Maki may not have needed Mai's death to power up in Jujutsu Kaisen

Modified Nov 11, 2024 00:30 GMT

Maki may not have needed Mai's death to power up in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via Shueisha)

Jujutsu Kaisen has introduced numerous power systems and mechanics, with Cursed Techniques and Binding Vows being prime examples. Although Binding Vows were used extensively by Sukuna throughout his final fight, Heavenly Restrictions, which are an application of Binding Vows, have not received sufficient exploration.

The series introduced three characters with Heavenly Restrictions—Toji, Maki, and Kokichi Muta, also known as Mechamaru. Further, Mechamaru's recovery from the restrictions of his Binding Vow established that these vows primarily affect the soul.

Given Nobara's similar ability, with some influence over souls, it might have been possible to grant Maki the full benefits of the Heavenly Restriction while preventing Mai's death, which ultimately served as the trigger for Maki's ascension.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series and reflects the author's opinion.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Nobara could've helped Maki and Mai reach their full potential

Maki Zenin as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Maki Zenin was one of the first characters in the series to be introduced under a Heavenly Restriction. While the actual reasons behind Heavenly Restrictions remain unknown, Maki's condition was attributed to the nature of jujutsu. Maki and Mai were twins, perceived as a single soul within the story's context, which contributed to their strengths being subpar compared to individuals with similar abilities.

Mai's ability to create objects using her cursed technique, along with Maki's Heavenly Restriction, which gave her inferior physical attributes compared to Toji, were direct results of their original strengths being halved due to their shared perception as a single soul.

Toji as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

However, Mai's death balanced the situation, allowing Maki's Heavenly Restriction to reach its full potential, making her an equal to Toji. After Mai's death, Maki was considered a single soul in every perceivable way.

Given that Heavenly Restrictions primarily afflict the soul and can be influenced by those with control over souls, Mahito's Idle Transfiguration could potentially have broken their connection in some manner.

Besides Mahito, Nobara is the only other sorcerer with some degree of influence over souls. Therefore, the connection between Maki and Mai, causing them to be perceived as a single soul, could have potentially been severed by Nobara.

Nobara as shown in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA)

This could have allowed both to be recognized as separate souls, enabling them to achieve their full potential. Maki could have reached Toji’s level, while Mai could have mastered her creation cursed technique, similar to Yorozu’s. Meanwhile, Nobara's "death" preceding Mai's death and Maki's ascension might have been a calculated move by Gege to avoid this scenario.

Final thoughts

The Jujutsu Kaisen manga concluded with a total of 271 chapters, which are currently available to read on Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform. Furthermore, Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 has already been confirmed, with Maki's transformation and Mai's death set to be major highlights of the season. Although a release date for season 3 has not been announced, it is expected to be released sometime in 2025.