Chainsaw Man Season 1's finale has just aired, but what exactly happened, and what can we expect in the future? So, here's the ending of Chainsaw Man (including the manga) explained!
Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Chainsaw Man manga and anime.
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How Did Aki Survive?
In Episode 11 of Chainsaw Man, Aki was seized by the Ghost Devil who now obeys Akane, leaving fans uncertain about his fate.
However, not only does the Ghost Devil fail to kill Aki but it also hands him a cigarette with the words "easy revenge" -- which seems to be like a gift from Himeno directly. But how did this happen?
While being choked by the Ghost Devil, Aki recalled a conversation he had with Himeno.
Amongst discussing other things, such as smoking, Himeno also mentioned that the Ghost Devil can sense only fear.
At this point, Aki only has two years left to live. He has lost his partner, and he lives only for revenge.
Being so hardened, he is able to let go of his fear completely. Because of that, the Ghost Devil stops perceiving him, so Aki gets to kill it.
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What Lies Behind the Door?
Most events in the finale of Chainsaw Man are pretty straightforward, but one of the last scenes might seem mysterious to those who haven't read the manga.
After Denji, Aki, and Power have what seems like a lovely day, Denji falls asleep and dreams of walking in an alley until he finds himself in front of a door.
At that point, we hear Pochita speaking, and Denji is excited, thinking that he can at least pet his beloved companion in his dream. However, Pochita warns him to never open the door.
So, what's the significance of this dream? As you might already suspect, the door symbolizes the traumatic experiences that Denji has shut off from his subconscious.
If you would rather avoid manga spoilers, you can now skip to the next section.
But if you don't mind knowing more, the door is directly associated with Denji's father.
So far, we know that Denji grew up in poverty because of his father's debt to the yakuza, which he didn't manage to pay off before dying.
But the manga reveals something even more sinister. In truth, Denji's father was abusive, to the point that Denji ended up killing him in self-defense.
Even though Denji might have been killed if he hadn't done so, this is nevertheless a very traumatic memory, and it makes total sense that he'd want to shut it off.
Chainsaw Man Season 2 will likely explain all this in more detail.
Who Is the Girl Speaking in the End?
The last words we hear in the anime are from a girl, asking Denji if he would rather be a village mouse or a city mouse.
This isn't someone we've met so far in the anime. So, who is this girl?
After the Katana Man arc comes the Bomb Girl arc, which introduces us to a new character named Reze.
We already know that Denji is obsessed with girls and dating, so he would never say no to any cute girl, but, without spoiling too much, we can say that Reze will be very special and have a lasting impact on Denji's story.
READ MORE: Who Does Denji End Up With?
How Does Chainsaw Man End?
The manga is well ahead of the anime, so there's much more Chainsaw Man to explain.
As the manga is still ongoing, we'll stick to the ending of Part 1, also known as the Public Safety arc. As expected, there will be spoilers below.
The final sub-arc of the Public Safety arc is also known as the Control Devil arc, which is among the most twisted arcs in Chainsaw Man.
It is preceded by Aki's desperate attempts to at least save Denji and Power, whom he has come to regard as younger siblings.
Unfortunately, his attempts are in vain, as he ends up becoming what he hates the most.
In an encounter with his nemesis, the Gun Devil, Aki is killed and his body is taken over by the said devil, making him the Gun Fiend.
As a result, Denji is then forced to kill him.
Naturally, Denji turns to Makima for comfort, only for his world to be shattered as he realizes that almost every good experience he had since he took up a job at Public Safety had been orchestrated by Makima with ulterior motives.
Makima is revealed to be the Control Devil, explaining all the characters' devotion and obedience.
Moreover, Makima is obsessed with the Chainsaw Devil and wants to control him to create the world of her dreams.
As such, her plan was to give Denji everything he ever wanted, only to violently take it from him and leave him completely dependent on her.
In the battles that ensue, we have tragic and shocking revelations, some character development, and a lot of gore.
In one of the most shocking and controversial scenes of the manga, Denji literally eats Makima to keep the Control Devil from coming back to life through her.
Because of that, the Control Devil is then reincarnated as a young girl named Nayuta, who is taken care of by Denji and Kishibe.
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