There are different ways for an author to show a character’s backstory. They can show it by a flashback or by an extensive arc. Whichever method, readers are often left with a deeper understanding of the character. This literary device is used very often in the Shonen genre. It helps to justify the character’s actions and raises the stakes for future conflict. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man series uses the same literary device.
However, there is one character who is exempt from this rule. Makima is the only one who hasn’t received any form of backstory among the main cast. We know little of what she has done and the motivations that she carried. So, when things finally hit the fan, readers are left greatly confused. What did Makima do during the events of Chainsaw Man? What are her motivations? Why did she do the things she’s done? For this article, we will be answering those burning questions. Spoilers ahead!
What Did Makima Do?
Tatsuki Fujimoto likes to make everything a mystery. Even the actions of his character are often left vague for interpretation. The titular heroine from “Goodbye, Eri” confirms this fact, and Makima does by an extension. Her feats and achievements are explained in mostly throwaway remarks. It is only during the climax of the Control Devil Arc that she goes out of her way to explain what she’s done. Even so, it is not enough.
At the very least, we can say that Makima is responsible for most events in Chainsaw Man. She was the person who made Denji’s life both uplifting and miserable. However, the specifics of how are not elaborated. So, in this article, I will be dissecting everything she’s done from the beginning to the end!
Makima’s Activities in Hell (Pre-Chainsaw Man)
It is unknown how long Makima stayed in Hell before the events of Chainsaw Man. Her activities in Hell are not explicitly shown, but there are a few things we can infer.
First, when Makima was in Hell, she was in direct conflict with the Chainsaw Devil. It is unknown if she has worked alongside other Devils. Yet it is likely that she has due to her nature. Her ability to control everything made her a key figure during the battle. The war in Hell was gruesome and many Devils perished as a result. Makima was there to witness what happened to the Devils. It is in this scene that she realized her wish and goal can be achieved.
Makima’s Activities on Earth (Pre-Chainsaw Man)
Growing Up on Earth
It is unknown when Makima made her way to Earth. However, we can confidently say that she had done so without dying. She still retained memories of the war in Hell and of the Devils that perished. Had she died, she would’ve forgotten all these like every Devil before her. However, this doesn’t mean that she possessed the same knowledge on Earth. Makima’s ascent had likely been her first time.
We can at least make a conjecture that when Makima arrived on Earth, she was in the form of a young girl. In Chapter 97, Kishibe implied that she grew up in the Japanese Government. It is from them that she developed her ideologies and learned to love humanity. When this happened is unclear. Fortunately, we can give an estimate. Makima is aware of the Gun Devil Incident and she’s been around for as long as Aki’s tenure as a Devil Hunter. The Gun Devil Incident happened in 1984, meaning that she was already around by then.
Makima’s Activities as the Government’s Lap Dog
However, living with the government had a twist. In return for being raised by them, she had to help in their endeavors. This meant safeguarding Japan’s peace and her citizens’ safety. Her situation is comparable to Ciel Phantomhive’s from Black Butler. Except, in this case, she was a lot more prepared than the boy ever was!
Makima has done many things for the sake of humanity. She was assigned to the Devil Hunting Division to oversee operations. During her tenure, she led Devil Hunter Squads and sought out Devils who can make Contracts with them. Without her help, Tokyo’s Devil Hunter Division would not be as strong as it was then. She was also given a task that would be Special Division 4’s ultimate goal: to kill the Gun Devil.
However, her stint with the Government aside, Makima also expanded her influence. With her power to control everything, she had made multiple Contracts to control Japan as she saw fit. Information from the mainstream media was limited and controlled at her discretion. She made herself immortal through a Contract with Japan’s Prime Minister. Even the Devil Hunters under her employ were all under her spell, all waiting for her orders.
Other than Japan, Makima has made connections with other nations. The President of America is one such example.
Makima’s Activities on Earth (Chainsaw Man)
The events of Chainsaw Man are when Makima’s ill intentions made themselves known. While the woman had been more or less a beacon of hope, she was by no means good. She saw the mission above all even at the cost of human lives.
What Does Makima Want?
Tasked with destroying the Gun Devil, she made a plan that guaranteed victory. However, at some point, she caught wind of Denji and Pochita. This led her to modify her plans and came up with two needs. She wanted to get Denji and Pochita and slay the Gun Devil while she was at it.
What Does Makima Want from Denji?
Makima wants Denji to feel useless and become indebted to her. This way, Pochita becomes his main consciousness. This gives her the chance to subjugate the Chainsaw Devil and finally achieve her goal.
This is where things get confusing for the fans. Makima’s planning was so intricate that it can be difficult to wrap our heads around it. So, I’ll break it down to make things easier to understand!
Phase One: Honey Trapping Denji and Aki
While it is possible Makima came across Denji by chance, the possibility it isn’t is as likely. The latter might even be the canon answer. Makima had abilities that let her receive information through animals’ hearing and sight. She also had her dealings with the Yakuza whom Denji used to work for. Makima had planned Denji’s encounter with the Zombie Devil and went there the next day to fetch him.
Similar to Money Heist’s induction of Stockholm, the way Makima put Denji into her good graces is not good! Taking advantage of his loneliness and desire for a normal life, she suckered him into loving her. By displaying kindness he never felt before, Makima made the boy fall in love.
However, it wasn’t just Denji who she suckered into loving her. With her goal to also kill the Gun Devil, she also extended her “advances” to Aki. She had likely seen the latter’s determination and used it to her advantage. She wanted the man to Contract with multiple Devils so she could use multiple powers at once.
Phase Two: Developing the Trio’s Bonds
Makima placing Denji with Power and Aki was not done by coincidence. She chose the latter two specifically because of their loyalty toward her. With Aki, she knows that the boy simply cannot refuse her. He was gullible to a fault and his determination helped greatly with her plans. Meanwhile, Power was supposed to serve as one of Chainsaw Devil’s future followers.
Then, Makima would put Denji, Aki, and Power through difficult situations so their bonds would develop. Their love and care for each other would serve as the perfect tool for Makima to break Denji’s spirits.
Phase Three: Reducing External Factors
As a government figurehead, Makima still had her responsibilities. This meant dealing with Devils, Yakuza, Weapon Devils, and the Gun Devil. Since the latter four posed a threat to Public Safety, she used them as an excuse to further her plans.
The Yakuza and Devils
With the Yakuza and Devils, she wanted to subjugate them so they stopped getting in her way. In the world of Chainsaw Man, the Yakuza acted as “bodyguards” of the populace by taking out the Devils for them. However, it often comes with a price that was too steep to pay. Denji is an example of their victims. Not wanting them to start interfering with her plans, she went out of her way to silence them. She had the Yakuza’s relatives’ eyes gouged out and presented them in front of the leaders. This was how Makima subjugated the Yakuza group into her network.
Her access to Yakuza and defeated terrorists provided her with the perfect scapegoats. She would use them to mask her plans to her superiors to capture Pochita. By presenting results, Makima was confident that the government would give her more freedom to act.
Meanwhile, Makima would also be subjugating Devils to aid her confrontation with the Gun Devil.
The Weapon Devils
While Devils are still a big problem to Japan, the Weapon Devils are the worst of the bunch. They are the agents of the Gun Devil who are after Denji. This gave Makima the chance to capture them without drawing attention to herself. Under the guise of protecting Denji, she had the members of Special Division 4 “deal” with them. After their subjugation, Makima would control them for her future confrontation with Pochita. These Weapon Devils would be hidden from the public eye until it was time to bring them out.
She also used them to have Denji grow stronger and force Aki to contract with more Devils. She banked on the Weapon Devils to force Aki to grow desperate enough to ask her for power. When he did, she controlled him and gave him what he asked for: the power of the Gun Devil.
Phase Four: The Gun Devil Subjugation
With her foundation set, it was time to start accelerating the developments. By this point, some people would eventually catch wind of Makima’s plans. And her plans spelled doom for humanity. To stop her before she gets worse, the President of America made a contract with the Gun Devil. The latter was to kill Makima in exchange for the shorter lifespan of his citizens. It agreed and immediately went into motion to try and destroy the Control Devil.
Unfortunately, this was already within Makima’s plans. She was able to foresee this event from happening as she was already waiting for the Gun Devil to arrive. After a brief battle and Makima dying for the 29th time, the Gun Devil was subjugated. Makima would force the Gun Devil’s consciousness into Aki and set her final phase into motion.
Phase Five: Destroying Denji’s Psyche
With nothing else in Makima’s way, it was finally time for her to capture Pochita. She had sent Aki to Denji in the hopes that the boy would kill his best friend. Denji succeeded, but the act sent him into depression. After giving him some time for Denji to stew in his thoughts, Makima would swoop in and offer him hope. Hope that she will destroy. She would call Power to her apartment, so she could kill the latter in front of Denji.
After telling Denji that his entire life had been a lie set up by Makima, the boy stopped resisting. Denji finally broke and Pochita took the driver’s seat. With Makima’s group of Weapon Devils, she went to subjugate him. She used her influence with the mainstream media to weaken Pochita and gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, all her attempts failed.
The Ending to Makima’s Activities
Makima’s failure is not her fault in any way. She did succeed in what she set out to do and did get her hands on Pochita. However, she failed to recognize Denji. She had been so focused on Pochita the entire time that she didn’t notice Denji sneak up on her. With one good blow on her chest, she was then chopped up and eaten by the boy.
Why Did Makima Do What She Did?
Makima did what she did because she was ordered to. Her entire life’s mission was to save humanity from the grasps of the Devils. She had done so and even succeeded. To her, what methods were needed to achieve the results simply did not matter. Additionally, she was also incredibly selfish. As a Devil, she failed to understand what it meant to sympathize. Makima’s ruthless plan was all done for the sake of realizing her own goal.
What was Makima’s Goal?
Due to Makima’s nature of controlling everything through fear, she found it difficult to establish relationships. It had been her lifelong dream to stand alongside someone or something that could accept her existence. One that did not fear her, nor would be subjected to her. Deep inside this Control Devil had the desire to have a family that she can be with.