Chainsaw Man’s Devil system is brilliantly simple in concept but terrifyingly complex in execution. Devils are born from human fear—the more something is feared, the more powerful its corresponding devil becomes. This creates a world where abstract concepts become physical monsters, where forgotten fears birth weak demons, and where humanity’s deepest terrors produce beings that can challenge reality itself.
This guide breaks down everything about Devils in Chainsaw Man: the hierarchy of power, the difference between Fiends and Hybrids, the nightmare-inducing Primal Fears, and every named devil we’ve encountered.
What Are Devils?
Devils are supernatural entities born from human fear. The mechanic is elegant:
Fear → Power
The more humans fear something, the stronger that devil becomes. The Gun Devil is powerful because guns terrify people. The Tomato Devil is pathetic because… who fears tomatoes?
Key Properties of Devils
The Reincarnation Cycle
When a devil dies on Earth, they wake up in Hell. When killed in Hell, they revive on Earth. This creates an eternal cycle—devils can never truly die, only relocate. However, they lose all memories upon reincarnation, essentially becoming new beings.
The only exception: Devils eaten by the Chainsaw Devil are erased from existence. They don’t reincarnate. Their concept itself is forgotten.
Devil Hierarchy: From Trash to Transcendent
Primal Fear Devils (God-Tier)
The strongest category. Primal Fears represent fears so fundamental, so universal, so ancient that they transcend cultures and eras. These devils have never known death—they’ve existed since humanity began fearing.
Confirmed Primal Fears:
The Darkness Devil
- Embodies: Fear of darkness/the unknown
- Power Level: Instantly dismembered multiple experienced devil hunters just by existing nearby
- Notable: First Primal Fear shown; defeated Makima’s forces effortlessly
The Falling Devil
- Embodies: Fear of falling
- Power Level: Creates localized gravity manipulation; can make anyone fall endlessly
- Notable: Appears in Part 2; demonstrates how Primal Fears ignore normal combat
Speculated Primal Fears:
- Death Devil (fear of death)
- Pain Devil (fear of pain)
- Starvation Devil (fear of hunger)
- Drowning Devil (fear of water/drowning)
Transcendent Devils (S-Tier)
Below Primal Fears but above normal devils. These embody fears that are widespread and intense:
The Control Devil (Makima)
- Embodies: Fear of control/domination
- Power Level: Can control anyone she considers “lesser”; near-immortal through Japanese citizen contract
- Notable: Main antagonist of Part 1; nearly conquered the world
The Chainsaw Devil (Pochita/Denji)
- Embodies: Fear of chainsaws (and the power to erase existence)
- Power Level: Can kill devils permanently; fought in Hell against Primal Fears
- Notable: Other devils fear the Chainsaw Devil’s ability to erase concepts
The Gun Devil
- Embodies: Fear of guns
- Power Level: Killed 1.2 million people in 5 minutes
- Notable: Main threat of Part 1’s first half; shows how modern fears create modern monsters
Standard Devils (A-B Tier)
Most devils fall here—powerful enough to threaten devil hunters but not civilization-ending:
- Bomb Devil: Powerful explosive abilities
- Katana Devil: Blade generation and combat expertise
- Snake Devil: Summons giant snakes
- Curse Devil: Inflicts curses through ritualistic stabbing
- Future Devil: Sees the future; trades power for… interesting prices
- Angel Devil: Drains lifespan through touch; creates weapons from absorbed years
Weak Devils (C-D Tier)
Devils born from minor or fading fears:
- Tomato Devil: Almost no threat
- Cucumber Devil: Mentioned as pathetically weak
- Bat Devil: Moderate threat, killed by Denji relatively easily
- Leech Devil: Weak; served stronger devils
Fiends: Devils in Human Bodies
in her distinctive horned appearance, representing the visible devil traits that mark all Fiends)
When a devil takes over a human corpse, they become a Fiend. The devil’s consciousness controls the body, but with significant limitations:
Fiend Characteristics
Notable Fiends
Power (Blood Fiend)
- Devil: Blood Devil
- Abilities: Blood manipulation, weapon creation
- Personality: Chaotic, self-centered, eventually loyal to Denji
- Note: Fan favorite; one of the main characters
Beam (Shark Fiend)
- Devil: Shark Devil
- Abilities: Transforms head into shark form; swims through surfaces
- Personality: Extremely loyal to “Chainsaw Man-sama”
Violence Fiend (Galgali)
- Devil: Violence Devil
- Abilities: Enhanced physical combat
- Personality: Ironically polite and gentle; wears mask to suppress power
Asa Mitaka’s Situation
- In Part 2, Asa shares her body with the War Devil (Yoru)
- This is unusual—normally devils fully take over
- They maintain separate consciousnesses
Hybrids: The Third Category
Hybrids are humans who fused with devils while alive, maintaining human consciousness and gaining devil transformation abilities.
Hybrid Characteristics
Known Hybrids
Denji (Chainsaw Man)
- Fusion: Pochita (Chainsaw Devil) merged into his heart
- Trigger: Pulling the cord from his chest
- Abilities: Chainsaw generation from limbs and head; regeneration; can transform into full Chainsaw Devil form
Reze (Bomb Hybrid)
- Fusion: Bomb Devil
- Trigger: Pulling pin from neck
- Abilities: Explosive attacks; can detonate body parts; limb regeneration
Quanxi (Crossbow Hybrid)
- Fusion: Crossbow Devil
- Trigger: Arrow through neck
- Abilities: Fires powerful crossbow bolts from arms; enhanced combat abilities
Katana Man
- Fusion: Katana Devil
- Trigger: Pulling sword from arm stump
- Abilities: Blade generation; enhanced swordsmanship
Why Hybrids Are Special
Hybrids are incredibly rare because the fusion requires very specific circumstances—usually involving the devil sacrificing itself for the human. Pochita merged with Denji out of genuine care, not conquest.
This makes Hybrids fundamentally different from Fiends: they’re partnerships, not possessions.
Devil Contracts
Humans can make contracts with devils, trading something for power:
Contract Structure
Every contract requires:
Contract Examples
Himeno + Ghost Devil: Traded her right eye for the ability to control the Ghost Devil’s invisible hands
Aki + Fox Devil: Offers portions of his body/skin to summon the Fox Devil’s head for attacks
Aki + Future Devil: Allowed the Future Devil to live in his eye in exchange for limited precognition
Makima + Japanese Prime Minister: Contract made casualties from her attacks instead harm random Japanese citizens
Why Devils Make Contracts
Devils benefit by:
- Gaining steady fear/attention
- Receiving sacrifices (body parts, lifespan)
- Entertainment
- Strategic positioning in the human world
The Chainsaw Devil’s Special Ability
The Chainsaw Devil holds unique terror among devils because of one power:
Devils it eats are erased from existence.
Not just killed—erased. The concept itself disappears from human memory. If the Chainsaw Devil eats the Nuclear Weapons Devil, nuclear weapons never existed.
Known Erased Concepts
The story implies multiple concepts have already been eaten:
- Names of some diseases
- Certain historical atrocities
- Unknown horrors that humanity no longer fears because they no longer remember
This is why Makima wanted to control Pochita—she wanted to erase concepts like war, death, and hunger, creating her ideal world (through absolute control, of course).
FAQ
Q: Do all devils hate humans?
A: Most do, instinctively. However, some devils form genuine bonds (Pochita, Power eventually, Angel Devil). Devils’ personalities vary like humans.
Q: Can Fiends become devils again?
A: If the Fiend body dies, the devil component presumably goes to Hell and reincarnates as a standard devil (losing all memories).
Q: Are there good devils?
A: “Good” is complicated. Some devils are less hostile (Angel Devil, Fox Devil). Some genuinely care about humans (Pochita). But most find humans’ fear sustains them, creating inherent conflict.
Q: How does Makima’s contract work?
A: Attacks on Makima transfer to random Japanese citizens as illnesses/accidents. She can only truly die if an attack isn’t perceived as an attack—which is how Denji ultimately defeats her.
Q: What’s the strongest possible devil?
A: Theoretically, the Death Devil. Nothing is feared more universally than death itself. The Darkness Devil is powerful because darkness is ancient and primal, but death is THE fundamental human fear.
Complete Named Devils List
Primal Fear Devils
- Darkness Devil
- Falling Devil
Transcendent Devils
- Control Devil (Makima)
- Chainsaw Devil (Pochita)
- Gun Devil
- War Devil (Yoru)
Major Devils
- Blood Devil
- Bomb Devil
- Katana Devil
- Future Devil
- Curse Devil
- Angel Devil
- Snake Devil
- Ghost Devil
- Shark Devil
- Violence Devil
- Spider Devil
- Fox Devil
- Crossbow Devil
- Justice Devil
Minor Devils
- Bat Devil
- Leech Devil
- Muscle Devil
- Tomato Devil
- Zombie Devil
- Eternity Devil
- Typhoon Devil
- Doll Devil (Santa Claus connection)
- Hell Devil
- Punishment Devil
- Knife Devil
- Nail Devil
- Octopus Devil
- Chicken Devil
- Cockroach Devil
- Claw Devil
- Whip Devil
- Flamethrower Devil
Conclusion
Chainsaw Man’s devil system works because it’s simultaneously simple and profound. The core concept—fear equals power—is immediately understandable. But the implications spiral into fascinating territory: What happens when humanity stops fearing something? What concepts have already been erased? Why do Primal Fears remain eternally powerful while modern devils rise and fall?
Understanding the devil hierarchy makes Chainsaw Man’s battles more meaningful. When Denji fights the Darkness Devil and gets instantly dismembered, you understand why—that’s a Primal Fear, something humanity has dreaded since the first human sat in shadow. When Power the Fiend struggles against stronger opponents, her reduced state explains her limitations.
It’s a horror system for a horror manga, and Fujimoto uses it to explore fear, trauma, and what it means to be human in a world where your nightmares have teeth.
Related: Denji Character Analysis
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