Mai's death proves why Jujutsu Kaisen isn't the same without Maki's journey

Modified Nov 20, 2024 03:30 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen would have been very different without Mai's inclusion (Image via MAPPA).

Jujutsu Kaisen has a very clear story and it is interesting to look back and realize that a minor character, Mai Zen'in, would have changed the plot greatly if she hadn't been around. This considering the fact that her twin sister, Maki, would have had the entirety of her strength from the get-go and not from the moment Mai died during the Culling Games arc.

That plot point is very important because it boosted Maki's powers to a level similar to that of Toji Zen'in and the entirety of Jujutsu Kaisen would have been quite different if she had that degree of strength from the very beginning. Several characters probably would have survived, there would have been fewer tragedies, and Jujutsu sorcerers would probably be better prepared to deal with certain threats.

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

Explaining why Mai's absence in Jujutsu Kaisen would have changed the story greatly

Maki's look since the Culling Games arc (Image via Shueisha).

If Mai Zen'in had never existed, Maki would have been a lot stronger and probably wouldn't have received as much physical abuse from the Zen'in clan because they would have feared her a lot more. Moreover, there is the possibility that she wouldn't have become a sorcerer because she chose that path, although she also did it to spite her clan, which means that she would still become Satoru Gojo's student.

In the case of Maki continuing her path as a Jujutsu sorcerer, it is very likely that she would have defeated Suguru Geto when they faced each other, which perhaps could have kept Kenjaku from getting the latter's body, and the story would have changed greatly.

That means the Culling Games wouldn't have taken place as the centuries-old sorcerer wouldn't have Geto's Cursed Spirits Manipulation technique to control Mahito and get his Idle Transfiguration ability.

Even if the Shibuya Incident arc did take place, when considering that this version of Maki would be at a similar level to Toji Fushiguro, this could mean that there would be fewer casualties. Maki could have defeated Dagon without any major aid and the likes of Naobito Zen'in and Nanami Kento could have survived.

More ramifications of Mai not existing

Maki's changes throughout the story (Image via MAPPA and Shueisha).

There is also the fact that, within this context in Jujutsu Kaisen, Maki might not have slaughtered the Zen'in clan because Mai wouldn't have been involved in the conflict and Naobito would have survived Shibuya. In that situation, the clan would be in order and the focus would probably be on dealing with Kenjaku and Sukuna, which means that the sorcerers would have other allies.

It is also worth pointing out that Yuki Tsukumo had been studying Cursed Energy and everything that entails for years, finding Toji Fushiguro's case quite fascinating due to his Heavenly Restriction. When considering that Maki has a very similar context to Toji, Yuki probably could have collaborated with her, thus furthering her research and perhaps leading to a major breakthrough.

Moreover, when considering all the different sorcerers from past eras that Kenjaku struck a deal with, Maki would have been even more useful since she had been training with that degree of power all her life. Her role in the final battle against Ryomen Sukuna would likely have been the same but her contributions until that point would be a lot greater.

Final thoughts

Maki Zen'in contributions to the Jujutsu Kaisen story were minor, to be completely honest, but if she had the entirety of her strength from the beginning, she would have been a lot more useful. That is a huge example of how strong she was and how that would have influenced the plot.

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Edited by Sreerupa Das