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Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 198 shows Maki defeating Naoya and dismantling his domain, proving herself to be Toji’s equal. Training with Miyo within his domain allowed Maki to realize her true potential and the real ability of the sword that her late sister Mai created before dying.
To eclipse her current status as Toji's equal, fulfill Mai’s wish, and truly "destroy everything," Maki must continue to evolve. This article traces Maki’s journey up till now and analyzes why she must become stronger to survive what Kenjaku has planned for the future.
Disclaimer: This article takes into account the author’s opinions and contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners.
Why Maki must become stronger than Toji to remain significant in Jujutsu Kaisen
Maki’s journey in the series
Initially, Maki’s motivations in Jujutsu Kaisen were quite similar to those of Megumi Fushiguro’s and even Noritoshi Kamo's. All of them wanted to create a place where their loved ones would be safe and happy. Maki learned early on that in the Zenin clan, a person’s worth was determined by how powerful a sorcerer they were.
Cursed energy is especially valued by the Zenin clan, and using Cursed Tools is seen as a sign of weakness. Her understanding of the clan's beliefs was further solidified by Geto’s statement in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, when he called her "the failure of the Zenin clan" and added that he didn’t need monkeys like her in his world.
Twins are considered unlucky in the world of jujutsu, since jujutsu sees them as a single soul and often splits abilities meant for one person into two. While Mai was content to remain in the shadows and spend her days as a servant of the clan, she refused to let her more submissive sister suffer for the rest of her life.
Maki's journey in the series was to become strong and protect Mai from being mistreated and belittled by their own clan and even their parents. This was most obvious during the Perfect Preparation arc when Megumi asked Maki to become the head of the Zenin clan. While Maki didn’t particularly care what the clan thought of her, she declined the offer, saying that she wasn’t ready yet.
Maki knew she wasn't strong enough for the Zenin clan to accept her leadership without question. She was certain that instead of attacking her directly, they would force their disapproval on Mai.
Will Maki’s role in Jujutsu Kaisen change?
Immediately following Mai’s death, Maki’s role changed from being a protector to becoming an avenger. Mai crafted the Split Soul Sword for her sister by sacrificing her life and asking Maki to destroy everything. While she did annihilate the entire Zenin clan in the Perfect Preparation arc itself, the fulfillment of Mai’s request came in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 198, after she was able to use the sword’s true ability and kill Naoya.
But with Naoya gone, Maki’s role in the series seems uncertain, although the Sakurajima Colony arc has established that she will definitely become a key figure in whatever happens next. One clue that Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 198 leaves for readers involves a subtle reference to Megumi’s domain while explaining Maki’s immunity to most conventional domains.
Megumi is technically still the head of the Zenin clan, which might make him a target for Maki’s wrath. A more plausible theory suggests that Megumi’s attachment to his sister Tsumiki could cause him to go rogue if he fails to save her from the Culling Game, which might pit him against Maki.
A third possibility that cannot be ignored is Maki’s probable role in the final charge against Kenjaku and Sukuna. It is unclear whether Sukuna is a co-conspirator or merely a pawn in Kenjaku’s plan, but it is abundantly clear that defeating Sukuna will not be a one-man venture, especially with Gojo sealed.
Gojo admitted early on in Jujutsu Kaisen that even he would have some trouble dealing with Sukuna at full power, which implies that Sukuna after eating all twenty fingers would be at least as powerful as Gojo is, if not more.
During the Star Plasma Vessel Assassination, Gojo easily surpassed Toji after awakening the true potential of Limitless and Six Eyes. So, even though Maki is now as powerful as Toji was, she will not stand a chance against Sukuna at her current level.
Finally, Toji Fushiguro acts as a foil for Maki in Jujutsu Kaisen, functioning as a yardstick of measure which highlights Maki’s evolution in the series. Unless she surpasses Toji in the future, she will simply remain a second Toji in the story, instead of becoming a fully-developed character in her own right. Maki must therefore strive to evolve and get better.
