Jujutsu Kaisen is filled to the brim with wild fights, cursed techniques, and some of the best animation to hit modern shonen. But under all the domain expansions and cursed energy flexes, there’s something else the series does really well: build characters who feel like they’ve got full lives outside of the plot.

Still, with such a stacked cast, not everyone gets their due. Some characters flash across the screen with huge potential, only to be benched for most of the story. Others get written off as comic relief, despite showing glimpses of real depth or power.

This list isn’t about who’s the strongest. It’s about the ones who made an impact, deserved better, or had way more to offer than the story gave them space for. These are the Jujutsu Kaisen characters who didn’t just need more screen time, and they earned it.

10

Kiyotaka Ijichi

The Unsung Coordinator Holding Everything Together

He’s not flashy, and he’s definitely not one of the jujutsu elite, but Ijichi does the thankless work that keeps the system running. He’s the guy coordinating missions, handling transport, managing the safety net behind all the chaos.

What makes Ijichi stand out isn’t strength, it’s how human he is. He’s scared. He panics. He doubts himself. And when everything goes sideways, he’s still there trying to hold it together. There’s something incredibly relatable about someone just trying to do their job in a world filled with monsters, and that makes him worth more than the series lets on.

9

Mei Mei

A Tactical Genius Who Deserves More Spotlight

Yes, she got a cool fight. Yes, we saw her incredible tactical ability. But it still wasn’t enough. Mei Mei is ruthless, practical, and walks a fine line between hero and mercenary. That alone makes her fascinating.

Her technique isn’t particularly flashy, it’s basically “win with crows”, but in her hands, it’s lethal. And her attitude toward money, power, and her own survival is a sharp contrast to most of the self-sacrificing sorcerers we see. She’s the kind of morally gray character who could steal every scene if given the time.

8

Nanako and Mimiko Hasaba

Tragic Figures Lost in the Chaos

The twin sisters of the Star Plasma Vessel arc (and later accomplices to Kenjaku) show up with barely any context, but their presence raises a ton of questions. They’re traumatized, dangerous, and devoted to Geto in a way that’s both sad and terrifying.

They represent an entire section of the Jujutsu Kaisen world that we barely see, what happens to those left behind by the power struggles. More than tools, they’re emotional anchors for Geto’s ideology. Their backstory could’ve added emotional weight to arcs that needed it, but they were treated like footnotes.

7

Nobara Kugisaki

A Fierce Fighter Forgotten Too Soon

Yes, she’s one of the main trio, but come on, after Shibuya, we’ve barely seen her. Nobara didn’t just hold her own, she made sure we never saw her as just “the girl” on the team. Her self-confidence, grit, and her absolute refusal to be sidelined in a male-dominated space made her a fan favorite.

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Then… radio silence. Whether it’s because of her fate in Shibuya or the pacing of the ongoing arc, it just feels wrong that someone with her presence got pushed offscreen. Nobara deserves a comeback. A loud, nail-pounding one.

6

Kinji Hakari

A Gambler’s Luck That Should Have Been Explored More

We finally got a real taste of Hakari in the Culling Game arc, and he delivered. The guy is a walking contradiction, a laid-back gambler with one of the most broken domain abilities in the series. But it’s the way he fights, and the way he views risk, that make him interesting.

Hakari’s ideology could open up huge conversations about luck, fate, and control. He has the potential to clash with or complement so many characters, but he still feels like a side note in the larger war. More of him, please.

5

Panda

A Cursed Corpse With a Story That Was Cut Short

Look, it’s easy to brush off a talking panda as comic relief, but Panda has layers. He’s not just some mascot character; he’s a cursed corpse with real emotions and identity struggles. His bond with Principal Yaga is quietly one of the most emotional in the series.

The problem is, Panda gets his moments and then disappears. His fight in the Culling Game was heartbreaking, but it left us wanting to know more, about his siblings, his thoughts on mortality, and what comes next for someone who was never truly “alive” to begin with.

4

Maki Zenin

A Warrior Who Needed More Than Just Battles

She’s had huge moments. She’s got a tragic backstory. But somehow, it still doesn’t feel like enough. Maki’s journey, especially post-Shibuya, is one of the most brutal and transformative in the series. She goes from outcast to near-godlike force, and it’s well-earned.

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But the emotional fallout? The internal dialogue? The day-after perspective of what she’s done? That’s what’s missing. Maki doesn’t need more fight scenes. She needs space to breathe, to think, and to process. She deserves to be more than just a sword.

3

Utahime Iori

The Teacher Holding Sorcerers Together Behind the Scenes

The fact that Utahime’s main role for the longest time was getting roasted by Gojo is a crime. She’s a skilled sorcerer, a teacher, and probably one of the only authority figures who still tries to maintain some kind of order in the chaos.

She represents the adult side of jujutsu life: the teachers, the caretakers, the people still trying to raise decent sorcerers while everything burns. She’s never the flashiest person in the room, but there’s a quiet strength there. We just haven’t seen enough of it.

2

Yuki Tsukumo

A Special Grade Sorcerer Shrouded in Mystery

A special grade sorcerer who finally shows up… and immediately raises ten questions. Yuki is blunt, anti-authority, and clearly working with a long-term plan that doesn’t line up with the higher-ups. Her presence challenges the entire system that Gojo and the others are trying to protect.

She deserved more build-up, more explanation, and way more screen time. Her relationship with Tengen, her views on curses and evolution, even her past, we barely scratched the surface. In a series that loves ideological battles, Yuki was the missing piece we didn’t get enough of.

1

Kento Nanami

A Tired Man Who Was Just Trying to Do the Right Thing

Yes, he got plenty of scenes, and his arc had a clear ending. But if we’re being honest, Nanami’s death hit so hard because it felt like we were just starting to truly understand him.

Nanami represents the everyday adult trying to survive a broken system. He’s disciplined, sharp, and deeply human. He never wanted to be a hero, and yet he kept showing up anyway. His moments with Yuji, his brief breakdown in Shibuya, his exhausted final stand, it all deserved more time.

In a world full of sorcerers chasing power, Nanami was a guy just trying to be decent. That’s rare, and it should’ve lasted longer.

Next

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I lived these ten story beats, felt my stomach drop, cheered, and aged a decade in hype.