In a world of cursed energy, monstrous spirits, and sorcerers wielding unimaginable techniques, there is something profoundly grounded—and yet utterly terrifying—about Nanami Kento’s cleaver in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Unlike flamboyant weapons powered by raging curses or ancient magic, Nanami’s blade is brutally practical. It reflects not only his calculated fighting style but also his unique philosophy toward battle—and life itself. The cleaver is more than a tool. It is a cold, sharp extension of Nanami’s will: clean, efficient, and merciless.
Today, we’ll take a deep dive into the lore of Nanami’s cleaver, exploring its design, origins, symbolism, and why it stands out among the many legendary weapons of the Jujutsu Kaisen universe.
The Cleaver’s Design: Brutal and Efficient
Nanami’s weapon of choice isn’t a standard katana or a traditional jujutsu relic. It’s a blunt-looking blade, shaped almost like an oversized butcher’s cleaver. With a wide, rectangular blade and a heavy, squared-off edge, it stands in stark contrast to the elegant curves of typical Japanese swords.
The weapon’s design reflects Nanami’s personality—no wasted movements, no unnecessary flourishes, just pure functionality. It doesn’t gleam with enchantments or showcase fancy etchings. Instead, its strength lies in its simplicity and effectiveness.
When Nanami swings his cleaver, it delivers clean, devastating strikes. The weight distribution allows for brutal chops and surgical slices, depending on his target and strategy. It's the perfect match for a man who treats fighting as just another job, one that demands results rather than flair.
Empowering the Cleaver: Ratio Technique
The true deadliness of Nanami’s cleaver doesn’t come solely from its steel—it comes from how he wields it using his Ratio Technique.
Nanami’s innate technique automatically calculates the target’s body into ten equal parts, identifying the weakest structural points. By attacking these critical points, Nanami can maximize damage with minimal effort, achieving devastating results even against formidable cursed spirits.
This ability gives his cleaver an almost supernatural efficiency. It doesn't matter how tough, resilient, or monstrous the enemy is—Nanami’s strikes are mathematically precise, ensuring that even a relatively simple blade can deliver killing blows.
By combining the Ratio Technique with his cleaver’s weight and sharpness, Nanami turns ordinary-looking attacks into fatal executions. Every swing, every slash, is predetermined by cold, unerring calculations.
The Origin of Nanami’s Weapon
Unlike most Special Grade cursed tools in Jujutsu Kaisen, Nanami’s cleaver doesn’t have a heavily mythological backstory. It isn’t a legendary blade forged by sorcerers or a weapon passed down through ancient lineages.
This lack of mysticism is intentional and perfectly aligned with Nanami’s character. He is, above all else, a pragmatist—a former salaryman who views sorcery as a means to an end, not a divine calling. His cleaver reflects that philosophy: a weapon chosen for its utility, not its symbolism.
However, that doesn’t make the cleaver any less deadly. If anything, it’s more terrifying because it strips away the romance of battle, reducing combat to cold, brutal effectiveness.
Nanami's cleaver teaches one vital lesson in the Jujutsu world: you don't need a legendary weapon to be a legend—you need precision, intelligence, and resolve.
Nanami’s Fighting Style: Work Ethic Meets Warfare
Nanami’s approach to battle mirrors his approach to his former corporate life. He divides his time into shifts, even counting down to when he can clock out. In the same way, he approaches combat as a task to be completed, not an emotional struggle.
His cleaver supports this ideology perfectly. It’s the ultimate “working man’s weapon”—heavy, reliable, and brutally efficient. It requires strength, yes, but it also requires discipline. You don’t wildly swing a cleaver like this and hope for the best. Every move must be deliberate. Every strike must matter.
When Nanami activates his Overtime mode, he removes his tie, wrapping it around his hand, and channels his full cursed energy output. His cleaver becomes an extension of his unleashed self, capable of delivering even more powerful, crushing blows.
In these moments, the cleaver transforms from a workman’s tool to a symbol of repressed fury, and Nanami himself transitions from a calm strategist into a walking force of nature.
The Symbolism of the Cleaver
Nanami’s cleaver isn’t just a weapon. It’s a symbol.
It represents rebellion against the excess and romanticism often found in battle manga. In a genre where power-ups, flashy weapons, and supernatural transformations are the norm, Nanami wields a blade that says, “Get the job done.”
The cleaver also symbolizes Nanami’s personal struggle with meaning and purpose. Before rejoining Jujutsu High as a sorcerer, Nanami spent years in the corporate grind, disillusioned by the emptiness of adult life. Fighting cursed spirits with a heavy cleaver—a tool more at home in a kitchen than on a battlefield—embodies that sense of weariness, pragmatism, and quiet defiance.
In a sense, the cleaver is a reflection of Nanami’s soul: bruised by life, sharpened by duty, and honed to deadly precision by experience.
Nanami’s Legacy: A Blade That Leaves a Mark
Nanami's cleaver might not have magical enchantments or a lineage of legendary wielders, but its impact is undeniable.
Every time Nanami swung that blade, fans could feel the weight of his burdens, the precision of his mind, and the quiet power of a man who chose duty over despair.
Even after his death during the Shibuya Incident, the memory of Nanami and his cleaver lives on. His philosophy, his precision, and his refusal to indulge in pointless spectacle have left a permanent mark on Jujutsu Kaisen’s world—and on its fans.
When other characters conjure elaborate domain expansions or unleash wild attacks, it’s easy to remember Nanami: the man who brought a cleaver to a cursed battle—and still fought like a king.
Final Thoughts: The Working Man’s Blade
In a universe filled with fantastical cursed tools and supernatural swords, Nanami’s cleaver stands out because it doesn’t try to. It doesn’t glow. It doesn’t sing. It doesn’t transform.
It simply cuts. And when wielded with the skill, precision, and resolve of Nanami Kento, that’s more than enough.
The lore of Nanami’s cleaver reminds us that strength doesn’t always come from having the flashiest weapon or the most extravagant technique. Sometimes, true power comes from understanding the simplest truths: that a good blade, a strong will, and the determination to finish the job are all you really need to carve your way through even the darkest of worlds.
