Jujutsu Kaisen does this amazing thing where they give their female characters actual lore, like how Utahime has a scar or why Maki Zenin is the way she is. Honestly, it’s one of the reasons I’m so grateful to Gege because lots of other Shonen series don’t care to elaborate on certain stylistic choices they make with their characters. Especially when it comes to the women because, well, they aren’t usually the main characters. But Jujutsu Kaisen knows what’s up. 

So, if you’ve ever wondered why Utahime Iori has such a prominent scar, it’s actually explained as a pretty generic thing because, well, Utahime’s job is being a Sorcerer, an occupation where one is constantly in danger of death or worse. I mean, being a Sorcerer is simply a lot more hazardous when compared to your regular 9-to-5. I mean, we’ve seen it firsthand, considering how many Jujutsu Sorcerers we’ve lost along the way. So, while Utahime has a scar, it isn’t from one prolific event that probably traumatized her. Likely, she has many more scars underneath. 

But that reality is also something fascinating to note. The girls of Jujutsu Kaisen aren’t just pretty faces that have moments of strength interspersed through with them being nagging mothers. They are gritty, and honestly have so much more personality than you’re used to when watching Shonen. Maybe I’m scarred from my lifetime of being a Naruto Shippuden stan with how awful it treated its female characters, but Jujutsu Kaisen doesn’t use its female characters as simply decoration or plot devices. 

Though, that fear has become persistent ever since the manga went the places it did. Like, we got Maki Zenin being an absolute monster in recent chapters, but at what cost, you know? However, the scar isn’t the only interesting thing about Utahime Iori. So today, let’s discuss the supervisor of Kyoto Jujutsu High and how she got the position (and the scars!) she currently holds in yet another segment of Lore Analysis! Let’s dive right into it.

Utahime Iori: The Deadly Songstress Of Jujutsu High

Let’s get one thing straight: Any woman we are introduced to in Jujutsu Kaisen is nothing less than a frightening force of nature in their own right. There are the gentle nurturing types you often see in Shonen present here, but the core women aren’t simply there to add more dimension to their male characters. Utahime Iori is but one example of that. 

We first see Utahime and her scar during the Kyoto Goodwill Event arc, as one of the mentors overseeing the program that was secretly a ploy to get to Yuji Itadori. Of course, that meant she interacted with teachers from Tokyo Jujutsu High, namely Gojo Satoru. And her dynamic with Gojo is very much of people being forced to be amicable. You can tell that Gojo knew how to push all her buttons and abused that constantly. And that is when we see the first cinch in her armor.

Outwardly, Utahime Iori looks very collected, the picture of grace. With her priestess inspired clothing and hair, she even reminds me of Sailor Mars from the Sailor Moon franchise. And when the action really begins, that familiarity only grows. Because suddenly, she isn’t just some annoyed teacher, but a deadly Jujutsu Sorcerer with a wealth of power. And she isn’t a pushover either, considering she actually does end up working with Gojo when both of them start to speculate that there is a spy working with the cursed spirits present. 

And I think that is one of the core tenets of what makes Utahime Iori such a nice foil to other mentors: She actually does care about her students, just like Gojo does. She wants the best for them and follows through with that, even if doing the right thing means going against her own superiors.

The Scar That Marrs Utahime Is Likely One Of Many:

As we’ve seen so far in Jujutsu Kaisen, the survival rate for normal civilians doesn’t exist. And honestly, it isn’t much better for Jujutsu Sorcerers that are actively fighting cursed spirits and curses in general. So, obviously, getting hurt on the job, or even fatally wounded, isn’t unheard of.

Gege, who is the mangaka for Jujutsu Kaisen, says the reason that Utahima Iori has her scar on her face isn’t due to some cataclysmic event, rather it’s one of many that she’s gained over the years being a Grade 1 Sorcerer. Grade 1 Sorcerers are normally only a step below Special grades such as Gojo, so you know Utahime has seen her fair share of dangerous situations. However, she’s one of the lucky few that have gotten away with a scar, at worst. There are a lot of her peers that can’t say the same. 

And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Though Jujutsu Kaisen can be light hearted and comedic at times, all of its characters are individuals who are constantly putting their lives on the line to protect civilians that have no idea of the supernatural chaos that surrounds them. And to both keep that under cover and still do your job well is no easy task. It’s no wonder people like Gojo and Nanami Kento are so jaded by it all, but still try remaining hopeful in their own ways. And most of them aim to do that by making sure the next generation of sorcerers, such as Nobara Kugisaki and Megumi Fushigoro, are prepared for the horrors ahead of them. 

But that doesn’t mean they will be defenseless. The system needs to change and Utahime Iori knows that. Sending children, like her at one point, against supernatural horrors is not fair. It’s that carelessness that led to Utahime and her scar. But that’s why she’s here, to shake the status quo!