In Jujutsu Kaisen, powerful sorcerers tend to have a decent balance between physical capabilities and the use of cursed techniques. However, that’s not a strict rule. Some sorcerers, like Maki Zenin, have something called Heavenly Restriction, which significantly changes the balance of these capabilities. This is very important in the series and is a key trait of some characters. So, let’s find out what it is.
What is Heavenly Restriction?
Heavenly Restriction is a trade-off between physical capabilities and cursed energy, where one of these areas is significantly diminished to provide a great boost in the other. We currently know of three characters with this restriction, making it quite rare.
The method to place a Heavenly Restriction on others has never been revealed. However, current evidence suggests that it is formed by a binding vow between a sorcerer and the baby before birth. This indicates that it is done without the consent of the affected person. As a consequence, all known cases show that those affected see it as an obstacle to be overcome and would prefer not to have it, at least for most of their lives.
There are two primary types of Heavenly Restrictions:
- Physical Enhancement at the Cost of Cursed Energy: This type reduces or takes away the sorcerer’s cursed energy but gives them superhuman physical abilities instead. This is not the only advantage of this type. It has been shown in the manga that it can nullify the effects of some domain expansions that use cursed energy to find their targets.
- Cursed Energy Enhancement at the Cost of Physicality: This type reduces the sorcerer’s physical abilities but grants them an incredible amount and range of cursed energy. Kokichi Muta, also known as Mechamaru, is an example. He has severe physical disabilities but can control many puppet-like constructs over long distances due to his immense amount of cursed energy.
All Characters with Heavenly Restrictions
Toji Fushiguro
Born without cursed energy, Toji has a Heavenly Restriction that gives him great physical strength. He made good use of its advantages and could fight even the strongest sorcerers, like a teen Gojo and Suguru Geto. Because of his restriction, his family, the Zenin clan, looked down on him. This caused a strained relationship that led to him leaving the Zenin clan.
Maki Zenin
Like Toji, Maki was born with very little cursed energy. Her Heavenly Restriction makes her incredibly strong and fast. However, having low cursed energy also means she has low resistance to curses. Because of her restriction, she learned how to make good use of cursed tools, like her sword, spear, and glasses that allow her to see curses.
Maki faced even more challenges because her Heavenly Restriction was incomplete until chapter 150. Her unique type of Heavenly Restriction stems from her being an identical twin with Mai Zenin. Maki and Mai are monoamniotic twins, a rare condition where twins come from the same ovum. In Jujutsu Kaisen, this makes them considered as one person with two bodies. This situation not only caused Maki to have a small amount of cursed energy, affecting the potential of her Heavenly Restriction, but also significantly reduced Mai’s cursed energy, as she had to “share” it with Maki.
A key point about Maki is that the Zenin clan banned her the same way they did with Toji because they place great importance on cursed techniques. Maki’s journey is centered around overcoming the limits set by her family.
Kokichi Muta (Mechamaru)
Kokichi’s Heavenly Restriction is different from our previous cases. It gave him severe physical disabilities, but in return, he gained a huge amount of cursed energy and an enormous range, able to cover all of Japan. This feat is nearly impossible even for the strongest sorcerers. This energy lets him control his puppets. Despite this, Kokichi shows his discontent with the situation and would do anything to change it. He even went to the extreme of forming alliances with Kenjaku and Mahito to get rid of it.
In conclusion, Heavenly Restriction is an important detail in Jujutsu Kaisen. It’s crucial for understanding some characters’ powers and personalities. It comes with pros and cons, but those affected usually prefer not to be born with it. Nevertheless, its uniqueness makes Jujutsu Kaisen’s power system more interesting and engaging.
