Summary
The world ofJujutsu Kaisenis filled with Jujutsu sorcerers, cursed energy, and cursed spirits. Humans feel all sorts of emotions, but negative emotions like anger, sadness, hate, and the like all emit energy, curse energy, that births cursed spirits. It is the job of Jujutsu sorcerers in the world ofJujutsu Kaisento get rid of these cursed spirits. This anime follows Yuji Itadori’s journey to become a sorcerer, as well as the journeys of other sorcerers who exist in this world. One very powerful sorcerer is Nanami Kento. After graduating from Tokyo Jujustu High, Nanami decides to work in the corporate world as a salaryman instead of following the expected path and being a full-time sorcerer.
After four years of working in the corporate world, Nanami decides to be a sorcerer, acknowledging that both occupations are bad, but he would rather spend his time in a field where he can be the change he wants to see. Nanami believes that sorcerers are more focused on eliminating curses than protecting human lives. As a salaryman, Nanami’s work barely made an impact, and he also does not receive appreciation for his effort, so he goes back to being a sorcerer. After making that change, his work starts to have an impact, as he is helping innocent people get rid of the curses that tag along with them without their knowledge, and they appreciate him for that. Nanami Kento is a wise man, andalthough his appearance is unassuming, he has been able to drop some wise nuggets that accurately show the type of person he is.
Updated on June 06, 2025, by Oluwatokiloba Folami:The Jujutsu Kaisen manga reached its conclusion a few months back and despite its ending that some fans find unsatisfactory, one can not forget the hard work of some special characters in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. Nanami Kento inparticular is an extremely memorable one. Although he is not much of a talker, he says a lot of simple yet heavy sentences that relay deep messages if pondered upon. Once a salaryman and a Jujutsu sorcerer who puts in the exact amount of work needed, his quotes are not aggressively motivational. They are more of reassurances, hard truths, and good work ethics that can be applied in real life.
1“…Jujutsu Sorcerers Are S***… Work Is S***.”
Season 1, Episode 10
Yuji Itadori wondered why Nanami was a Jujutsu sorcerer since he had managed to incorporate himself into the real world and this is what he said. Nanami first experienced life as a Jujutsu sorcerer and hated it. Then he moved to the real world to live a normal life and found out he hated it even more, picking what he knew how to do best.
His life as a salaryman was nearly miserable. He took the same action almost daily and had to ignore the cursed spirits around him more often than not. He realized that despite his pay, he had no value as a salaryman and would rather be of service in a field where he would be appreciated.
2“…Most Of The People In This World Are Neither Good Nor Evil. Death Is the Final Destination For All Of Us But No One Dies The Same Death.”
This quote has deeper insinuations the more one reads it. Death isa common occurrence in the series, and one of Itadori’s goals is to ensure that everyone gets a proper death, unlike his grandfather, but Nanami has a different take on the subject.
He believed that no matter what you do, death is inevitable for all, and it is not the same for everybody. Death could come at any time, be it with friends or alone. However, the memories, dying wishes, and regrets differ. So ensuring everyone has a good death is strenuous and nearly impossible even for a jujutsu sorcerer, and Nanami does not recommend it.
3"Being A Child Is Not A Sin."
Season 1, Episode 12
This is a quote thatmakes fans fall in love with Nanamifor its simplicity and understanding. Itadori was having issues with killing people transformed into curses. Unlike the regular aggressive motivation to brace himself and continue because it is what they do, Nanami made the quote above.
He makes Yuji understand that he is young, inexperienced, and naive, and it is okay to be like that. He further comforts him by making him aware that it is not his fault and should not blame himself for things out of his control, that he is too kind for these activities, and that it is not a bad thing.
4"No Matter How You Look At It, This Isn’t A Mission For The First Years."
Season 2, Episode 3
This episode takes viewers to Nanami’s days as a first-year student at Tokyo Jujustu High. One thing to note is that Nanami’s attitude has always been the same: cold and reserved. Nanami is shown alongside Yu Haibara, a fellow student and Nanami’s best friend. Yu is the literal opposite of Nanami, very optimistic and lively.
Nanami and Haibara were sent out on a mission to get rid of a grade two spirit. Haibara was just excited to be on the mission, as it was his chance to show Geto just how strong he was, while Nanami believed that first-year students should not have been sent out for this mission. During this mission, they both realize that thespirit is grade one and not two, meaning that it is much stronger than them and their chances of surviving have drastically reduced.
Unfortunately, Haibara died during the mission, and this event made Nanami detach from the Jujutsu world as they could not take responsibility for the misinformation that led to the death of his best friend. Haibara’s death is one of the major reasons Nanami left the Jujustu world to become a salaryman after graduating.
5"My Job Is To Take Money From The Wealthy And Make Those People Even More Wealthy."
Season 1, Episode 13
Nanami was in some way miserable as a salaryman, and his interaction with the girl at the bakery captures that. Salarymen often find themselves in a cycle, getting something to eat before they go to the office to work endlessly for hours. They barely get any sleep in before the new day breaks, and they have to go to work again. The bakery lady, upon seeing Nanami, asked if he was getting enough sleep because his stress was evident on his face.
Nanami ignores the question and tells her about the nature of his job and how the pay is significantly better when in reality, it should not be.He proceeds to kill the cursed spirit resting on her shoulder, tells her to go to the doctor if anything feels off, and leaves. This interaction made Nanami understand that he had no value as a salaryman and that he would rather help peopleby getting rid of cursed spirits.
6"I Don’t Need Your Gratitude. I’ve Already Received It From Lots Of Others. I Have No Regrets."
At first glance, Nanami’s interaction with the bakery girl might seem innocent, but it changed the trajectory of Nanami’s life. It put him on the path to making a change and going back to beinga jujutsu sorcerer. After getting rid of her shoulder pain, she ran after him to thank him, but he did not respond. However, it is later that viewers get to see just how much her appreciation meant to him.
Nanami finds himself trapped in Mahito’s domain; he recalls the bakery girl and how she helped him feel useful. Because of the encounter he had with her, he can now help others and make himself useful in their world plagued by cursed spirits. Her gratitude meant a lot to him, and because of that, he was ready to accept whatever happened with Mahito.
7“You Take It From Here.”
Season 2, Episode 18
It broke the hearts of many ofJujustu Kaisen’sfans when Nanami muttered these words to Yuji Itadori. Season two of this anime shocked everyone with the Shibuya event, during which the sorcerers fiercely fought for their lives and others. However, Nanami was unfortunate enough to meet his demise at the hands of Mahito, the main antagonist of this anime.
Saying these words to Itadorisimply signifies that he trusts him and believes that he is capable enough to carry on in his absence. As Itadori’s mentor, Nanami has instilled in him the skills and knowledge of everything he needs to know as a sorcerer, and because of this, he has confidence in Itadori’s abilities.
Season 2, Episode 12
Season two ofJujustu Kaisenplaced focus on the Shibuya event that led to the deaths of many Grade 1 sorcerers. On her way to the Shibuya station, Nobara encounters Haruta Shigemo, a curse user fixated on killing her. Nobara fought with all her might, but Haruta was far stronger than her and would have defeated her if Nanami had not shown up.
After defeating Haruta, Nobara wanted to follow Nanami to meet up with another sorcerer, but given the level of danger that awaited them, he told her not to tag along, as she is not a Grade 1 sorcerer, and given the level of risk, he is the minimum level that can engage in the fights ahead. Her presence will only hinder and distract him. There are not manyGrade 1 sorcerers, and this just shows how intense the fights are that lower-grade sorcerers are not advised to even engage in them.
9“I Don’t Have To Deal With Curses Or Other People As Long As I Have Money.”
In Season One ofJujustu Kaisen,before Nanami left his salary job to become a Jujustu sorcerer once again, he believed that only money mattered. He did not have personal goals or a purpose, he just wanted to make enough money so that he could retire at 40 and not have to deal with people or curses again.
Nanami was trying to make enough money to fill the void in his life. However, it was not working, and eventually, he went back to being a sorcerer to make significant changes in the world, as his job was not giving him the satisfaction he was seeking.
10"No Matter What I’m Clocking Out By Six."
It’s safe to say that Nanami is a very meticulous and punctual man. He takes his time very seriously, and he shows that by not working a minute more after his closing hour. When working, Nanami is very observant and precise; he looks out for the weaknesses of the cursed spirits andhe fights to quickly and effectively finish them off. The less time he spends on a cursed spirit, the more he can kill before closing hour.
Nanami understands the value of time, and he always makes sure to use his time effectively to be productive. His value of time is a trait, not many people have in theJujutsu Kaisenworld, and being a salaryman in the corporate world might have helped him hone his time management skills. When working in the corporate world, one must be on time to avoid queries from one’s boss or superior.
