Denji

Lore & Background

Denji's journey begins in crushing poverty, where he aids his canine companion Pochita to work off debts owed to the Yakuza. After being betrayed and killed by the Yakuza for a contract involving the Zombie Devil, Pochita merges with him as a hybrid under the condition that Denji shares his dreams. He kills the Zombie Devil and massacres the Yakuza before meeting Makima in Chapter 2; she recruits him based on his utility to Public Safety, offering him food and a home rather than explicitly comforting him after he expresses loneliness or his desire to touch breasts. She persuades him to join Public Safety Division 4, where he partners with Power, the Blood Fiend, and Aki Hayakawa. Makima promises him any favor if he helps her control the Gun Devil, a goal distinct from simply killing it. Denji is trained by master Devil Hunter Kishibe following his encounter with the Eternity Devil but before facing Akane Sawatari during the climax of the Katana Man Arc. The narrative highlights his complex relationships, particularly with Pochita and Power, which critics have praised for their emotional depth.

In Their Own Story

Denji initially finds romance with Reze, who is actually the Bomb Devil sent by the Soviet Union to capture him; Makima secretly captures her, leading to a fight that reveals Denji's existence to the world. Following attacks from foreign assassin groups and a large horde attack by Santa Claus using Doll Devil powers, the team is transported to Hell where the Darkness Devil attacks before Makima defeats it. Although Makima nearly kills the Gun Devil, Aki is killed in the process and becomes the Gun Fiend. Denji battles this new threat with civilian help but is betrayed by Makima after wishing to become her dog; she reveals herself as the Control Devil responsible for his losses and kills Power to void his contract with Pochita. After Makima explains her goal to eliminate concepts from reality, Power revives from a blood remnant in Hell, restoring Denji's will to live. Denji uses a chainsaw made of Power's blood to kill Makima and eats her flesh to bypass her immortality. Later, Kishibe reveals the Control Devil has resurfaced as a girl named Nayuta, whom Denji agrees to raise while continuing his high school life.

Reader's Guide

In Part 2, Denji adapts to ordinary high school life at Fourth East, selling recycled cigarettes and using his superhero fame to attract women. He meets Asa Mitaka, secretly the War Devil Yoru's vessel, who initially disbelieves he is Chainsaw Man and plots to use him as a weapon. Denji assists Asa against her former friend Yuko before an impostor kills Yuko. Later, during an aquarium date with Asa, Hirofumi Yoshida, and others, they are trapped by the Eternity Devil; Asa kills it using the entire aquarium. Yoru subsequently attempts to create a "Denji Spinal Cord Sword," which fails because Denji does not recognize the attempt on his life. In combat against mental attackers like the Falling Devil, Denji has been observed cutting his own brain with a chainsaw to continue fighting, a tactic he apparently always employs against such threats.

Did You Know?

• Tatsuki Fujimoto designed Denji to have masochistic tendencies; while he has cited various influences, no official confirmation links his dynamic with Pochita directly to Adventure Time characters Finn or Jake.
• Voice actor Kikunosuke Toya was chosen for the role despite his lack of fame, with the director instructing him not to make his work look like a typical anime performance.
• The final fight between Denji and Makima in Part 1 has been analyzed by fans for similarities to other works, but there is no official confirmation from the author that it was based on Kizumonogatari.
• Denji's design focuses on simplicity without adding 'a bit more' to the blades, a choice author Tatsuki Fujimoto noted made the chainsaws feel intentionally unnatural.