In Jujutsu Kaisen, Maki is a sophomore student in the Tokyo Jujutsu High. Along with Panda and Inumaki, she is Yuji Itadori's upperclassman and is responsible for teaching him some real-life combat techniques. She is a brash yet kind-hearted girl who deeply cares about her friends and underclassmen.
What most people don't realize is the fact that Maki is actually a member of the Zen'in clan, one of the big three great sorcerer families in the Jujutsu Kaisen world. With the other being the Gojo family, represented by the all-powerful Satoru Gojo, and the Kamo family, represented by Noritoshi Kamo from the Kyoto Jujutsu High. However, despite being a legitimate daughter of the Zen'in Clan, Maki has nothing but contempt for this ancient family. So why does she hate the Zen'in so much? What did they do to her to make Maki despise the whole clan with such passion?
Who is Maki Zen'in?
Maki is one of the twin daughters of Ogi Zen'in, the brother of the leader of the Zen'in clan, Naobito Zen'in. Her twin sister is Mai Zen'in, a second-year at Kyoto Jujutsu High. Prior to entering Jujutsu High, Maki banished herself from the Zen'in clan and has been fighting on her own as a Jujutsu Sorcerer since then.
Maki has a relatively muscular build and boasts incredible physical strength. She can even catch a bullet aimed at her head with her bare hand with little to no injury. She specializes in using different kinds of cursed weapons to exercise cursed spirits or even during regular fights against other Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Why Does Maki Hate The Zen'in Clan?
Maki has always been bullied and insulted by her own family ever since she was small. The reason is simply that she doesn't have any cursed energy. She can't even see cursed spirits without the aid of specially-made glasses. But unlike Maki, her twin sister Mai does have cursed energy, but it’s nothing to boast about.
To the prideful Zen'in clan, having a descendant who doesn't have cursed energy is seen as something to be ashamed of. Thus, the sisters are treated more like servants in their own house. They often hear other members of the family badmouthing them, with Maki having to receive the full brunt of her cousin’s, Naoya Zen'in, constant bullying. Even her own parents often said how they regret having such useless daughters like them.
Fed up with the whole situation, Maki decided to expel herself from the family. She left her twin sister behind because she thought Mai would receive better treatment than her due to her actually having cursed energy. But regardless, the Zen'in family and their boundless influence in the Jujutsu world keep being an obstacle that hinders Maki's advancement as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. She is stuck as a grade-4 sorcerer, while her peers have advanced way beyond that.
Why is Maki Still Active as a Jujutsu Sorcerer?
There are two reasons why Maki is still active as a Jujutsu Sorcerer despite constant aggravation from the Zen'in family and her own lack of cursed energy. The first reason is that she wants to prove herself capable of being a top-class Jujutsu sorcerer despite what the Zen'in think of her. The second reason is that her physical power is actually way higher than average Jujutsu sorcerers, and has allowed Maki to fight on equal footing to most high-grade cursed spirits and Jujutsu sorcerers.
The reason behind Maki's incredible physical power is that she was put under a Heavenly Restriction technique, possibly when she was just an infant. It is unknown who put this technique on Maki, but one thing is clear; Heavenly Restriction allows the target to gain something powerful in exchange for other aspects of their life.
In the case of Maki, she gained tremendous physical power in exchange for her cursed energy. Another person who gained an incredible amount of physical prowess through Heavenly Restriction is Toji Zen'in, the man who almost killed Satoru Gojo despite having no cursed energy whatsoever.
However, Maki couldn't receive the same strength as Toji because her twin sister still has a little cursed energy within her. Heavenly Restriction treats identical twins as one individual, so as long as both sisters are alive, the other won't be able to achieve her true potential.
Will the Zen'in Clan Ever Acknowledge Maki's Ability?
This section contains spoilers from the manga that might be covered in the next season of the anime.
Not long after Satoru Gojo is trapped in the prison realm and the Culling Game officially began, Maki heads to the Zen'in family main house in order to procure some strong cursed weapons. But instead of getting some weapons, Maki and her sister Mai are heavily wounded by their father and left to die in the pits filled with countless low-level cursed spirits ready to devour them.
In her dying breath, Mai conjures a cursed weapon and sacrifices herself. Therefore, unlocking the full potential of Maki's Heavenly Restriction and boosting her strength to a similar level as the infamous Toji Zen'in. Mai briefly entered Maki's dream to tell her goodbyes and left her with one message: Destroy Everything!
Will the Zen'in clan ever acknowledge Maki's ability? No, they will never do such a thing. Then again, there's no need for them to do so because unimaginable carnage happens that day that nearly wipes out the entire Zen’in family. When everything has settled down, the other great families even denounce the Zen'in clan from their position as a one of the great powers. Maki, on the other hand, is now replacing Toji Zen'in as the strongest non-cursed user.