Meet Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen Manga

Maki Zenin is a key character in Jujutsu Kaisen and a main figure in its prequel, Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Jujutsu High. She’s a second-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High and part of the Zenin Clan. Born to Ogi Zenin, Maki is the older twin sister of Mai Zenin.

Maki, born without sorcery abilities in one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, endured mistreatment and chose to leave the Zenin clan. She is determined to prove herself as a powerful jujutsu sorcerer despite her family’s disapproval, so she teams up with her friends Panda and Toge Inumaki. Maki also takes on a mentorship role for the first-year students, inspiring them with her dedication and strength.

Appearance: 

Maki is a young woman known for her tall, athletic physique. She has small golden eyes and long black hair, which appears dark green in the anime, and is usually tied up in a short ponytail. Her hair features fringes over her forehead with smaller strands framing her cheeks. Previously, she used various pairs of glasses to see curses.

When she was part of the Zenin clan, Maki was typically dressed in a traditional white yukata paired with a black hakama. At Jujutsu High, her original student uniform included a long-sleeved jacket with a skirt. She wore thick, long tan socks and black shoes with her uniform during her first year. She switched to wearing black leggings and a different pair of glasses as a second-year.

During her training for the Goodwill Event, Maki opted for a purple tracksuit paired with a black jersey and tan shorts worn over her leggings. When she trained Yuta Okkotsu, she kept the same top but switched to darker shorts. For her casual attire, Maki preferred a cyan hoodie layered over a white shirt featuring pink horizontal stripes. She matched this with white shorts worn over black leggings and white boots.

Post Shibuya:

Following the Shibuya Incident, Maki sustained severe burns from Jogo’s flames, leaving extensive scars on her arms and the sides of her face. Her hair now reaches only just past her ears, possibly due to cutting or being partially or entirely burned off. Additionally, during her recovery, Maki underwent rigorous training, resulting in a stronger and more robust physique than before.

Maki made adjustments to her uniform to expose her arms, opting for a sleeveless, turtle-neck black shirt beneath a large cape secured by two Jujutsu High pins. The shirt was tucked into tight black pants fastened with a large brown belt featuring a gold buckle. She wore circular glasses, but her right eye was covered with bandages due to burns.

Personality:

During her conflict with the Zenin Family, Maki lost her right eye to her father’s katana, leaving a scar in its place. She removed the cape from her attire but retained the sleeveless shirt, pants, belt, and shoes. Upon entering the Culling Game, Maki reintroduced her cape, and her right eye had fully healed.

In a sorcerer clan where powerful cursed techniques reign supreme, Maki faced a significant disadvantage—she couldn’t even see curses. Women in such clans are expected to excel even more, placing Maki under constant severe mistreatment and abuse from the Zenin clan. Despite feeling burdened by her own lineage, Maki is driven to become a formidable sorcerer regardless of her family’s disdain. She’s determined to dismantle the very foundation of their way of life and reject it entirely.

Maki’s demeanor can sometimes appear cold, even to her classmates. As a natural leader, she holds high standards and can be tough on others, often displaying impatience and a quick temper. Maki doesn’t seem to hold much respect for Satoru Gojo, finding his goofy attitude off-putting. Despite his role as her teacher and senior, she often refers to him as a “moron.” Her initial interactions with Yuta were marked by meanness due to his shy demeanor. She bluntly expressed her opinion that he had no place attending Jujutsu High as a cursed human.

During a mission together, Maki and Yuta developed a deeper understanding of each other, realizing they shared more similarities than differences. When Maki asked Yuta why he enrolled in the school, he confided that he wanted a place where he could feel accepted to live. Maki reassured him that’s precisely what Jujutsu High stands for and encouraged him to utilize his curse to aid others.

Maki’s tough training of Yuta stemmed from her desire to see him grow stronger and fight alongside her. This dedication to their development extended to her mentoring of Megumi and Nobara as their seniors. She imparted advanced situational awareness and weapon proficiency to them, even if it meant enduring many beatings in the process.

Maki has suppressed many of her emotions to maintain her tough exterior, and she hasn’t shown romantic interest in anyone. Panda often teased her about this during their first year, but when it came to Yuta, Maki’s embarrassment led her to lash out at Panda in frustration.

After their encounter with Suguru Geto, Maki and Yuta discussed why Geto labeled her as the “failure of the Zenin clan.” Initially, Maki brushed it off, attributing her departure from the clan to being born without sorcery abilities and her dislike for the clan due to various other reasons. When Yuta asked why she chose to become a sorcerer, Maki explained that it stemmed from her rebellious nature and desire to achieve the highest rank to defy the Zenin clan.

Yuta admires Maki’s strength and expressed his desire to emulate her resilience. Awkwardly, he offered to assist her in confronting the Zenin clan, but Maki dismissed him, calling him an idiot, and insisted it was something she needed to handle alone. Despite her tough exterior, Maki was caught off guard by Yuta’s kind acknowledgment of her strength. Feeling flustered, she left the conversation to regain her composure, reminding herself not to get carried away with feeling finally recognized.

As a second-year student, Maki exudes leadership qualities and effectively guides her juniors. She shares a strong bond with Megumi Fushiguro, as they both have a shared history as former members of the Zenin clan. Despite her teasing, which can sometimes be harsh, they get along well. However, this teasing can also make her appear cold-hearted at times.

When Maki found Megumi and Nobara sulking together, she jokingly asked if they had just come from a funeral, unaware that it was ironically after their classmate Yuji Itadori’s death. Feeling guilty for her insensitivity, Maki lashed out at Panda in frustration for not informing her sooner. Even after the incident, she remained uncertain if treating the first-year students more gently would have been a kindness.

Maki carries a chip on her shoulder and is constantly driven to prove herself. During the Kyoto Goodwill Event, she recognized the need for strong teammates to demonstrate her abilities on a public platform where she couldn’t be overlooked. Encouraging Megumi and Nobara to strengthen themselves in honor of their fallen ally, she saw it as the ideal opportunity to assert her authority and push her juniors to excel.

Maki seems less concerned with the moral responsibilities of being a sorcerer and is more focused on her personal objectives. During training, when Megumi asked her about the type of people she aimed to save as a sorcerer, she admitted she didn’t dwell on such matters. This response clearly irked Megumi, leading to frustration on both ends. As a compromise, Maki challenged Megumi to enhance his hand-to-hand combat skills, offering to discuss his concerns once he improved enough to challenge her.

As children, Maki made a promise to her twin sister, Mai, that they would always be together. However, as Maki matured, she recognized she couldn’t endure the oppressive control of their family, whereas Mai seemed resigned to it. Choosing to leave the clan caused Mai to resent Maki, the only person she cared about within the family. Mai faced repercussions for Maki’s departure, being forced into becoming a sorcerer despite her desire for a normal life. By the time they both attended Jujutsu High, Mai harbored a deep hatred toward Maki

Mai belittled Maki, treating her as worthless due to her lack of significant cursed energy. This mirrored the ridicule Maki endured from most members of the Zenin clan throughout her life. Surprisingly, this treatment didn’t seem to affect Maki much. During a confrontation between Mai and Nobara, Maki bluntly pointed out to her twin that they were both lacking in talent. She highlighted Mai’s own limitations, stating that her abilities were limited to charging weapons with cursed energy.

Nobara’s curiosity echoed Yuta’s, prompting her to ask Maki why she chose to become a sorcerer. Maki’s response was straightforward: she aimed to defy her family’s expectations by becoming an exceptional sorcerer. Though Nobara expressed deep respect for Maki’s determination, Maki downplayed the significance of the compliment.

During the planning phase of the Goodwill Event, Maki overheard Nobara confiding in Yuji about her circumstances and their need to win to prove the Zenin clan wrong. Initially annoyed by this, Maki’s irritation stemmed from not wanting her peers to worry about her. However, reminiscing about her classmates’ acknowledgment of her abilities later brought a smile to Maki’s face.

Maki and Naobito eventually separated from the group and joined forces with Kento Nanami, but tensions quickly arose between them. Naobito expressed his indifference toward Satoru staying sealed, prompting Maki to urge him to leave Shibuya if he wouldn’t be of any assistance. Naobito retorted that Maki should be the one to leave, while Nanami voiced concerns about the escalating danger in Shibuya being too risky for her. Ignoring this, Maki asserted she’d be more helpful than a drunk like Naobito, frustrating Nanami further for drinking on the job.

However, Maki’s perception of Naobito changed when she witnessed his sorcery capabilities firsthand. Both she and Nanami were impressed by Naobito’s speed, and Maki begrudgingly admitted that Naobito saved her life during their encounter with Dagon. Though humbling for Maki, she continued to fight alongside Naobito and Nanami in sync, aiming to exorcise the cursed spirit despite their earlier conflict.

Maki doesn’t take taunts lightly and is quick to retaliate with insults, regardless of the source. When Dagon called her the weakest inside his domain, Maki boldly taunted him back after surviving a harsh blow. She confronted the special grade directly, challenging him by suggesting that if he considered her weak, he should have finished her off with that one hit.

Feeling annoyed with herself for not taking out Playful Cloud earlier to prepare for tougher battles, Maki was relieved to see Megumi when he invaded the domain and handed her the weapon. Expressing her gratitude in her own way, she affectionately called Megumi a cocky brat.

Despite sustaining severe scars and injuries during the Shibuya incident, Maki never makes a fuss about it. When Yuta expressed concern upon reuniting with her, Maki brushed it off, claiming she was fine. Even when Yuki acknowledged her toughness, Maki humbly responded that she wasn’t intentionally aiming for it.

In a team of unlikely allies gathered to combat the Culling Game, Maki’s leadership skills proved invaluable. She efficiently organized everyone to fulfill their roles in rescuing Tsumiki Fushiguro. Maki suggested recruiting Hakari despite his bad attitude, recognizing the necessity of their shorthanded group needing all available help.

When the opportunity arose for Maki to contend for the head of the Zenin clan, she found herself unable to pursue it. Following Naobito’s death, a special clause designated Megumi as the clan head, despite his reluctance to accept the position. Maki urged Megumi to take on the role, highlighting the privileges that came with it. However, Megumi declined and suggested Maki take the position instead. Irritated by his refusal, Maki argued that no one would accept her and passionately listed reasons why Megumi would be a suitable leader, albeit begrudgingly. Despite her efforts, Megumi persisted in refusing, insisting that acceptance didn’t matter to him. Maki expressed her frustration, feeling that she wasn’t good enough for the clan or even for herself, believing she couldn’t create a place where Mai felt she belonged.

Maki’s complex relationship with her family came to the fore when she returned to the Zenin clan to retrieve cursed tools. Despite having permission from the clan head, Maki faced constant harassment along the way, including from Naoya and her mother. Undeterred, she pressed on to the vault. However, her own father conspired against her, attempting to execute Megumi alongside the twins. Despite her brave efforts to protect her brother and save Mai, Maki was defeated and gravely injured. In a twist of fate, Mai ended up saving Maki instead.

Maki’s personality underwent a profound change after being forced to say goodbye to her sister, Mai. In a dream-like space, Mai explained her sacrificial plan while distancing herself from Maki. Despite Maki’s attempts to close the emotional distance between them, she reluctantly accepted the finality of Mai’s decision. Promising to fulfill Mai’s wish to destroy everything in exchange for her sister’s sacrifice to ensure Maki reached her potential, Maki was devastated by Mai’s death but immediately carried out her sister’s request without hesitation. With a cold and remorseless disposition, Maki took up a sword left by Mai and vowed to begin their mission.

Maki ruthlessly executed her promise to destroy everything, annihilating the entire Zenin clan without displaying any emotion. She mercilessly slaughtered every member of the Hei and Kukuru units present that day. In a chilling exchange with Naoya, Maki asserted that her heart had been taken from her, symbolizing her loss of humanity and descent into vengeance. Despite Naoya’s attempts to provoke her, Maki remained stoic and resolute, refusing to falter in her mission.

Amidst her ruthless actions, Maki still clung to the hope that there might be goodness within her family. Before killing her own mother, Maki sought clarification about her earlier behavior, hoping for a positive response. Disappointed by her mother’s lack of remorse, Maki unleashed her vengeful wrath upon her and continued her ruthless crusade against the remaining clan members, leaving Mai’s body with Momo Nishimiya before eliminating the rest of the clan members who were not present that day.

Maki’s growth since enrolling at Jujutsu High was remarkable, evident to Noritoshi at a glance. However, she reached a point where she felt content blending in with her peers, unable to fully unleash her potential. Despite her immense progress, Maki struggled to grasp the same perception possessed by Hagane Daido and understand what was missing to make her akin to Toji Fushiguro. This caused her to become tense and frustrated, leading her to recognize that she was overthinking.

Self-aware enough to acknowledge her limitations, Maki accepted Rokujushi Miyo’s offer to sumo wrestle as a means to relieve stress. Through this unconventional training, Miyo helped Maki learn to free her mind and perceive her surroundings without the weight of the world on her shoulders. This newfound mental freedom allowed Maki to unlock her full fighting potential, regaining her calm and focused demeanor with a newfound sense of confidence.

Realizing that emulating others wasn’t enough, Maki focused on honing her unique abilities, akin to those of Toji. During her fight with Naoya’s cursed spirit form, Maki remained nonchalant, effortlessly besting her opponent as he grew increasingly frustrated. In a poignant moment with her sister, Maki confirmed that she had broken free from anything holding her back, just as Mai had intended.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Maki remains loyal and compassionate toward her friends. Although she and Noritoshi weren’t particularly close before their time in Sakurajima, Maki found common ground with him due to their shared complex family dynamics. Understanding Noritoshi’s struggles, Maki encouraged him to communicate with his mother before assuming she doesn’t care about him.

Upon discovering that her mother was responsible for Naoya’s death, Maki realized that she may have misjudged her mother all along and never truly understood what a mother’s love entails. She advised Noritoshi to seek his own understanding and avoid repeating the same mistakes she made, stressing the importance of discovering the truth for himself.

Powers:

Maki’s Grade 4 ranking doesn’t accurately represent her true skill level. Despite being born a non-sorcerer, she possesses exceptional physical abilities granted through heavenly restriction in exchange for her low cursed energy. Through rigorous training and studying curses at Jujutsu High, she has become a formidable jujutsu sorcerer.

Both Satoru Gojo and Mei Mei acknowledged that Maki’s skills surpassed her grade and believed she deserved a higher rank, at least Grade 2. However, tensions with the Zenin clan hindered her promotion, despite her ability to effortlessly exorcise Grade 2 cursed spirits.

Maki’s peers recognize her strength, with Yuji Itadori sensing her aura of power. Despite often being underestimated, Maki wields cursed tools with expertise and possesses physical prowess comparable to Yuji’s superhuman abilities.

During the 2018 Goodwill Event, Maki defeated Kasumi Miwa and her sister Mai consecutively, showcasing her superiority in combat. Kasumi acknowledged Maki’s strength, while Mai was forced to recognize her sister’s physical abilities. Additionally, Maki held her ground against the special grade cursed spirit, Hanami, with Megumi’s assistance.

In the battles of Shibuya, Maki proved her worth despite initial challenges. She survived Dagon’s attacks and effectively countered the special grade with Megumi’s help. However, she was ultimately defeated by her father, Ogi, who used jujutsu against her. It was revealed that Maki’s potential was hindered by her low cursed energy, but Mai’s sacrifice freed her from this limitation, granting her a body of steel and unlocking her full potential.

Maki’s heavenly restricted body underwent a profound transformation, enhancing her strength to rival that of Toji Fushiguro. She effortlessly dispatched her father and single-handedly annihilated the clan’s strongest fighters, including the Kukuru Unit and the Hei, despite being outnumbered and facing their combined cursed techniques.

Even Naoya, who inherited Naobito’s cursed technique, was defeated by Maki’s newfound power, surpassing even Naobito himself. Maki’s ability to eliminate one of the Big Three Sorcerer Clans demonstrates the extent of her strength and prowess. Furthermore, her lack of cursed energy renders her untraceable.

Initially, mental barriers hindered Maki from reaching her full potential, causing her to struggle against Naoya’s vengeful curse form. However, with guidance from Rokujushi Miyo, Maki unlocked her advanced perception abilities, enabling her to perceive inorganic matter and anticipate her opponent’s movements based on subtle environmental cues. This newfound perception also grants her the ability to move at extreme speeds and renders her immune to Naoya’s domain expansion.

With her newfound abilities fully awakened, Maki demonstrated her prowess by standing up to Sukuna, even in his unpolished state. Engaging in hand-to-hand combat alongside Yuji, Maki held her own against the formidable foe, showcasing her immense strength and resilience.Maki Zenin is celebrated as the top cursed tool expert at Tokyo Jujutsu High, demonstrating mastery over various weapons and combat styles, particularly favoring polearms and spears. She effortlessly switches between weapons during fights, showcasing remarkable versatility.

Beyond her own skills, Maki is an exceptional instructor, honing Yuta’s katana prowess in just three months and coaching Megumi in close-quarters combat, emphasizing the importance of diverse weapon use. During the Goodwill Event, Maki astounded observers with her skillful polearm use in forest terrain, employing clever tactics like using a broken spear as a projectile and disarming opponents with aikido techniques.

In battles against tough foes like Hanami, Maki adapts swiftly, transitioning between weapons like a katana and the three-section staff, Playful Cloud. Teaming up with Megumi, they seamlessly exchange weapons to keep opponents on their toes. Moreover, Maki is formidable in hand-to-hand combat, incorporating kicks into her fighting style. Her victory over Mai underscores her prowess in close-quarters combat. Overall, Maki’s proficiency in both armed and hand-to-hand combat makes her a formidable opponent, capable of handling diverse threats with precision and expertise.

Maki Zenin, unlike Yuji, primarily relies on cursed tools to manifest her sorcery, limiting her opportunities to showcase her martial arts skills. However, her exceptional physical prowess allows her to excel in hand-to-hand combat as well. Despite her reliance on cursed tools, Maki has demonstrated formidable unarmed combat abilities, particularly with her enhanced body of steel.

In confrontations with members of the Zenin clan, Maki displayed her immense strength by defeating Chojuro and Nobuaki with her bare hands. She also utilized her tactical intellect to analyze and overcome Naoya’s cursed technique, ultimately overpowering him with a single punch. Furthermore, after unlocking her full potential, Maki even managed to hold her own against Sukuna in combat, showcasing her remarkable physical prowess.

In addition to her combat skills, Maki possesses high tactical intellect, honed through her upbringing in a major sorcerer clan. She has displayed effective leadership skills, devising strategies to counter opponents’ strengths and coordinate her team’s efforts. Whether leading the Tokyo Team in the Goodwill Event or formulating plans against formidable adversaries like her father and Naoya, Maki’s tactical acumen proves invaluable in battle.

Furthermore, Maki’s immense strength is evident in her ability to break wooden polearms with her thighs and wield cursed tools like Playful Cloud to damage powerful special grade cursed spirits. Even after her cursed energy was completely taken away, Maki’s strength remained formidable, allowing her to break free from attacks and incapacitate opponents with ease. Overall, Maki Zenin’s combination of physical prowess, tactical intellect, and combat skills make her a formidable force on the battlefield, capable of overcoming even the most challenging adversaries.

Maki Zenin possesses remarkable agility and reflexes, complementing her immense strength and combat skills. She demonstrates exceptional speed and precision in battle, earning recognition from formidable adversaries like Hanami. Maki’s agility allows her to make sharp movements and maintain high mobility, enabling her to evade attacks with great precision.

In a confrontation with her sister Mai, Maki showcased her agility by effortlessly dodging and weaving through a barrage of bullets from Mai’s revolver. She displayed remarkable reflexes by slicing a bullet in half with her katana and even catching a speeding bullet just centimeters from her face, demonstrating her extraordinary reaction time.

Following her liberation from cursed energy, Maki’s agility and speed reached unprecedented levels, allowing her to compete with Naoya’s Projection Sorcery, which operated at subsonic speeds. She swiftly dispatched opponents like Chojuro and Nobuaki before they could even react, showcasing her newfound speed and agility.

Moreover, Maki exhibits immense endurance, having survived being burned alive by Jogo’s cursed technique, a testament to her innate physical toughness. Despite sustaining injuries from her father’s attack, Maki’s improved body of steel granted her enhanced durability, enabling her to withstand powerful attacks and continue fighting with resilience. Overall, Maki Zenin’s combination of agility, reflexes, and endurance complements her formidable combat abilities, making her a formidable adversary capable of overcoming even the most challenging opponents with precision and resilience.