Having a mentor is the quintessential trope for every shonen protagonist. There is nothing more awesome than having a veteran train our hero. From perverts like Master Roshi to eccentrics like Satoru Gojo. It is always fun to see these mentor characters interact with the heroes.
Yet, despite their personality differences, there is a common trait they all share. They would act cold and unwilling to train the protagonist at first before relenting. They would push our heroes to the brink of exhaustion, but not enough to kill them. Despite the gritty setting of Chainsaw Man, Denji and Power’s mentor follows this trope.
Who Trained Denji and Power?
The answer to this question lies in the form of Kishibe. First appearing in the manga in Chapter 19, we are introduced to him in a flashback. His character held a unique philosophy that stayed consistent throughout the series.
Who is Kishibe?
While we know little of Kishibe’s past, we know a few things. Kishibe is arguably Japan’s strongest Devil Hunter. Out of all characters in the series, it was he whom Makima showed respect the most. In his prime, he was able to fight toe-to-toe with Quanxi, the world’s strongest. As a veteran, he was a Devil Hunter of Tokyo’s Special Division 1 then led Tokyo Special Division 4.
Despite his feats, make no mistake. Kishibe is human. There are no records of the Devils he is contracted with, nor was he shown with one. This is what ultimately makes him dangerous. He relies on his intelligence and experience. For example, in his first training session with Denji and Power, he managed to paralyze the two with a hug. It is also likely that he hides the contracts of his previous Devils like Kobeni or that he was too old to use them.
In his long life as Devil Hunter, he experienced many things. These events would lead him to develop a philosophy that he would impart to Denji.
Kishibe’s Philosophy on Devil Hunters
Due to his experiences, Kishibe learned that a sane person with a righteous motive would never succeed. Those who were naïve enough to live with morals were the ones who died early. Only those who were strong, selfish, and insane would live long enough to live their tales. In his words, “the most feared Devil Hunter is one with a few screws loose”. Thus, when Makima approached him to train Denji and Power, he asked the pair three questions.
Kishibe was going to reject training them if they gave bad answers. To his wonderful surprise, the two gave out answers unbefitting of protagonists. Both were selfish to a fault, and this is exactly what Kishibe wanted.
How Did Kishibe Train Denji and Power?
The training Kishibe would have Denji and Power go through was not one for humans. Had Naruto or Ichigo partaken in his madness, the two would be dead by the end of the day, and for a good reason. Unlike other mentors, Kishibe actually went as far as killing Denji and Power multiple times. There was no other reason behind it other than he could always bring the two back to life. He was excited about finally having “toys” that he could never break. Think of it like Superman using Apocalypse as a sparring partner! Obviously, things did not end well for Denji and Power.
For the entire training period, the strongest Devil Hunter hunted the pair. He always succeeded in putting them down, even during the times the two thought they won. By using his superior knowledge, Kishibe often left the two battered and beaten. It has forced Denji and Power to the ropes and be creative in how to take down Kishibe. Eventually, the two got strong enough to the point that Kishibe no longer had to train them daily.