Jujutsu Kaisen: Why is Maki Zen’in so strong? Her Heavenly Restriction, explained

Jujutsu Kaisen has a very interesting and detailed battle system, with Maki Zen'in arguably being one of the best examples of how flexible the system can be from time to time. The most fascinating fact regarding Maki is that she is actually outside of the established battle system involving Cursed Energy, which has been part of the character's appeal throughout the years.

The reason Maki is so naturally strong in Jujutsu Kaisen is because of her Heavenly Restriction, which is an element that is quite important in several plot points due to the character of Toji Zen'in and what this represents for the story. Be that as it may, this limitation is also a very significant element of Maki's character and her fighting style.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.

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Explaining how Maki Zen'in's Heavenly Restriction works in Jujutsu Kaisen

The reason Maki is so strong is because of her Heavenly Restriction, which is one of the most unique elements in the entirety of the Jujutsu Kaisen series. A Heavenly Restriction means that a person from a clan of sorcerers is born without Cursed Energy, but is often compensated with other attributes, which in Maki's case were superhuman athletic qualities.

Heavenly Restrictions can work in many different ways, with one very good example of that being the Kyoto student Kokichi Muta, also known as Mechamaru, who had one which gave him an extremely weakened body and compensated with a very large range when it came to using his Cursed Energy and abilities. Maki's case also had the condition of being limited to her twin sister, Mai, so when she died, most of the former's physical potential was unleashed.

Not being born with Cursed Energy was something that was seen as shameful in the Zen'in clan, which led to both Maki and the aforementioned Toji suffering a lot of abuse from an early age. Both of them eventually left the clan and forged their own path, although they are compared since they went through similar experiences and their Heavenly Restrictions worked the same way.

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Maki's role in Jujutsu Kaisen

Maki and Toji Zen'in are often grouped together (Image via Shueisha).

It's no secret that Maki is one of the most popular characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, with a lot of fans praising her personality, fighting skills, and the story arc with her clan. Furthermore, a lot of people have appreciated how she has grown as a fighter throughout the series, does not rely on a man, and is not overly sexualized.

However, despite a lot of people praising Maki's arc with her clan, some fans have felt that her similarities to Toji, even going as far as having a new hairstyle similar to the former mercenary and wielding his own sword, have undermined her character to a degree. There is also the angle that she hasn't had a moment to shine in the series, with her character way in the background during the most important events.

A good example of the latter are the final battles with Ryomen Sukuna and Kenjaku since Maki has not been seen anywhere in these conflicts. Fans theorized that she was going to back Yuta Okkotsu during the latter's surprise attack at Kenjaku. However, she still cannot be seen as the remaining sorcerers are fighting Sukuna.

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Final thoughts

Maki Zen'in is so strong in Jujutsu Kaisen because of her Heavenly Restriction, which kept her from having Cursed Energy, but compensated with superhuman strength. This was further developed when her sister Mai died since Maki was able to unleash the full potential of her Restriction.