Maki’s Crucial Role in Megumi’s Victory Against Mahoraga in Jujutsu Kaisen

Fushigoro Megumi and Maki Zenin, both members of the Zenin clan, are among the most formidable characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. Additionally, Mahoraga is renowned as the most powerful shikigami of the Ten Shadow cursed technique, further solidifying the clan’s reputation for strength.

Despite the presence of 9 other shikigami spirits, Mahoraga stands out as unique. This is due to the fact that previous users of the cursed technique were never able to master it, often resulting in their death or serious injury upon summoning it. Therefore, summoning this cursed spirit was only done as a final resort for those utilizing the Ten Shadow Technique.

Despite completing the Perfect Preparation Arc, Fushigoro was never able to gain control over this shikigami, even with the assistance of the Zenin clan girl. This was evident in her fight against Naoya’s cursed spirit, as she was able to evade detection due to her lack of a cursed spirit and possession of Heavenly Restriction. The same outcome could have potentially occurred with Mahoraga.

Note: The following article may contain spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series and includes the author’s personal opinions.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Examining Maki’s Potential in Helping Megumi Tame Mahoraga

Mahoraga as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Throughout the series, Fushigoro has attempted to summon Mahoraga, the most powerful shikigami of the Ten Shadow technique. Unlike its previous users, Mahoraga has never been under anyone’s control. It has been summoned multiple times, such as after Itadori consumed Sukuna’s finger in the first episode, and during the intense battle with Sukuna in the Fearsome Womb arc of Jujutsu Kaisen.

During the Shibuya arc, he performed a ritual to summon the shikigami against Haruta Shigemo. This involved extending both hands and reciting the phrase “With this treasure, I summon..”However, once the shikigami was summoned, it would go berserk and could not be controlled, often attacking its own summoner, just as it had done to Fushigoro.

Sukuna, having possessed Fuhigoro’s body, once again called upon Mahoraga during the Shinjuku Showdown arc and was able to manipulate the shikigami. However, as this cursed technique did not originate from the King of Curses, it could not be deemed as a fair use of Mahoraga’s abilities.

Maki as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Despite being in the Perfect Preparation arc, Fushigoro neglected to learn how to control Mahoraga as a trump card for the Culling Games. However, the true inquiry remains: was there ever a possibility of him mastering Mahoraga’s control?

It was possible that Mahoraga could have been tamed, and the key to achieving this lay with the Zenin girl, Maki. Similar to Fushigoro’s father Toji, Maki possessed the Heavenly Restriction, which granted her immense physical prowess instead of cursed energy.

After the death of her sister, Mai, she finally tapped into her full potential and unleashed her true powers. The Zenin girl had already annihilated her entire clan before this happened. A few chapters later, Naoya, whom she had killed during the massacre, returned as a cursed spirit seeking revenge.

Naoya couldn't sense Maki's presence (Image via Shueisha) — Naoya couldn’t sense Maki’s presence (Image via Shueisha)

Despite numerous attempts, Naoya’s regular attacks proved unsuccessful. In a last-ditch effort, he unleashed his ultimate move, the Time Cell Moon Palace domain expansion. This technique froze all in its path, but Maki was able to evade its effects due to her lack of a cursed technique. She capitalized on this advantage and swiftly took down Naoya once more.

The Zenin girl could have played a crucial role in mastering Mahoraga, as cursed spirits and shinigami both rely on sensing them. Her Heavenly Restriction abilities could have weakened the shinigami, allowing Fushigoro to land the final blow and tame the shikigami.

Concluding Thoughts

During the Culling Games in Jujutsu Kaisen, Fushiguro attempted to summon Mahoraga after Sukuna’s attempt to take over his body. Despite the trauma caused by his previous encounter with the shikigami, it could be argued that he may have found a way to control it this time. However, Sukuna prevented him from summoning the cursed spirit.

One potential significance of Heavenly Restriction may be its role in assisting practitioners of the Ten Shadow Technique. Toji, who had left his own clan and joined the Fushigoro clan, may have done so because the previous user of the Ten Shadow Technique was unable to control Mahoraga. However, this is merely speculation and should be taken with caution.