The death of Kento Nanami in the Shibuya Incident left a gaping hole in Yuji Itadori’s life and in the heart of the Jujutsu Kaisen story. Nanami was more than just a senior sorcerer; he was a guide, a protector, and the adult figure who taught Yuji what it meant to carry the weight of being a jujutsu sorcerer. When the story moves into the Culling Game arc, a new character steps into the spotlight: a defense attorney named Hiromi Higuruma. Given their similar vibe—both are serious, exhausted-looking men in suits—many fans have started asking a natural question.
Does Hiromi Higuruma replace Kento Nanami as Yuji Itadori’s mentor? The direct answer is no, he does not replace Nanami. However, the real story is more interesting. Higuruma fills the same role and narrative space that Nanami left behind. He provides the same type of mature, morally complex adult perspective that Yuji desperately needs, but he does it in his own unique way. Here is a complete breakdown of how these two characters connect, how they differ, and what Higuruma’s journey means for Yuji.
The Salaryman and The Lawyer: Two Sides of the Same Coin
To understand why fans see Higuruma as a successor to Nanami, you have to look at where both men came from before they became full-time sorcerers. Neither of them grew up in the jujutsu world like Gojo or Megumi. They were shaped by the real world first .
Kento Nanami originally left the jujutsu world to become a salaryman. He hated the overtime, the pointless meetings, and the corporate exploitation. He returned to being a sorcerer not because he loved it, but because he saw it as the “lesser evil” compared to the corporate grind. His cynicism came from seeing how broken normal society is .
Hiromi Higuruma was a defense attorney, and a brilliant one at that. His peers called him a genius. He took on the toughest cases, defending people who were almost certainly going to be found guilty because he believed in justice . But the Japanese legal system, with its 99.9% conviction rate, wore him down. He saw innocent people get convicted. His breaking point came when his client, Keita, was found guilty of murder despite overwhelming evidence of innocence. In that moment of rage, Higuruma snapped, awakened his cursed technique, and killed the corrupt judge and prosecutor .
Both Nanami and Higuruma are men broken by the flaws of the real world. They brought that heavy, adult baggage into the world of jujutsu. This shared background is the foundation of their connection to Yuji.
How Higuruma Challenges Yuji (Where Nanami Protected Him)
The biggest difference between Nanami and Higuruma is how they interact with Yuji. Their relationship with the boy takes completely different paths.
Nanami: The Protector
When Nanami met Yuji, he immediately took on the role of a guardian. He didn’t want Yuji to suffer the same fate as other young sorcerers. His famous line to Yuji about being a “child” and not having to carry the world’s burdens shows his protective nature. Nanami taught Yuji how to fight, but more importantly, he taught him that it was okay to feel pain and that he didn’t have to be a hero all the time. Their bond was built on warmth and guidance.
Higuruma: The Judge
Higuruma meets Yuji under very different circumstances. In the Culling Game, they are enemies. Higuruma drags Yuji into his Domain Expansion, Deadly Sentencing, and puts him on trial for a crime he technically committed . He prosecutes Yuji with full force, trying to get a guilty verdict so he can confiscate Yuji’s power or kill him .
This is not mentorship. This is a moral confrontation. Higuruma forces Yuji to defend his actions. He looks at Yuji not as a child to be protected, but as an adult who must be held accountable. When Yuji willingly pleads guilty to crimes committed by Sukuna—crimes Yuji himself did not commit—Higuruma stops the fight .
“Have you ever killed someone out of your own volition? That must have felt the worst.” — Hiromi Higuruma to Yuji Itadori .
It is in this moment that Higuruma sees himself in Yuji. He recognizes that Yuji is carrying guilt that isn’t his to carry, just as Higuruma carried the guilt of the justice system on his shoulders for years. He doesn’t become Yuji’s mentor in the traditional sense. He becomes a mirror, forcing Yuji to look at his own sense of justice and guilt.
The Emotional Torch Pass: Higuruma’s Final Scene
The strongest connection between Nanami and Higuruma comes not during the Culling Game, but during the later Shinjuku Showdown arc against Ryomen Sukuna. This is where the idea of a “replacement” becomes emotional reality for the reader.
During the intense battle against Sukuna, Higuruma proves himself to be a phenomenal sorcerer. Despite only having his powers for a short time, he learns Reverse Cursed Technique on the fly—a feat previously compared to Satoru Gojo—and manages to stab Sukuna with the Executioner’s Sword, a weapon that guarantees death .
But Sukuna outsmarts him. The King of Curses cuts off his own hand to avoid the sword and then brutally attacks Higuruma. As Higuruma’s body gives out and he begins to fall, he uses his last bit of strength to toss the Executioner’s Sword to Yuji. Their eyes meet. Higuruma entrusts the rest of the fight to the boy .
In that exact moment, Yuji flashes back to Nanami’s final words during the Shibuya Incident: “I leave the rest to you.” .
This visual parallel is the clearest answer the manga gives us. Higuruma does not replace Nanami in life, but he dies in the same way: passing the torch to Yuji with a look of trust. The narrative uses Higuruma’s death to remind Yuji (and the reader) of the weight he carries and the will of those who have fallen before him.
Why He Isn’t a Replacement, But a Successor
Calling Higuruma a “replacement” sounds cheap, as if the story simply swapped out one suit-wearing character for another. That is not what Gege Akutami, the creator, did. Nanami’s role in Yuji’s life was unique and cannot be copied.
- Nanami gave Yuji emotional support and practical lessons about life.
- Higuruma gave Yuji a philosophical challenge and forced him to confront the morality of his existence.
Higuruma fills the void left by Nanami’s absence. He is the new “adult in the room” who treats Yuji as an equal rather than a student . He provides the mature, grounded perspective that the story needs amidst the chaos of the Culling Game and the fight against Sukuna. He is a successor to the role of the mature mentor figure, but he is not a clone of Nanami.
Higuruma’s Unique Strength and Legacy
Higuruma’s impact on the story goes beyond his relationship with Yuji. He is a fan-favorite character because he proves that normal humans with strong convictions can become incredibly powerful in the jujutsu world.
In just twelve days of having his cursed technique, he reached the level of a Grade 1 sorcerer . His intellect, which made him a legal genius, allowed him to reverse-engineer barrier techniques and master cursed energy manipulation faster than anyone in the series . He even earned the acknowledgment of Sukuna, who praised his talent .
His domain, Deadly Sentencing, is one of the most unique abilities in the series. It isn’t about who has the most cursed energy; it’s about who is right. It is a technique that perfectly reflects his soul—a lawyer who finally has a court that cannot be corrupted .
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The Final Verdict on the Mentor Question
So, does Hiromi Higuruma replace Nanami as Yuji’s mentor?
No. Kento Nanami holds a permanent place in Yuji’s heart and in the story. No one can replace him.
But, Hiromi Higuruma steps up to fill the essential role that Nanami vacated. He provides the adult perspective, the moral weight, and the tragic sacrifice that helps Yuji move forward. He is a kindred spirit to Nanami—a tired, overworked man who believed in justice and found a strange sense of purpose in a violent world. He connects with Yuji on a deep level, not by teaching him how to fight, but by teaching him (through their trial and his sacrifice) that carrying guilt is part of being human.
Higuruma is not a replacement. He is a successor. And in the brutal world of Jujutsu Kaisen, that is the highest form of respect one character can pay to another.
Also Read: Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 24 Release Date and Time Confirmed for March 2026
We hope this deep dive into the connection between Nanami and Higuruma helped you understand the genius of Gege Akutami’s storytelling. For more breakdowns of your favorite anime characters and plot twists, keep it locked on VvipTimes—where we bring you the news that actually matters.
