How old is Denji? In Chapter 20 of Chainsaw Man, Denji revealed himself to be 16 years old. While the majority accepted this, some expressed their disbelief. I cannot blame them for that. After all, it would not be the first time that the author, Tatsuki Fujimoto, misled his readers. In fact, it is pretty much his style as seen in his one-shot “Goodbye, Eri”. In this article, we will be talking about Denji and his age.
Who is Denji?
If you’re looking for a unique protagonist, look no further. Denji is a young man who gives little concern for everything around him. All that matters is his desires and puts in 120% to get what he wants. Stubborn, reckless, yet painfully innocent. Watching him grow throughout the series gave me the pride of a parent.
And it’s this feeling that made some people question his age.
How Old is Denji in Chainsaw Man?
Until Tatsuki Fujimoto denies this, Denji is 17 years old at the time of this writing.
However, there is a good chance that Denji is older or younger than he thought. After all, who cares about age when you need to survive as an orphaned child? Unlike Power, we do know more about Denji. This means that we can actually make a good estimate of how old he is.
Denji’s Canon Age
As he admitted in Chapter 20 of the manga, Denji thinks he’s 16 years old. This is what Tatsuki Fujimoto likely had in mind for him. This age is the common age for Year One High Schoolers in Japan and he happens to become one in Part 2. We see this semi-confirmed by the new heroine. The latter never calls him her “senpai”. Yet, Denji’s birthday passed in Part 1.
While it is not uncommon for some students to be older in High School, it does question the legitimacy of his age. It will not be a surprise if Denji is younger or older than what the author wrote.
Is Denji Actually 17 Years Old?
While Denji may not be mentally 17, he is close to it physically. His behavior from the entire series exhibits signs of Erik Erikson’s Identity vs Role Confusion. He is constantly looking for a purpose. When given the chance to belong, he latches on. We can see this in his previous eagerness to please Makima in Part 1. His constant attempts to expose himself in recent chapters also support this. He wishes to own up to his identity and be known for it in society.
If we believe Erik Erikson’s theory, then this places Denji in the age range of 12 to 18 years old. This lines up with what we know about Denji. Since he is currently attending High School, he shouldn’t be less than 15 years old. While Tatsuki Fujimoto may never confirm it, we can at least conclude that Denji is at least 15 or 18 Years Old during the events of Part 2.