Jujutsu Kaisen: Who Is Utahime Lori

One of the student advisors of Jujutsu High’s Kyoto branch, Utahime Iori, plays a relatively important role in the overarching narrative. Though she isn’t nearly as powerful as someone like Gojo Satoru, she is his parallel teacher, mentoring students in the Kyoto school.

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Utahime’s interesting dynamic with Gojo brought her to the forefront of the show in the Kyoto Goodwill Event arc of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime. Her calm and stern demeanor in most situations falls apart in front of the overpowered sorcerer because he’s known her since their high school days and knows exactly what buttons to push to make her lose it. Her appearance in the Gojo Past Arc and close relationship with Gojo have left many fans wondering about her true relationship with Gojo.

Appearance

Utahime’s appearance remains largely the same as when she was in high school, albeit with some minor changes that hint at some interesting tidbits regarding her life. She has the appearance of a stereotypical Japanese shrine maiden. Pale white skin complimented by her long, dark purplish-black bangs held back by a low ponytail.

She wears a traditional miko outfit; think of a classic Yukata style top portion with a long flowing skirt to go along with it. Her face is free of scars from her high school era, but she sports a faded mark under her right eye that goes over her nose in future arcs.

History

During her time as a high schooler, Utahime was one year senior to Gojo Satoru and Suguru Geto. Though neither of them considered her particularly powerful even at that time, she is good acquaintances with them both. She also has a good friendship with Mei Mei and likes Shoko, Gojo’s classmate.

During the Kyoto Goodwill arc, Utahime arrives alongside the rest of the Kyoto school and meets up with Gojo, who informs her about the possible mole in the two schools. During the Shibuya incident, she reveals her reservations about Ultimate Mechamaru and thinks he’s the most likely person who would leak insider information to the enemy. Utahime also acts as a buff for Gojo during the culling game arc when he goes to fight Sukuna.

Personality

Utahime is a very straight-laced person. She does her best to follow all the rules and regulations and keeps a strict demeanor, at least most of the time. Though she is a stickler for rules, she understands the need to bend them for the greater good.

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Furthermore, Utahime is a very kind-hearted individual who makes sure she’s a good role model for her students, though she is stern with them when needed. She doesn’t hesitate to put her own health at risk to protect her students as well.

Powers

Utahime isn’t a battle-oriented sorcerer. Despite being a semi-grade-one, she doesn’t participate in battles all that often, preferring to provide a supporting role as needed. This isn’t to say that she doesn’t have superb control of cursed energy. It’s just that she has more value as a support player rather than the frontline charger.

Her innate ability, Solo Forbidden Area, allows her to buff the cursed energy of herself and any ally within her range. She can increase the functionality of this ability by performing ritualistic activities like dance, music, hand signs, and incantations. At the peak, she can more than double the cursed energy of an ally.

Next: Jujutsu Kaisen: Strongest Cursed Techniques