In the wake of the Shibuya Incident, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 moves towards “The Culling Game Arc.” And while Maki Zenin has been part of the show’s world since the beginning, she is just now taking her biggest steps onto center stage. So it would be understandable if you might not be up on all the details of the outcast of the Zenin Clan, even if she may be the best character in the show. Luckily, we are here to get you caught up.
This piece contains spoilers through the early episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3.
Who is Maki Zenin?
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Born into the powerful Zenin Clan alongside her twin sister, Mai, Maki was ostracized from a young age because of her lack of cursed energy. Eventually, having had her fill of her clan’s spite, Maki expelled herself from the clan and left to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer. She trains diligently in her skills, with the goal of proving herself to her former family and, one day, tearing down the Zenin from their place of power.
Maki generally comes across as cold and detached. Due to her upbringing, she struggles to trust others and has difficulty believing they accept her. Despite these character traits, she still forms deep, personal bonds with others once they prove themselves to her.
She is incredibly close to her classmates Panda and Toge Inumaki, as well as fellow student Yuta Okkotsu. She is also shown in a friendly senpai/kohai relationship with first-year student Nobara Kugisaki. The two are frequently shown together at Jujutsu High and seem close until the latter’s passing during the Shibuya Incident.
Before season three, Maki’s biggest moment comes during the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event. Here she has a confrontation with her twin sister, Mai. Like her sister, Mai is mistreated by her family, despite her ability to use cursed techniques. Rather than focus her anger at the monolithic power of her family, as she does, Mai chooses to blame her sister for many of her struggles, leading her to assume an antagonistic role in her sister’s story.
The sisterly clash reveals a lot about Maki, as she never shifts her anger outwardly towards her sister. She understands what is going on and knows that Mai is also trapped in a violent cycle and is doing what she can to survive. Despite how estranged the two have become, there is still care there for each other, which comes back around during season three.
During the Shibuya Incident, Maki shows her focus and self-control by working, mostly cordially, alongside the head of the Zenin Clan. Along with Kento Nanami, the trio fights the curse Dagon until they are aided by Megumi Fushiguro. Though she is eventually defeated during the incident and left with severe scars and one less eye.
In preparation for the Culling Game, Maki returns to the Zenin Clan’s home. With the blessing of new clan leader Megumi Fushiuro, she plans to retrieve cursed weapons from the clan’s forbidden vault to aid in the battle to come. However, what she finds in the vault is a mortally wounded Mai and her father, lying in wait to finish her off as well.
After a brief clash, Maki is defeated by her father, and the sisters are left for dead in a room used for containing curses. Before the girls are devoured, Mai gives her life to empower her sister so that she may survive. Just before fading away, Mai asks only one thing of her big sister. To tear down the Zenin. To “Destroy it all.”
With her sister’s gift, Maki’s strength is greatly increased, allowing her to lay waste to everyone present at the compound. Other members of the Zenin Clan would later be murdered by a cursed weapon user as well.
What are Maki Zenin’s powers?
Much like Toji Fushiguro, Maki possesses no cursed energy of her own, even requiring special glasses to see curses. This is due to the heavenly restriction placed on her at birth. In exchange for this loss of cursed potential, she, much like Toji, is gifted with an extreme athleticism that can only be described as super-human. But while her physical prowess is impressive, her basic abilities cannot equal those of full sorcerers. That is why she has focused on using cursed weapons, as well as honing her tactical thinking to a razor’s edge.
Maki’s mind is arguably her deadliest weapon. Years of determined training have gifted her an understanding of combat that at times makes her seem almost clairvoyant in her movements. Her ability to predict opponents’ actions allows her to compensate for her shortcomings, making her a far more dangerous foe than many give her credit for.
Maki’s mental strengths are also evident in her willingness to do unorthodox things to come out on top. One instance of this occurs when she breaks her cursed weapons and throws the pieces at Miwa, creating a distraction that allows her to steal the other girl’s sword.
What lies in wait for Maki now?
With the Culling Game upon her and the shackles of her past broken, it will be interesting to see where Maki goes from here. That her physical prowess and mental capacity will be critical for her group to survive the coming death game seems all but guaranteed.
The bigger question will be what the massive changes to her world will mean for Maki’s psyche. While her greatest goal has been achieved, losses like Mai and Nobara are sure to be weighing on her, and, likely, they won’t be the last friends to fall.
