Maki: Why did Maki slaughter the Zenin clan in Jujutsu Kaisen? Explained

Why did Maki slaughter the Zenin clan in Jujutsu Kaisen? Explained

Modified Jun 18, 2024 20:12 GMT

Maki Zenin in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen's Maki Zenin is likely among animanga's most loved female heroes. Since her introduction to the series, she has captured fans' hearts and proved to be quite a powerful sorcerer. Despite having negligible Cursed Energy (CE), she stands shoulder-to-shoulder with jujutsu society's finest.

Her origins are quite harsh and play a massive role in her wanting to become a sorcerer. Her lack of CE sets her apart, causing her to be ostracized by the clan she was born into. But her story takes a dark turn when she awakens her full potential and slaughters the Zenin clan.

Maki's origins in Jujutsu Kaisen, explained

Maki Zenin is a major supporting character in Jujutsu Kaisen and one of its protagonists. She is a second-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High alongside her classmates Panda and Toge Inumaki. Maki is the daughter of Ogi Zenin and the elder twin sister to Mai Zenin.

Born a non-sorcerer in one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, Maki was constantly mistreated and felt the need to reject the Zenin clan. Her possessing hardly any CE and an inability to even see Curses added salt to the wound. Hence, she aimed to become a great jujutsu sorcerer to prove her family wrong.

However, being born with nearly zero Cursed Energy resulted in her acquiring something else — Heavenly Restriction. It boosted her physical prowess immensely, pushing her to the peak of human capabilities. Coupled with that, through training, she became an expert in wielding Cursed Tools, making her a dangerous opponent to sorcerers.

The Zenin clan's values and cruelty

The Zenin Clan is one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, alongside the Gojo Clan and the Kamo Clan. However, their history embodies the problematic values born from the noble status granted to them as a major clan. The Zenin clan highly regards powerful Cursed Techniques (CT) above all else.

So much so that they wouldn't hesitate to oust their own family members if they weren't deemed powerful enough. The biggest example of this is Toji Zenin, a powerful fighter, who was spurned by them due to his lack of CE. He ended up leaving the clan and even changing his surname to Fushiguro.

Similarly, Maki also chose to leave the clan to become a sorcerer to spite her clansmen. The clan actively prevented Maki's promotion in grade and forced her sister, Mai, to become a sorcerer against her will. The Zenin Clan expects its girls to be pretty and obedient, absolutely perfect clan members burdened with unrealistic expectations compared to the male members.

Why Maki slaughtered the Zenin clan & why Mai encouraged her to do so

Following her awakening, Maki slaughtered her entire clan. For context, during Jujutsu Kaisen's 'Perfect Preparation Arc,' she went back to the clan warehouse to retrieve her Cursed Tools but was stopped by her father, Ogi. He sought to do away with both Maki and Mai (also present there) to "correct his failures."

After losing the battle, the sisters were thrown into a pit of Cursed Spirits to die. But breathing her last, Mai took away whatever CE Maki had and conjured her final weapon, the Split Soul Katana, for her sister. In return, Mai had one request — destroy everything.

Thus, now having unlocked the full potential of her Heavenly Restriction, Maki unleashed her fury on the Zenin Clan. She slaughtered them in retribution for the pain she and Mai were compelled to undergo during their childhood. Mai seconded Maki's decision as she was forced to become a sorcerer, her pleas to lead a normal life being completely ignored.