Nobara Kugisaki grew up in a rural village in Japan's Tohoku region, approximately four hours from Morioka. She displayed an outspoken and independent nature from a young age, frequently clashing with the village's insular and conservative values. Childhood friendships with Fumi and Saori, an older girl who moved from Tokyo, significantly shaped her perspective. Saori's kindness and sophistication inspired Nobara, but the villagers' hostility eventually forced Saori's family to leave, leaving Nobara disillusioned with her hometown. This solidified her desire to escape to Tokyo, where she could live authentically without judgment. Before departing, she promised Fumi they would reunite with Saori in the city. Nobara learned jujutsu techniques from her grandmother, also a sorcerer, though their relationship was strained by her decision to leave. Her personality blends confidence, brashness, and unwavering self-determination. She openly rejects societal expectations, especially gender roles within jujutsu society, insisting on defining her own worth. Despite an abrasive exterior, she demonstrates loyalty and care for those she accepts into her life, describing her emotional capacity as having "only so many seats" for others. She forms bonds only with those who "bring their own seat," like her classmates. Her resilience allows her to compartmentalize distress during combat, yet she maintains strong convictions about personal accountability, refusing to excuse poor behavior based on difficult circumstances. As a grade 3 jujutsu sorcerer at Tokyo Jujutsu High, she wields the Straw Doll Technique (Sūrei Juhō), inherited from her grandmother. This technique uses a hammer, nails, and straw dolls to inflict damage through cursed energy. Key applications include Resonance (Tomonari), transferring damage to a target via a linked body part or object, and Hairpin (Kanzashi), detonating cursed energy from embedded nails. She also demonstrated proficiency in Black Flash, a spatial distortion amplifying attack power. Her combat style emphasizes adaptability, using environmental objects or even her own heel as substitutes for standard tools when necessary. Physical training under Maki Zenin improved her close-quarters capabilities, compensating for initial limitations in stamina and strength. Her story begins upon arriving in Tokyo, assigned to Satoru Gojo's class alongside Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro. Her first mission with Yuji involves exorcising curses in an apartment complex, establishing their dynamic through arguments and mutual rescue. Subsequent missions, like the Detention Center incident, highlighted her initial limitations in prolonged combat, leading to reliance on Megumi's intervention. Training with second-year students prepared her for the Kyoto Goodwill Event, where she confronted Kyoto student Momo Nishimiya, rejecting Momo's views on gender-based discrimination. During this event, she reacted with visible anger and tears upon learning Yuji had concealed his survival after the Detention Center incident. In the Death Painting Arc, she battled the special-grade cursed womb brothers Eso and Kechizu alongside Yuji. Poisoned by Eso's Rot Technique, she used her own bloodied ear as a vector for Resonance, simultaneously harming both brothers while enduring self-inflicted wounds. After their victory, she comforted a guilt-ridden Yuji about killing humanoid curses, accepting their necessary role as sorcerers. Later, she participated in the Shibuya Incident, initially facing Haruta Shigemo before encountering Mahito. During this fight, she injured Mahito's soul using Resonance but was deceived by his double. Mahito's Idle Transfiguration struck the right side of her face, causing severe injury. In her final moments, she recalled her past with Saori and Fumi, smiling at Yuji and asking him to tell others "it wasn't so bad." Arata Nitta's intervention stabilized her condition, though her survival remained uncertain for an extended period. She later awoke during the Shinjuku Showdown against Sukuna. Utilizing a fragment of Sukuna's preserved finger, she executed a long-range Resonance attack, weakening Sukuna enough for Yuji to deliver a decisive Black Flash and freeing Megumi from possession. Following Sukuna's defeat, she reunited with Yuji and Megumi, sharing lighthearted moments and reading Gojo's farewell letters. The epilogue depicted her reconciling with her grandmother and mother. Her relationships define key aspects of her character. With Yuji Itadori, she transitioned from initial disdain to deep camaraderie, evidenced by her grief over his supposed death and later relief at his return. She frequently engaged in comedic banter with him, often teaming up to annoy Megumi. Her bond with Megumi Fushiguro centered on mutual respect and complementary skills during missions, though she found his stoicism contrasting to her expressiveness. She admired Maki Zenin as a role model for defying familial oppression and strength. Childhood friends Saori and Fumi represented her past motivations and enduring emotional connections, driving her desire for a self-determined life in Tokyo.