Kurisu Makise
INTP
Functional order: Ti - Ne - Si - Fe
Spoiler warning
This article will cover Kurisu’s analysis with precise reference to the plot. Also, please note that:
this article only refers to the anime adaptation of S;G, as none of us mods has still played the visual novel.
this article only refers to Stein’s;Gate classic, as only ENFP mod have seen the movies and the Zero. If you have further comments or want to discuss about it, leave a comment or contact us!
Judging Functional Axis
Introverted Thinking (Ti) / Extroverted Feeling (Fe)
First and foremost, Kurisu is rational. She analyzes everything she sees, never satisfied with superficial explanations but always looking for the pieces of the puzzle and the rules that support the structure. She needs her own framework to work with, highly values a methodical approach and takes pride in her logic- to the point that she refuses to accept something that ‘doesn’t make sense’ even if everything around her proves otherwise. Kurisu strongly rejects even the possibility that time-travel could be real, at first, because logically that doesn’t fit with either her system or all the soundest scientific theories. The cell phone–operated microwave Okabe got to build has been created by pure experimentation, following a trial-and-error, more casual approach, rather than a structured one - so Kurisu’s first reaction at witnessing bananas turned into a jelly is to run away, because such a thing shouldn’t be possible, it’s not logical that it’s possible. But, when she accepts that a time-traveling microwave does in fact exist, she grabs a marker and writes everything down on a whiteboard to better understand how it works. Only after she’s clarified the rules and the theory behind the machine, she’s able to proceed with the next step: improving it.
Kurisu’s strong Ti is counterbalanced by her inferior Fe. She can lecture an entire class about her articles and discuss quantum physics, but she doesn’t fit well around too many people in social circumstances and is overall quite awkward when it comes to interacting with others. She’s in denial of her feelings most of the time, regarding Okabe but not limited to him. She hates getting emotional and overall finds emotions to be a burden. Nonetheless, her Fe can be easily spotted in her working overall well with the other lab members. She admits to enjoy the lively atmosphere (in opposition to her previous workplace) and the “round tables” summoned by Okabe. Her Ti makes her stubborn and honest when speaking, but she doesn’t like conflict and prefers when everyone works together and in harmony - as she states more than once to both Mayuri and Suzuha, as the second clearly dislikes her.
Perceiving Functional Axis
Extroverted Intuition (Ne) / Introverted Sensing (Si)
Her Ti paired with her Ne is what defines her character as ‘being a genius’: she’s not afraid of asking questions, and tries to look at things from a different perspective and to consider various options. She’s not only generally curious, but also knowledgeable about many topics, from neuroscience to physics - and she puts all her knowledge at work to improve Okabe’s creation, literally mixing notions from the most various fields to create the Time-Leap Machine.
She enjoys discussions and doesn’t back off from confuting theories and abstractions, and this enables her to be more open to Okabe’s unmethodical experiments and to accept that time traveling is indeed possible. Her aux-Ne, paired with Ti and Si, also makes her extremely cautious before taking action: if Okabe leaps into things without further thinking, Kurisu is the exact opposite. She has to think about what to do first, and has to ponder all the viable options to better judge what is the most logical course of action (Ti-Ne).
Her Si, although tertiary, shows in her tides with her past and in the general value that Kurisu confers to past experience: as she states at around episode 20, it’s one’s past and mistakes that define who a person is. This also affects her method, as she usually proceeds in little steps (compared to Okabe, who tends to be ‘all or nothing’), does continuous comparisons between things, theories and experiences (Ne-Si) and tends to avoid risks when it’s not necessary.
Also typed as: INTJ
This is the most common mistype about Kurisu - someone opts for ISTJ as well, but looking around on the internet, INTJ is the one you’ll probably find.
Our article is of course not the universal truth, but we are confident in typing Kurisu as INTP. Here’s why (in addition to the previous analysis):
Ni, especially if dominant, is not only about the future, but is also about the intrinsic meaning of things, the most general patterns and symbols. It’s a highly abstract, subjective introverted function that searches for what a certain thing means to it, rather than how something works. Here’s the key difference between Ni and Ti: if Ni sees a computer, it looks for a way to interpret said computer, it sees how the computer can fit in Ni’s own subjective framework. If Ti sees a computer, on contrary, it tries to understand how it works, what are its components and how they’re connected, so that Ti can form its knowledge about computers and build up its own with the pieces it finds around in the world.
Kurisu doesn’t has Te. Te looks for facts, objective logic and proven truths - Kurisu isn’t like that and it shows starting from the very first episodes, when she runs away from the lab. If Te is provided with the proof that something can happen before its own eyes, it tends to believe it, because it’s in the real world. If you can do it, then it’s doable - Te logic. Kurisu on contrary is still skeptic even when she accepts to stay in the lab: all her doubts crumble only when she has all the information she needs, and she can complete the theory behind D-Mails and time traveling. Only after she thought about the pieces and formed her own theory she is confident in assessing that time travel is possible and how to do it.
Consequently, she isn’t a Se user but, most of all, she isn’t a Fi user: her self-awareness isn’t very high, and she often questions herself about her identity as a person and as a scientist. She doesn’t show signs of Fi, but definitely shows many signs of inferior-Fe.
Regarding the ISTJ typing, the Te/Fi point is still valid, plus: Kurisu certainly has Si, but it isn’t that high. She is overall versatile, open and not too rigid on her opinion. It’s not that ISTJ cannot change their mind, but it takes them time, effort and a good amount of solid reasons. Kurisu’s auxiliary Ne on contrary enables her to confute her flawed logical theories about time traveling so that she can build a new system and proceed with the improvement of the Time-Leap Machine. She can confront changes and unexpected circumstances and doesn’t necessary needs a plan: she can make one up if it’s needed, she only has to think things through and consider various options - TiNe, as we’ve said.
For further reading:
An article by funkymbti about INTP vs INTJ: https://funkymbtifiction.tumblr.com/post/83933024503/type-contrast-intj-vs-intp-how-can-you-tell-them
Two big entries from mbtinotes about Te vs Ti (https://mbti-notes.tumblr.com/post/142863816372/type-spotting-te-v-ti) and Fe vs Fi (https://mbti-notes.tumblr.com/post/137908467362/type-spotting-fe-v-fi)