Utahime is far from useless in Jujutsu Kaisen, and no, it's not why you think

Jujutsu Kaisen is a series that focuses heavily on combat, so it is not surprising to see that characters who are the best and strongest in that area are usually the most popular in the community. However, a character like Utahimi Iori might be praised for her role as support because of her Cursed Technique, but she is far more useful than she is often given credit for.

One reason for this is that Utahime managed to become a semi-grade 1 sorcerer despite having a Cursed Technique, Solo Forbidden Area, which does not help her in one-on-one fights with Curses. Therefore, it can be implied in Jujutsu Kaisen that she has good enough fighting abilities to compensate for her lack of battle techniques—a quality that author Gege Akutami could have highlighted more in the manga.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Explaining why Utahime Iori is a lot more useful than given credit for in Jujutsu Kaisen

Utahime as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Most fans of the series know that Utahime Ioiri is the teacher of the Kyoto students, and that is mostly her role in the manga. Although she had a brief moment in the spotlight during the final arc, Shinjuku Showdown, when she used Solo Forbidden Area to boost Satoru Gojo's initial attack against Ryomen Sukuna, author Gege Akutami also gave her subtle details that highlight her abilities as a fighter.

It is very likely that Utahime became a semi-grade 1 sorcerer thanks to her achievements in fighting Curses, which implies she probably defeated a few of them on her own. This is a major achievement considering her Cursed Technique cannot work properly if she is fighting alone, making her victories even more impressive.

The main issue, however, is that Akutami never displays her combat abilities properly throughout the story, and Utahime spends the vast majority of the manga in the background. As a result, she is rarely given the chance to display her skills as a fighter, even against lesser enemies.

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The importance of support characters in fiction

Utahime acting as seen in the first season of the anime (Image via MAPPA)

While Utahime may not have the flashiest fighting abilities in Jujutsu Kaisen, her sole Cursed Technique, Solo Forbidden Area, makes her quite useful in the series. She stands out as one of the most practical support characters in the manga, capable of powering up her allies—to the point that it arguably should have been used before Shinjuku Showdown, given the manga's usual strategic approach to combat.

That is an important element because, whether it's supporting Satoru Gojo against Ryomen Sukuna or aiding in other potential battles, support characters can elevate a battle and make a difference. This is worth highlighting, as these types of characters can have abilities that can last longer in the series in terms of usefulness since they are usually tied to the power scale of the story.

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Final thoughts

Utahime Ioiri may never be one of the most popular characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, but she has a clear skill set that can be quite useful in the franchise. Furthermore, her status as a semi-grade 1 sorcerer highlights how she has made the most of her abilities.

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