Chainsaw Man was an instant hit on its first release. In a day, the anime series was able to crash Crunchyroll servers due to the fans’ fervor to watch it. And oh boy, did Mappa Studio deliver. In a span of a few hours, fans were raving about how beautiful the show was animated. The incredible number of easter eggs put into the opening alone shows how much care was put into the series. It is an incredible one to look forward to for sure this season.
Episode One kicked off with Denji and Pochita’s dynamic being introduced to the audience. We see how, despite their precarious situation, they were able to stay positive. Sadly, in the face of greater opposition, Denji died. Pochita managed to bring him back at the cost of his own life. The next thing we see with Denji is he has chainsaws coming out of him with a Devilish exterior. So, let us discuss the phenomenon of Denji turning into Chainsaw Man.
Devil Physiology in Chainsaw Man
In the world of Chainsaw Man, Devils are beings created from the fear of mankind. Depending on the fear and how many people fear it, unique Devils are born. For example, if enough people feared water, a Water Devil will be born. The Water Devil, in turn, will feed on this fear and grow stronger until the end of time. This essentially makes them immortal, but not invulnerable. They can die under the right circumstances.
If injured, Devils can ingest blood to regenerate. Although some may have stronger regeneration compared to others. This means that they can still be hunted down with ease.
To circumvent dying as soon as they show up, Devils can make Contracts. Through Devil Contracts, a Devil can provide a person power in exchange for something. This is what some Devils do to stay alive. Other than contracts, there is an alternative: body possession. All Devils can possess a corpse to recuperate from damage. In this case, they turn into Fiends. The host’s body is modified, the mind is dominated and the Devil becomes the main personality.
So How Does Denji Become Chainsaw Man?
It is obvious that Denji died in Episode 1. No human would be able to survive being sliced to death. The blood loss would’ve also done him had he survived somehow. Thankfully, Pochita was able to recuperate by sheer luck of Denji’s blood flowing to its mouth. Since Denji was a corpse at this point, Pochita was able to possess him.
Without the former’s knowledge, Pochita began to modify the boy’s body. It was transforming him genetically and combining the limbs using chains. Additionally, Pochita chose to replace Denji’s heart. It turned itself into the main organ that kept the boy alive.
This, in the process, awakened Denji’s unconscious. In there, Pochita told him that it didn’t want to see him die. It wanted to see more of his dreams and would reincarnate him in return to see them realized. Instead of dominating his mind like every other Devil, it chose to be in his subconscious. This is why we never see Pochita reply to Denji when he came back from the dead.
As a result, Denji was able to get his powers because of Pochita’s possession and contract.
What Devil is Denji?
By definition, Denji should be classified as a Fiend. He is possessed by a Devil after becoming a corpse. However, as revealed later on, he is actually a unique case. Denji is classified as a Devil Hybrid since he was able to stay as himself.
How Does Chainsaw Man turn into a Chainsaw?
Due to Pochita’s genetic modification, Denji’s body turned into a Devil’s body. This makes him a lot more resilient in taking blows and gives him more strength. He can turn into and create Chainsaws using his blood. If he has a low blood count running in his body, he cannot use the chainsaws anymore.
Is Chainsaw Man and Denji the Same Person?
Sure, Denji can turn his body into a Devil’s and use chainsaws. That should qualify him as the Chainsaw Man, correct? Well, it is not as simple as that. Without trying to spoil too much, Chainsaw Man is the moniker that Pochita used to have. This is before Denji fused with the latter.
The real Chainsaw Man is a lot bloodier and more menacing than what Denji turns into. It is feared by many Devils and most runs away from his name. Even after death, Devils all over could still recall the terrifying revving of its engine.