Warning: Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man chapter #185.Chainsaw Mannever delves too far into its worldbuilding, but what little has been explored paints a bizarre and horrifying image at every turn. Beyond the fact that Devils have been around long enough to be a common part of everyday life, Pochita has erased countless concepts throughout history, most notably the concept of Nazis, so the history of its world is inconceivably different from real life.
Chainsaw Manhas always had a penchant for bizarre worldbuilding, and chapter #185 is the best example of such in years. As Denji began enacting his plan to defeat the Aging Devil, the two continued their conversation from chapter #184, and very early into said conversation,the Aging Devil revealed a surprisingly horrific alternative to death that exists in the world ofChainsaw Man. Said detail is consistent with the few bits of worldbuilding that exist in the series, and while the chapter doesn’t make a big deal out of it, it has major implications for the series, going forward.
Chainsaw Man Reveals The Horrifying Fate That Awaits Long-Lived Humans In Its World
Chainsaw Man’s World Becomes Even More Horrifying
A key element of the Aging Devil’s dimension has been that staying there for too long causes its victims to turn into trees, butChainsaw Manchapter #185revealed that not to be the case. In a surprise twist, not only did that have nothing to do with the Aging Devil, but the truth was thatpeople inChainsaw Mannaturally turn into trees after exhausting their thoughts for 2000 years. Even the Aging Devil was surprised by that, and part of why they want to die is so humans can discover more unseen concepts through newfound immortality.
As bizarre as people turning into trees after thousands of years might be, it makes perfect sense within the context ofChainsaw Man’s lore. When Makima first revealed the truth of Chainsaw Man’s powers, she listed numerous concepts that had been erased from history by him, and that included “four possible conclusions other than death at the end of living beings’ lifespans”. That means thatChainsaw Man’s reveal of why humans turn into trees is a callback to some of the worldbuilding from part 1, and that small amount of continuity goes a long way to flesh out the story.
Chainsaw Man’s New Reveal Could Explain One Of The Manga’s Biggest Mysteries
One of the major mysteries surrounding Chainsaw Man’s powers is why he has the power to erase Devils from existence, as that should be far removed from what chainsaws are capable of.Chainsaw Manchapter #170finally acknowledged the discrepancy, and while it was also posited thatchainsaws in the world ofChainsaw Manoriginally had another purpose beyond cutting down trees that was eventually erased by Chainsaw Man, even that was said to be purely hypothetical.
The logic behind Chainsaw Man’s powers has always been a mystery, but if humans turn into trees after exhausting their thoughts for 2000 years, thenChainsaw Man’s power might come from the fear people held for chainsaws when they were aware that they could turn into trees, something that would be consistent with how cutting down trees is all people associate with chainsaws. That makes the reveal even more terrifying, as it means that even turning into a tree doesn’t save you from death inChainsaw Man, and it would be great to see that followed up at some point.
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Manis a dark fantasy manga created by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series follows Denji, a young man who merges with his devil-dog Pochita to become Chainsaw Man. He joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters to fight devils threatening Japan. The series explores themes of violence, power, and survival. Since its debut in 2018,Chainsaw Manhas gained immense popularity, leading to a critically acclaimed anime adaptation.
