Hirofumi Yoshida is one of Chainsaw Man's most enigmatic characters, amongst the few who survived the Public Safety arc. So, who is Yoshida in Chainsaw Man?
So far, the mysterious Public Safety Devil Hunter hasn't been heavily involved in the main plot -- at least not in ways we can easily pin down.
In Part 2, however, he appears with increasing frequency, so we can no longer forget about him!
His mischievous but ruthless demeanor, his unknown motives, and his obscure organization all add to the mystery surrounding him.
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Here's What We Know About Yoshida So Far
Yoshida first makes an appearance in the International Assassins arc, when Makima hires him to protect Denji when a larger number of international assassins all want Denji's heart.
In Part 2 of the manga, Yoshida shows up again and tries to convince Denji to keep his Chainsaw Man identity a secret.
Yoshida is still a student and he's a member of the Devil Hunters' Club, but he also belongs to a secret organization.
He's in a contract with the Octopus Devil for an unknown price.
Who Is Yoshida? Here Are the Best Theories
Little is known about Yoshida's past and motivations, but we know that he's part of an unnamed organization that seems to have an interest in Chainsaw Man.
However, given his secrecy, we can't know if he operates for their benefit or acts on his own.
Is Yoshida the Death Devil?
Many fans have theorized a possible connection between Yoshida and the Four Horsemen.
And since the other three are currently all accounted for, this would mean Yoshida could be the Death Devil.
Fans first came up with this theory in the early days of Denji and Yoshida's acquaintance.
The scene that sparked the theory is one where Yoshida asks Denji if he could eat the Death Devil and stop death.
Of course, it's possible that Yoshida's question was genuine, as his being the Death Devil would be a stretch for several reasons.
First of all, we've seen that devils don't make devil contracts. As the Control Devil, Makima formed contracts with others and managed contracted devil hunters, but she didn't form contracts with other devils.
Yoshida is clearly in a contract with the Octopus Devil. Of course, this could be a bluff, as he doesn't have any obvious handicap from his contract.
Makima herself had some powers that seemed associated with death, physical power, or smell, more than control as such.
Defenders of this theory suggest that Yoshida's powers could be similar and not necessarily directly relevant to death.
The other reason readers support this theory is his reaction when he first saw the Famine Devil.
Even Asa/Yoru didn't seem able to recognize who Fami was before she explicitly revealed her identity.
This was likely the case because Asa Mitaka is a Fiend rather than a full incarnation of the War Devil, and Fami seems to be senior in some way as she calls Asa/Yoru "little sister."
Yoshida, on the other hand, seemed to immediately recognize Fami, which suggests they are already acquainted.
There could be other reasons for that, of course, but many readers stick with this theory until it's proven wrong.
Is Yoshida the Chainsaw Man Impostor?
At the end of the Justice Devil arc, Yuko is killed by "Chainsaw Man." However, it's revealed that Denji was asleep at the time, so her killer was an impostor. Many fans speculate that this impostor was Yoshida.
What we know about his powers (so far) doesn't persuade us that he could turn into Chainsaw Man, but Yoshida is so mysterious that we wouldn't be surprised if he had more secret powers.
Some readers reference octopuses' abilities to camouflage themselves as a possible reason Yoshida might have been able to pose as Chainsaw Man.
This is still a stretch, but it's also possible that Yoshida has more devil contracts, and thus more abilities.
Since Haruka Iseumi is revealed not to be the impostor, Yoshida is a likely candidate.
Yoshida's secret organization wants Chainsaw Man's identity to remain a secret. Therefore, it'd make sense for them to use an impostor to add to the overall confusion and protect Denji from himself.
The real reason they don't want Denji to be revealed as Chainsaw Man is unclear, but Impostor Yoshida remains our favorite theory.
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Is Yoshida Kishibe's Son?
This one has less to do with the plot, but some readers speculate that Yoshida is Kishibe's son.
Defenders of this theory claim that their eyes and the way they seem to look down on others due to the angle they're drawn from are similar.
In one scene, Kishibe asks Yoshida about school in what some readers interpret as a father-son interaction, and both their ages would make that possible.
There are many reasons this doesn't really add up, as the two have different surnames and we can't really see how they would benefit from keeping this a secret.
Moreover, Yoshida's parentage, whatever it is, doesn't really explain his motivations and real identity, but it's still a fun theory to consider.
Is Yoshida a Devil?
A few people have pointed out that Yoshida would be the odd one out if he were the Death Devil, as he lacks the signature eye design, and he's male, unlike the other Horsemen. But this doesn't mean he couldn't be a devil.
Yoshida seems far too knowledgeable and experienced for a high school student.
This, along with his lack of devil contract markings make some fans theorize that he could be a devil incarnation or Hybrid, rather than a human in a contract.
Such a theory begs the question of just what devil Yoshida would be. Given the tentacles, I'd vote for an Eldritch horror, such as a Lovecraftian monster.
Of course, the best answers are likely already foreshadowed in the Chainsaw Man manga.
Now, we have to wait for the new chapters which will hopefully reveal the truth about Yoshida very soon!
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