Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Just Crowned the Perfect Nanami Successor for Fan Service

Spoiler alert: Light spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 ahead.

Jujutsu Kaisen is doing the impossible: moving forward without Nanami and not making it feel cheap. Instead of wheeling in another stoic guy in a suit, Season 3 puts Hiromi Higuruma in the spotlight. And yeah, he scratches the same itch, but in a very different way.

Higuruma is not a Nanami clone, but he hits the same nerve

Nanami worked because he felt like an adult in a world full of reckless kids and monsters. He was grounded, clear-eyed about how messy the world is, and he carried responsibility without drama. Higuruma steps into that lane in the Culling Game arc (which Season 3 adapts), but his energy is less calm and more simmering rage. Same perspective, different temperature.

Both men were shaped by real life before jujutsu ever entered the chat. Nanami was a corporate salaryman who walked away after getting disillusioned with the grind. Higuruma was a defense lawyer who lost faith in the justice system after seeing wrongful convictions pile up thanks to broken structures. Their cynicism does not come from curses; it comes from society failing, repeatedly.

And like Nanami, Higuruma intersects with Yuji through ideas, not cheerleading. Nanami guided Yuji and taught him responsibility without romanticizing pain. Higuruma takes it further: he makes Yuji confront his guilt inside the Culling Game and judges him for it. It is less mentor, more moral cross-examination. That dynamic keeps the spirit of what Nanami brought to Yuji, just from a harsher angle.

So, what is Higuruma's deal in a fight?

Deadly Sentencing, explained like a human

Higuruma's Domain Expansion, Deadly Sentencing, is one of the most grounded abilities in the series. When it activates, you are not stepping into a blast zone; you are stepping into a courtroom. Violence gets dialed down, and the outcome is decided through a legal process. His shikigami, Judgeman, evaluates evidence and hands out penalties based on the crime: that can mean stripping your cursed technique or, if things are bad enough, straight-up execution.

This is why he makes sense as the spiritual successor to Nanami. Nanami's Ratio Technique rewarded precision and discipline. Deadly Sentencing rewards accountability. Season 3 is expected to feature Higuruma vs Yuji, and that clash is less about who can hit harder and more about who can carry the weight of their choices. That is exactly the kind of ethical friction people loved Nanami for.

Why this matters in Season 3

The Culling Game arc is chaos and ideology all at once, and the show needs an adult presence to keep the emotional center of gravity from floating away. Jujutsu Kaisen is not replacing Nanami the character so much as replacing Nanami's role. Higuruma brings back that mature voice that pushes Yuji emotionally and morally, not just physically. And by choosing a fully realized new character instead of a copycat, the series keeps its thematic depth intact.

Quick breakdown

• First appearance (manga): Nanami - Chapter 19; Higuruma - Chapter 143
• First appearance (anime): Nanami - Season 1; Higuruma - Season 3
• Pre-sorcerer life: Nanami - corporate salaryman; Higuruma - defense attorney
• Role in Yuji's arc: Nanami - mentor and protector; Higuruma - moral judge and challenger
• Signature ability: Nanami - Ratio Technique; Higuruma - Deadly Sentencing (Domain Expansion)

The bottom line

Higuruma proves the show can evolve without erasing what made Nanami resonate. Nanami carried responsibility quietly. Higuruma turns responsibility into judgment. Different flavor, same grown-up weight. It is a smart way for Season 3 to honor the past while making the story sharper.

Do you think Higuruma can fill the Nanami-shaped space in Season 3? I am curious where you land.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 starts streaming on Crunchyroll on January 8, 2026.