jujutsu kaisen is an anime that has been praised for its portrayal of strong women. One girl, in particular, stands out as a unique sorceress who defies expectations. Maki Zenin was born into a prestigious family of Jujutsu sorcerers, but she was ostracized due to her inability to see curses.
After years of abuse from her family, she left the clan and became one of the most powerful sorceresses despite her family. Her incredible drive has made her a fierce fighter who can defeat some of the toughest curses out there. Anyone who underestimates Maki is bound to get hurt.
10 When he had the courage to leave the family clan
Maki grew up as the outcast of the family, seen as a disappointment. After enduring years of mistreatment, she had enough and left the clan. The bravery Maki showed in leaving her family as a teenager and leaving her to become a powerful fighter shows just how strong she is. She never listened to the voices that told her she was worthless. Instead, she proved them wrong by becoming one of the first sorcerers with no innate powers. The courage and determination this required shows just how strong Maki’s character is.
9 When he helped Yuta believe in himself
in vol. 0, first-year Maki and new student Yuta go on a mission to a high school to find two missing students. While there, Maki asks Yuta why he enrolled in Jujutsu High. He tells her that he just wants to accept that it’s okay for her to live.
She softens from her usual harsh nature upon hearing this confession. Understanding exactly how Yuta feels, she encourages him to learn how to harness the curse from him. This show of compassion is what finally allows Yuta to start believing in himself and work towards becoming a powerful curse bearer.
8 When he exorcised a trio of cursed spirits in one hit
During the high school battle with Yuta, Maki is quick to show off her strength. When a grotesque group of monsters attacks the two, Maki uses it as an opportunity to teach Yuta about curses. She tells him that the weaker curses are grouped together, so even though there are several, they shouldn’t be that hard to exorcise. Proving her point, Maki pulls the spear out of her and performs a flawless attack, cutting through all three curses at once, killing them. This incredible performance left both Yuta and the viewers in awe of Maki’s talent.
7 When she uses her impeccable perception
Throughout the series, one trait that Maki possesses greater skill in than most is her perception. In both battles and normal life, Maki is able to easily tell where people and curses are hiding. This is shown in every fight scene where she is able to pinpoint the location of the cursed spirits before anyone else sees them. This is also shown in her interactions with her classmates, such as when she can sense Yuta before he is introduced. This shows that Maki is talented even without the help of her cursed tools.
6 When she took the higher ground
Before leaving the Zenin Clan, Maki and her twin sister, Mai, were close. Mai saw Maki as a protector and thought that the two of them would be together until the end. When Maki couldn’t take her family’s teasing anymore and left, Mai felt hurt and resentful towards her sister. This appears in all of her interactions, as Mai now also taunts Maki and tells her that she is worthless.
Although Maki gets involved in these fights, too proud not to fight back, she is always the one to walk away first. It is clear that she still loves and cares for her sister and feels some guilt for abandoning her. But her ability to excuse herself from these arguments and not cause more harm to Mai shows Maki’s maturity.
5 When he taught the first years how to wield weapons
One of Maki’s main roles within the anime is as a mentor. This is shown with Yuta to an extent, but becomes even more obvious with Megumi and Nobara. As her senior student and powerful user of cursed tools, Maki imparts her knowledge and techniques to the first years. This can be taken literally, as she challenges them to fight until they are bloodied and exhausted. Although a bit harsh, Maki’s teaching skills are what helped make these early years some of the strongest students at Jujutsu High.
4 When he easily knocked Kasumi down
During the Sister School Goodwill Event, Maki engages in a fierce battle with fellow sorceress Kasumi from Kyoto. Kasumi thinks it will be an easy fight after her classmate Mai tells her that Maki is weak. But she quickly learns that Maki is not that easy to beat. Maneuvering her spear effortlessly, Maki attacks Kasumi, leaving the fellow sorcerer stunned.
If it had been a real battle, these moves would have left Kasumi dead twice. Feeling desperate, Kasumi uses “New Shadow Style: Simple Mastery”. But Maki reacts quickly, snapping and throwing her spear at Kasumi. Although she is able to deflect the blow, this distracts Kasumi leaving her wide open for attack. Maki takes this opportunity to disarm her opponent and claim victory.
3 When he caught a bullet with his bare hand
Maki continues to show off her skill in what is her most badass moment on the show. A fight between her and Mai during the Goodwill Event begins to heat up. Mai reloads her revolver and shoots her sister, but Maki moves quickly and slices through the bullet like she’s butter.
Maki moves to end the fight after a while, believing that Mai is out of bullets. But Mai uses her cursed technique to create one more and smiles confidently, thinking that she has won. She pulls the trigger, only to be stunned when Maki catches the bullet with her bare hand. Maki walks away from her as a defeated Mai sulks and the onlookers cheer at Maki’s impressive victory.
two When the enemy underestimated her
The Goodwill Event is suddenly cut short when a curse attacks the school. Maki finds herself in a battle atop the school building with the cursed Hanami, a powerful creature with branches for eyes. As Maki prepares to attack with Kasumi’s sword, Hanami taunts her for thinking that he could touch them with such a boring weapon.
Of course, Maki thrives on proving people wrong. She swings the sword at Hanami, who is able to block the attack. However, this leaves them open for Megumi to come in and cut off the vulnerable branches of the curse. Once again, Maki’s fierce skills and quick thinking prove that she is not to be underestimated.
one When he sent Hanami flying
During this same battle, Megumi pulls out a shadow staff and hands it to Maki. Although it is a powerful weapon, she still does not feel safe with it, claiming that it does not feel good in her hands. Regardless of this, she performs an impressive attack on Hanami, sending them skyward. This scene perfectly shows that even when Maki is not at her best, she can still fend off her strongest curses, making her one of the most powerful jujutsu casters in the series.
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