypes, with many female protagonists falling somewhere in between these two extremes. To its credit, Jujutsu Kaisen has managed to avoid these tropes by depicting its cast of female jujutsu sorcerers as capable and complex characters.
One character who has contributed to Jujutsu Kaisen’s success is Nobara Kugisaki, the tritagonist of the series and a contender for the most badass new female character of 2020. While she has several weaknesses, her flaws add to her appeal, as they serve to make her a more well-rounded and likable character.
10 Weakness: Her Short Temper And Judgmental Nature
Nobara is tough as the nails she hits with her hammer, but at times she is overly judgmental and combative. She assumes the worst of people, and this automatically puts her into an aggressive stance that makes it difficult for others to open up to her.
Her first instinct upon meeting people is to criticize them, which she does to her fellow first-years, as she views Yuji as a half-wit kid and Megumi as a stuck-up jerk. Later, when she encounters a talent agent in the street, she berates the man for not immediately thinking her pretty enough to be a model. This attitude means it takes a while for strangers to warm up to her, and could come back to bite her one day.
9 Strength: She Is Calm Under Pressure
One of Nobara’s greatest strengths is her remarkable ability to stay calm under pressure. No matter how dire the circumstances, she doesn’t panic and manages to remain focused on the task at hand.
When Nobara is separated from Yuji and Megumi in the juvenile detention center, she is attacked by an army of Curses. Rather than freak out, she confidently faces down the evil spirits. Even once she runs out of nails, she still refuses to give up, although she is lucky that Megumi shows up to extract her, otherwise she may not have made it out alive.
8 Weakness: Her Lack Of Empathy
Unlike Yuji, who has the capacity to connect with anyone whether they be good or evil, Nobara has less empathy for those she views as corrupt. Her natural inclination is to complete her mission in whatever way possible, and she does not care if she has to kill to achieve her goal.
While Yuji was willing to try to save Junpei from Mahito and help him to come back to his sense, it’s unlikely that Nobara would have done the same. This lack of empathy means she misses out on chances to help enemies to become allies. She has a hard time seeing the goodness in others, which is a shame and a major weakness in her character.
7 Strength: Her Ability To Compartmentalize Her Feelings
Although she lacks empathy, Nobara’s cold and rational mind does have other strengths. In particular, her ability to compartmentalize her feelings allows her to stay focused on her mission and to not beat herself up for things she can’t control.
After her and Yuji’s fight with the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, Eso and Kechizu, Yuji is torn up about having killed a person, even one as twisted as Eso. Nobara, on the other hand, can put her actions into perspective, as she knows she only did what had to be done. This ability to put distance between herself and her enemy is useful and allows her to maintain a healthy outlook.
6 Weakness: She Has A Limited Supply Of Ammo
Nobara is a versatile fighter who is effective both from a distance and up close. Her hammer can be used to deliver devastating blows in close quarters or used to launch nails empowered with cursed energy. However, while she is quite versatile, her techniques do have a few glaring weaknesses.
One weakness she has in combat is that she carries a limited supply of ammo. Once she runs out of nails, she is no longer able to attack from long range or use her Straw Doll Technique. In her fight with the army of Curses in the juvenile detention center, she runs out of nails and is effectively unable to attack the quick-moving Curses, underscoring how this weakness can be exploited.
5 Strength: She Is Deadly From A Distance And In Close Combat
More than almost any other student at Tokyo Jujutsu High, Nobara is dangerous at both close combat and ranged attacks. Her ability to propel nails with cursed energy allows her to harass opponents from long range, while her hammer may also be used in close combat to pummel opponents.
In her battle against Momo Nishimiya, Nobara cleverly uses her nails to trap Nishimiya. Once she uses her Straw Doll Technique to ground the pesky flying sorcerer, she uses her rubber hammer to end the fight with a quick blow to the head. This combination of ranged and close-quarters attacks is extremely effective and allows Nobara to fight in almost every environment.
4 Weakness: Her Tendency To Underestimate Her Opponent
To her credit, Nobara has the utmost confidence in her own abilities. She trusts that she is strong enough and smart enough to defeat almost any opponent, and this confidence is undoubtedly a strength of hers. However, at times, her overconfidence can get the better of her.
In particular, Nobara has a bad habit of underestimating her opponent. During her fight with the Roppongi Curse, she foolishly lets down her guard, which allows the curse to take a small boy hostage. Even more glaring, after she defeats Nishimiya during the Goodwill Event, she again drops her guard and is hit by a non-lethal round from Mai’s revolver that knocks her out cold.
3 Strength: She Doesn’t Try to Impress Others
One aspect that fans love about Nobara is her authenticity. Nobara does not try to impress others or act in such a way that fits people’s expectations of her. Instead, she remains true to herself and acts in a manner that she finds appropriate.
During the Goodwill Event, Nishimiya complains that female sorcerers have to not only be powerful, but also pretty. Nobara laughs at this concept and asserts that she could care less if someone finds her pretty or not and rejects the idea that she has to be anything other than herself. She’s brash and loud, but also dependable and dedicated, and it’s this dichotomy that makes her feel so real and likable.
2 Weakness: Her Low Mobility
Overall, Nobara is a very talented sorcerer who is gifted in multiple styles of combat. She is strong and cunning, and her Straw Doll and Hairpin Techniques are both versatile and powerful. Her skills have increased greatly in a short amount of time, and by the end of season 1, she is considered to be a grade 1 sorcerer.
However, Nobara does have one fatal weakness as a sorcerer, and that is her low mobility. She is not fast, as seen during her fight with Eso when Yuji must carry her so they can evade Eso’s Wing King Technique. Her low mobility is a major drawback, one that she will have to learn to overcome if she hopes to become a special grade sorcerer.
1 Strength: She Is Logical And Creative
Nobara is easily the most logical and creative of the first-year sorcerers at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Unlike Yuji, who tends to simply rush in and let his fists do the talking, or Megumi, who is rigid with his attacks, Nobara can think on the fly and also analyze her surroundings to find the most effective path to victory.
In her fight with Nishimiya, she effectively uses the environment to neutralize Nishimaya’s mobility advantage. Similarly, in her and Yuji’s fight against Kechizu and Eso, she inserts her nails into her arm to activate her Straw Doll Technique using the Curses’ blood coursing through her veins. She is a prodigious talent and has all the makings of a truly great sorcerer.
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