The theme of mortality is one that the author of Chainsaw Man likes to explore. Tatsuki Fujimoto is known for his thought-provoking manga that ends on a bittersweet note. His famous one-shot “Goodbye, Eri” is one example. When given the chance to create an action-packed series, he did not shy from bringing this heavy topic into the pages. Chainsaw Man, despite its immature protagonist, deals heavily with loss and death. The consequences of such are not ignored. If anything, they influence future arcs due to the characters’ grief and emotions.
The motif of death is heavily contrasted with the series by its main antagonists: Devils. They are the ones who cause death, but also refuse it. Due to their unique immortality, it presents the perfect antithesis to the story’s theme. So how does this tie in with Denji? Simple: because Denji is a Devil Hybrid. In this article, we discuss Denji’s immortality.
How is Denji Immortal?
There are two main factors that turned Denji immortal. First is his heart and second is his Devil Hybrid physiology.
Why is Denji’s Heart Important?
Unlike other Devils, Denji wasn’t born as one. He was previously human and was injured as a human. His organs never regenerated after he sold them off. However, as he lay dying, his Devil Pet chose to bring him back. Pochita fused with his heart to turn him into a Devil Hybrid. It is thanks to Pochita in Denji’s heart that he continues to be immortal. For a more detailed explanation, see this article.
However, this does not mean that Denji is not useless without Pochita. It is shown that with enough help from outside forces, Denji can continue to live without his heart.
How Did Denji Survive Without a Heart?
In future chapters, Denji rips out his own heart two times to make a strategic attack. In both times, he was able to survive for a few moments. While the explanation for the first time is glossed over, the second event was explained. It was thanks to Power’s blood in his body that Denji was able to survive for a longer time without Pochita. This means that as long as Denji is consuming blood, he would be able to survive until he gets his heart back.
Devil Hybrid Physiology
While it is Pochita in his heart that keeps him immortal, it is Denji’s Devil Hybrid body that supplements it. As a Hybrid, he has the traits that a Devil has. When severely injured, Denji can continue to repair his body through blood intake. With even the smallest sip of blood, Denji can come back from serious injuries. However, there is a limitation to his immortality.
While Denji has shown countless feats, he is not invulnerable. With enough power and the right strategy, even Denji can die. Three events showed this possibility. The first event is that he was almost killed by the Katana Man. Being shot in the head put him out of commission until Himeno’s interference. If left alone for some time, it is possible Denji would have died. The second event is when Denji was being manhandled by Kishibe. If the man wanted to, he would’ve been able to kill Denji. The last event is his final battle with Part One’s main antagonist. It is there where he claimed that if it weren’t for Power’s blood, he would’ve been dead.
In the case of Denji dying, there is no coming back for him. Unlike Devils, Denji’s immortality only lasts as long as Pochita is his heart. He does not share their unique reincarnation ability. If he dies, that’s it.
Why is Denji Immortal?
Denji becoming immortal wasn’t a choice he made for himself. It was Pochita that forced that decision upon him because he refused to see Denji dying. Pochita wanted to see more of Denji’s dreams and his life through his eyes