The Chainsaw Man manga features a great mystery: are there two Chainsaw Devils?
Initially, we were quite certain that there was a Chainsaw Man impostor who pretended to be Chainsaw Man for glory or to harm Denji.
But given some of the recent developments, we're no longer sure. So, here's everything we know so far.
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Can There Be Two Devils of the Same Kind?
Typically, each Devil in Chainsaw Man is one of a kind. When Chainsaw Man eats a Devil, this probably means death for that Devil. Of course, an eaten Devil doesn't vanish forever.
As Power tells Denji, when one Devil is killed on Earth, they get reborn in Hell, and vice versa.
However, we have no examples of a Devil that exists simultaneously in both spaces nor have we seen any fear represented by two Devils.
That being said, there's undeniably a second individual acting like Chainsaw Man.
We first saw the second Chainsaw Man during the Justice Devil arc. Initially, we thought that Denji killed Yuko, but we found out he was asleep at the time.
In a more recent arc, Denji fights against the Falling Devil but becomes overwhelmed.
At that point, another person who looks just like Chainsaw Man shows up and takes over.
So, Are There 2 Chainsaw Devils?
Right now, we aren't sure if there are two Chainsaw Devils, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that somehow, there are two Chainsaw Men.
Initially, we thought that the second Chainsaw Man was a mere impostor. However, he shows up to do good and eliminate other Devils, so he seems well-intentioned.
As much as we loved Yuko, it made sense for Chainsaw Man to kill her when she became a Devil.
Moreover, we couldn't help rooting for the second Chainsaw Man, who fought when our own Chainsaw Man no longer could and gave Asa and Denji time to run.
Why Are There 2 Chainsaw Men?
So far, the reason behind the second Chainsaw Man's existence is a mystery.
Based on Chainsaw Man's worldbuilding, it would make more sense to assume that Denji, a Hybrid, is the only person with Chainsaw powers, so why does another Chainsaw Man exist?
Right now, we don't have a definitive answer, but here are some of the weirdest, most unhinged theories:
What If Pochita Wasn't the Chainsaw Devil?
Some fans theorize that Pochita might not be the Chainsaw Devil at all, but something much more sinister and powerful.
We have no indication that this theory is true, and many of the relevant arguments are flawed, but this could make sense in some ways.
Compared to the grotesque, scary Devils we've encountered in the fantasy anime and manga, Pochita is very small and cute.
At first glance, this could mean less rather than more power, but Chainsaw Man defies expectations time and again.
The fact that Pochita gave Denji the ability to eat Devils and erase them from existence, as well as the obsession of characters like Makima, suggest that Pochita is more important than initially suspected.
Of course, this is only a theory. But if Pochita was a more powerful distributor of abilities instead of just the Chainsaw Devil, it could possibly make sense for another Chainsaw-like Devil to exist.
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An Actual Impostor
While we're still open to the idea that an actual impostor might exist, we're moving on to other theories too, since the second Chainsaw Man doesn't seem fake or malevolent.
Unless the impostor was a powerful shapeshifter, he wouldn't have easily achieved the looks and efficiency of Chainsaw Man.
Moreover, we can't think of any mechanics that could replicate Denji's abilities so perfectly.
The second Chainsaw Man goes so far as to help Denji against the Falling Devil, so unless he's playing a very complicated game, he doesn't seem to bear Denji any ill will.
This leads us to believe the second Chainsaw Man is an actual Devil or Hybrid, though, of course, we have to keep reading to make sure.
A Shapeshifting Devil
While "shapeshifting" doesn't sound like something humans would be mortally afraid of, it's possible that some kind of Deception Devil (or somebody in contract with one) could have the ability to shapeshift.
In this case, someone could possibly pass as Chainsaw Man, if they wanted to.
An Actual, Second Chainsaw Devil
At this point, everything's possible, even a second Chainsaw Devil. Of course, if the answer lies in the existence of two identical Devils, Tatsuki Fujimoto has a lot of explaining to do!
So far, we haven't had any indication that this is possible. Therefore, if it was to be the case, we'd expect a good reason.
Alternatively, the second Chainsaw Man could be someone that, at some point, had a deal with Pochita.
But we don't have any indication that Devil contracts are still in effect if the Devil dies or changes form for good, so we'd be surprised if this turned out to be the case.
Fami's Claims About 2 Chainsaw Men Explained
Fami, aka the Famine Devil, claims that the latter theory is true; that there are two Chainsaw Men.
As she tells Asa Mitaka and Yoru, the Chainsaw Man each one is after is a different entity.
She refers to the Chainsaw Man whom Asa wants to save (and who, unbeknownst to Asa, is Denji) as Red Chainsaw Man, while the one Yoru wants to kill is Black Chainsaw Man.
Furthermore, Fami tells Asa that she must make the Red Chainsaw Man human again by killing all Devils that get in his way, preventing him from transforming and forcing him to have a normal life.
We're a bit suspicious of Fami's claims because her overall agenda is shady.
Most of all, we highly doubt that Asa's anti-Devil rampage can make Denji human.
But Fami seems to genuinely believe in the existence of two versions of Chainsaw Man.
The Black Chainsaw Man could possibly refer to Pochita's original "true" Chainsaw Man form, but we have to wait and see.
Who Is the Second Chainsaw Man?
Currently, the manga hasn’t clarified the identity of the second Chainsaw Devil.
Some fan theories have suggested that it could be Yoshida due to his enigmatic behavior and mysterious motivations.
For much of the time, he’s unaccounted for, but he appears during key times and he seems invested in keeping Denji’s identity a secret.
Due to that, some readers believe that Yoshida (or somebody from his yet-unnamed organization) might be the second Chainsaw Man, who, for some reason, arranges Chainsaw Man sightings to conceal Denji’s identity.
For a little while, the Chainsaw Man manga implied that Haruka Iseumi, a student and a member of the Devil Hunting club, was the second Chainsaw Man.
As it turns out, however, Iseumi was an enthusiastic fan of Chainsaw Man and got Chainsaw Man’s starter surgically implanted in his body.
As of writing, it’s hard to think of another possible candidate, but it might be someone who is nearly impossible to consider right now—perhaps even a character from the Public Safety arc.
Stay tuned to find out the latest updates about the second Chainsaw Man and other news about the shounen anime and manga by following us on Twitter!
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