JJK Season 3 Episode 4 Review – Maki vs Naoya Broke the Internet
Image : ©MAPPA
By
Patel
|
January 23, 2026
Warning : This article contains Major Spoilers from JJK Season 3 – Culling Game arc.
“Perfect Preparation” delivers one of the most defining moments of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3. Episode 4 pushes the series into darker, sharper territory as it follows Maki Zen’in’s complete awakening Powers after Mai’s sacrifice. This brutal transformation shatters the Zen’in clan’s power structure and sets the tone for the Culling Game arc.
As a character-focused episode, it stands out not only for its animation but also for how it redefines Maki as one of JJK’s strongest non-sorcerers — a moment fans have been waiting to see animated.
Maki & Mai’s Final Heartbreaking Conversation, Maki’s Awakening Power
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Mai lies fatally injured after being attacked by Ogi Zen’in, and Maki is forced into a suspended dream-like space where their final conversation unfolds. Mai explains the cruel truth about twins in jujutsu society: they share one potential, meaning neither can ever reach full strength.
Her solution is devastating yet gentle — she uses her Construction technique one last time to forge a cursed tool, removing all cursed energy with her as she dies.
Maki’s transformation begins the moment she wakes up. With the restriction finally lifted, her physical strength spikes to a level comparable to Toji Fushiguro. She returns to face Ogi, who unleashes Falling Blossom Emotion reinforced with cursed energy, hoping to end the fight instantly. Instead, Maki cuts him down effortlessly, ending years of abuse and initiating the downfall of the Zen’in clan.
The Kukuru Unit and The Hei – When the Clan’s Strength Collapsed
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- Monochrome high-speed slaughter
- Elite Hei techniques fail instantly
- “Maki is the new Toji” moment
After Ogi’s death, the Kukuru Unit attempts to capture Maki. Their martial training proves meaningless. Maki cuts through the entire squad with alarming precision, and the monochrome animation combined with the rising music makes the scene shockingly entertaining. She obliterates them in an instant, displaying a ruthless confidence that mirrors Toji’s legend.
The Hei—the Zen’in clan’s elite sorcerers—enter next. Chojuro’s crushing attacks, Jinichi’s destructive techniques, and Ranta’s calculated strikes all fail to land any real damage. The moment that hits hardest comes from Ranta, who voices the truth the clan always feared:
“The current Zen’in clan only exists thanks to the whim of Toji-san… and now Maki is the same as that man.”
This line seals the idea that Maki has fully crossed into the same monstrous territory Toji once occupied. She eliminates the Hei effortlessly, leaving the clan’s strongest fighters defeated within seconds.
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By
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Maki vs. Naoya – A Brutal Demonstration of Pure Speed and Power
Image : ©MAPPA
- Projection Sorcery patterns exposed
- 1/24-second freeze rule
- Jaw-shattering final punch
Naoya Zen’in confronts Maki with full confidence in his Projection Sorcery — a technique that accelerates movement through precise 1/24-second frames. His flurry of high-speed attacks tears through the hallways, but Maki’s raw physical awareness sees through the pattern. Once she identifies the technique’s core limitation, the momentum shifts instantly.
The final punch is the episode’s defining moment. The slow-motion X-ray shot of Naoya’s jaw shattering has already become one of the most viral sequences of Season 3. It’s clean, cinematic, and brutally satisfying.
Naoya collapses, and the last blow comes from Maki’s mother, who stabs him in a final act that ends years of cruelty and closes the Zen’in family’s entire chapter.
Aftermath – The Zen’in Clan’s Erasure
The clan’s final numbers are catastrophic. The Hei, Akashi, and Kukuru members who weren’t present that night are later found dead, marked by the wounds of a cursed tool.
The Gojo and Kamo clans immediately request the removal of the Zen’in clan from the Big Three Families, and while headquarters pauses the motion, the political message is clear: the Zen’in legacy has collapsed entirely.
📢 Let’s Talk!
What Did You Think of Maki’s Awakening?
Episode 4 is easily one of the strongest character-driven episodes Jujutsu Kaisen has ever produced. Maki’s transformation, the choreography, and the emotional aftermath combine into a rare balance of violence and storytelling. What did you think? Was this the best animated moment of Season 3 so far?
👇 Share your thoughts in the comments below — let’s discuss!
