Denji
Denji |
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| Japanese: | デンジ |
| Rōmaji: | Denji |
| Alias(es): | |
| Characteristics | |
| Species: | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | |
| Height: | 173 cm (5’8″) |
| Birthdate: | 1980 |
| Birth Place: | Japan |
| Status: | Alive |
| Personal Status | |
| Occupation: |
Private Devil Hunter(formerly)
Public Safety Devil Hunter(formerly) |
| Affiliation: |
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| Relatives: |
Unnamed Mother †
Unnamed Father† Nayuta(adoptive sister)† Pochita(devil pet, fused) Meowy(pet)† Makima’s dogs(pets)† |
| Contracted Devils: | |
| Debut | |
| Manga: | Chapter 01 |
| Anime: | Episode 01 |
| Portrayal | |
| Japanese: | Ryan Colt Levy |
| English: | Ciarán Strange (child) |
| “ | ” | |
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— Shoko Makinohara
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Appearance
Human Form (Pre-Fusion)
Denji is depicted as a scruffy teenage boy with tousled blond hair and yellow-brown eyes, characterized by dark circles beneath them that give him a dazed and weary appearance. His teeth are notably sharp and angular. The malnutrition he experienced in his childhood has left him with a scrawny physique, evident by his protruding ribs, and the harsh realities of his life often lead others to perceive him as older than he is.
Before his transformation into a Hybrid, Denji was missing his right eye and several non-essential organs, including a testicle and a kidney, which he concealed with an eyepatch. His typical attire at this time consisted of a loose white tank top, a green jacket, and black pants.
Human Form (Post-Fusion)
Following his contract with Pochita, Denji’s heart merges with that of the chainsaw devil, resulting in a chainsaw cord forming in the center of his sternum. This transformation not only restores his lost organs but also grants him a more muscular build. He often dons the standard Public Safety Devil Hunter uniform, which consists of a white shirt, tie, and slacks, typically worn in a careless manner, with his shirt wrinkled and sleeves rolled up.
After resigning from the Public Safety Devil Hunters, Denji adopts the uniform of Fourth East High School, which features an unbuttoned black long-sleeved shirt resembling a gakuran outfit, paired with black pants.
Hybrid Form
When Denji pulls the chainsaw cord while possessing enough blood, his head transforms into a demonic, mechanical visage adorned with long, jagged fangs and a chainsaw handle on the back. Large chainsaws emerge from his forehead, arms, and legs, which he can retract or extend at will. If he attempts to transform without sufficient blood, only a chainsaw blade partially manifests from his face.
Devil Form
After succumbing to despair and surrendering himself to Makima, Pochita takes control of Denji’s body, unveiling the true Chainsaw Devil. In this form, Denji loses his human consciousness entirely. Prior to the transformation, his intestines emerge from his abdomen and wrap around his neck like a scarf. Once transformed, his body takes on a blackened appearance, resembling armor or scales, with spikes protruding from his shoulders and the back of his head. His eye slits disappear, and the chainsaw handles on his body are replaced by horns. This transformation increases his size and bulk, allowing him to tower over an average human. His arms split at the elbows, each ending in two forearms equipped with their own chainsaw blades.
Denji in the Fourth East High School uniform from the manga.
Denji before his Hybrid transformation (manga).
Denji before his Hybrid transformation (anime).
Hybrid Form in the manga.
Hybrid Form in the anime.
Devil Form in the manga.
Pseudo Hybrid Form in the manga.
Personality
Denji is characterized by a brash and naïve demeanor, shaped by his lack of formal education and socialization due to his extreme poverty. His personality can often come off as rude and harsh in a childlike manner. Despite these traits, he possesses a genuine sense of empathy, showing a willingness to save those in danger and revealing his kind-hearted nature beneath his rough exterior. While he may not be the most intelligent, Denji demonstrates resourcefulness in devising clever strategies to defeat Devils, such as lighting himself on fire to weaken an enemy.
As he becomes a Public Safety Devil Hunter and begins to fulfill his basic needs, Denji finds himself uncertain about what he truly wants in life. Many of his desires are driven by sexual longing, leading him to accept dangerous missions in exchange for some form of gratification. An example of this is when he gropes Power in exchange for rescuing her cat, a moment he later reflects upon with disappointment, realizing that the satisfaction derived from such encounters is fleeting. Denji grapples with a fear that his apparent lack of empathy and emotional detachment following his transformation signifies a loss of his humanity.
In his Hybrid form, Denji’s personality shifts to become extremely ruthless, aggressive, bloodthirsty, and sadistic when confronting other Devils, revealing a more deranged side of his character. He displays a twisted sense of humor, as seen when he finds it amusing to kill the Yakuza members turned into zombies by the Zombie Devil to pay off his debts. His brutal methods are further illustrated during a fight with the Eternity Devil, where he describes the taste of its blood in a grotesquely delightful manner.
As the story unfolds, Denji’s emotional damage becomes increasingly evident. He yearns for love and connection, clinging to Makima as a coping mechanism and expressing a desire to be a mindless dog to avoid the pain of loss. This desire culminates in his complete surrender to Makima, leading to a significant erasure of his personality and mental state. His statement to Kishibe that he wished to merge with Makima rather than kill her illustrates this deep-rooted emotional turmoil.
By the end of the first part and the beginning of the second, Denji exhibits more ambitious and extravagant desires. Initially content with simple pleasures, he now aspires to indulge in luxurious experiences, such as eating steak for breakfast daily and dating multiple women. His arrogance in battling Devils grows, as he becomes willing to reveal his identity for attention from girls, regardless of the potential consequences.
At the start of the second part, Denji’s personality appears stagnant; he openly leaves clues about being Chainsaw Man and engages in dubious money-making schemes. However, it becomes clear that his motivations are primarily to fund his adopted sister Nayuta’s education, indicating growth and maturity following his abusive relationship with Makima. During a date with Asa, he becomes upset when she suggests he shouldn’t think too much, possibly reminding him of his past with Makima. Denji’s determination to provide Nayuta with a better life highlights a newfound sense of responsibility.
The trauma from Part 1 takes a toll on Denji, leading to a lack of enthusiasm and an exhausted demeanor. He admits to Asa that he has not overcome his traumatic past, often haunted by nightmares where he believes he cannot have a family because he killed his father, revealing the lingering effects of Makima’s manipulations. Denji’s habit of biting his finger when thinking about sex suggests a psychological remnant of his experiences with her.
Despite his troubled past, Denji remains optimistic about life beyond suffering, stating that his main motivation for living is sex. He generally treats women with greater respect than men, demonstrating his desire for kindness and consent in interactions. Notably, he refuses to steal a motorcycle from a woman, labeling her a thief, while he easily robs a man, showing a complex moral code influenced by his desires.
Though driven by sexual longing, Denji does not abandon his better judgment. Initially eager to join the Chainsaw Man Church for the promise of sex, he quickly rejects the cult’s twisted practices, recognizing their unethical nature. His disgust at being manipulated by the cult leads him to distance himself from their influence.
Denji struggles with balancing a normal life and the allure of being Chainsaw Man, as the fame and attention he receives feed into his desires. When forced to choose between a mundane existence with Nayuta or embracing his identity as Chainsaw Man, he struggles to maintain the former. The burning down of his home and the death of his pets catalyze his return to his Chainsaw Man persona, despite the horrific circumstances. He expresses self-loathing over attempting to cope with his emotional pain through casual sexual encounters, realizing that he often prioritizes his base desires over what truly matters.
Relationships
Devils
Pochita
Pochita was saved by Denji when in his time of need by feeding him his blood to recover from an injury, leading to them befriending one another Devil and Human alike. This allowed the debt that filled young Denji to be dealt with by becoming a young Devil Hunter with the help of Pochita. Later after being a Devil Hunter his whole life Denji was betrayed by the debt collector and brutally murdered by zombified humans. This death caused Pochita to become Denji’s heart due to a contract making Denji a Devil-human Hybrid.
Love Interests
Makima
Makima and Denji shared an asymmetrical relationship: whereas Denji was greatly infatuated with Makima and willing to go to great lengths to serve her, Makima saw Denji as nothing more than a pet and tool, taking interest in him solely for the fact that the Chainsaw Devil Pochita resided in his heart. To this end, Makima masterminded a plot to control the Chainsaw Devil by manipulating Denji, setting up circumstances that would allow Denji to experience the love, companionship, and comfort that he had craved his entire life, before violently stripping him of everything he cared about in an attempt to break him and bring out Chainsaw Man. Despite discovering her plot, her identity as the Control Devil, and the fact that he meant nothing to her, Denji would still continue to love Makima. To him, although she had betrayed him and had brutally slaughtered his closest friends, she had been one of the few people in his life to show him affection.
Denji’s love for Makima and her apathy towards him would prove key to her defeat. Makima was ambushed by Denji with a chainsaw, as he realized that she only remembered people she was interested in by their scents, and thus would not be able to recognize Denji because she had never memorized his scent. Following this ambush, Denji successfully killed her and ate her body. By doing so, he was not attacking Makima but was instead “becoming one with her”, which bypassed the conditions of her contract with the Prime Minister of Japan that made her impervious to fatal injuries.
After Makima’s death, Denji would end up becoming the caretaker of her dogs and her reincarnation Nayuta. Having been told by Pochita that the Control Devil’s greatest dream was to form equal relationships with others, Denji dedicated himself to granting the Control Devil’s dream by lovingly raising Nayuta and becoming her family, lest she becomes another version of Makima.
Reze
Much like with Makima, Denji had an asymmetrical relationship with Reze. While Denji becomes quickly infatuated with her, Reze was only manipulating him and saw him as nothing more than a tool. In order to kill him and steal his heart, Reze orchestrated a plan to make Denji fall for her, pretending to have a crush on him, teaching Denji how to swim and giving him the experience of going to school. Even after knowing that she deceived and attempted to kill him, Denji still dreamed of escaping and starting a new life with Reze, thus he refused to kill her. He was later seen waiting for her in the cafe she used to work as a cover, though after waiting for an entire day, he came to the disappointing realization that she wasn’t returning.
Asa Mitaka
Asa and Denji share a strong bond, though neither fully know it yet. Yoru, the War Devil who has taken Asa’s body, is extremely desperate to kill the Chainsaw Man in order to spark actual war once again. Asa, while once holding strong negative feelings towards the Chainsaw Man due to her belief that he was a fraud and lumping him with the Devil that killed her family, has gained a more neutral stance on him. After Hirofumi Yoshida introduced Asa to Denji, they immediately have conflicting attitudes and when Denji reveals himself to be the Chainsaw Man, she disbelieves him and calls him a loser. Later, coerced by Yoru needing a weapon so that she could stop bothering Asa, she asks Denji on a date, which he reluctantly accepts.
Though their date starts off on the wrong foot, Denji and Asa start to bond after being trapped in the aquarium by the Eternity Devil and Fami. Denji tries to cheer her up by smiling and finding her something to eat, then asks if she’s ever had starfish before, which also implies that he was paying attention to her during her previous exposition on sea life. Denji says that he loves Asa’s mannerisms, as he finds her fun to watch and also reminds him of “an old friend”, who is most likely Power. Both Asa and he also take noticeable enjoyment in each other’s presence when the two of them run around the aquarium, searching for money. He also agrees to obey Asa for an instance in exchange for any request he would like to make of her. Despite the rough first date, Denji admits that he has come to like Asa and asks her on a second date, to which she agrees. Before Denji says goodbye to Asa, Yoru possesses her and attempts to turn Denji into a weapon. It does not work, and Yoru and Asa take it that Denji does not reciprocate their feelings. On their second date, Asa hides her actual feelings, lying to Denji by stating that she hates him when she just wants to protect him from being turned into a weapon. However, Denji does confirm that he has some feelings for Asa. Later, Nayuta brainwashes Asa into thinking she is a dog and threatens to keep her that way unless Denji stops seeing her, which he reluctantly accepts.
Despite Nayuta’s warning, Denji (as Chainsaw Man) saves Asa from the Falling Devil’s attack, telling the latter to stay away from his “potential ex-girlfriend.” He tries to help her cope with her negative emotions and trauma but unintentionally grosses her out with his love for sex. Asa tells him that no woman would want to be with a guy with a chainsaw sticking out of his head, causing Denji to despair and fall into Hell. There, he carries Asa and keeps protecting her. When the Falling Devil offers to let him go in exchange for leaving her, he takes a look at Asa’s butt and asks if he can at least take that back with him, causing the Falling Devil to look down on him.
However, when he saw on the news that she’d been killing several devils in the past month, Denji expressed confusion and irritation with her involvement with the Chainsaw Man Church. However, Denji does retain his care about her as he became horrified when Barem suggested that she should be killed in order to bring Chainsaw Man back, causing him to run away. Later, Denji becomes concerned for Asa’s safety after hearing Nayuta’s potential plans to subjugate humanity so that the two of them can lead a hedonistic lifestyle. Nayuta realizes this and inquires upon Asa’s importance to Denji, to which he responds that the kiss that he shared with “Asa” was the only time kissing a woman was a pleasant experience for him. When Nayuta questions if Denji likes her, he gestures with his arms spread that his feelings for her are fairly significant.
Friends
Aki Hayakawa
Aki and Denji initially began as distrustful teammates, as Aki strongly disliked Denji: he despised Denji for his Devil nature and his bold, crass personality. Aki would openly state to Denji that he had no qualms about killing him if he became useless. In turn, Denji reciprocated Aki’s hostility. Though hostile, they would still begrudgingly cooperate with each other, as both were commanded to do so by Makima, and Aki recognized Denji’s utility as a tool.
Over time, however, their relationship would change: after being forced to live with each other by Makima and working together on missions, Aki and Denji slowly became close, and would eventually become best friends. In the face of tragedies and sadness, Denji and Aki comforted one another, such as when Denji gave Aki an apple after Himeno’s death, or when Aki comforted Denji over their canceled trip with Makima.
After becoming the Gun Fiend, during his murderous rampage and battle with Denji, Aki would end up hallucinating, perceiving everything as a snowball fight with Denji. Tragically, Aki’s love for Denji proved to be the catalyst for his defeat at the hands of Denji: Aki stopped his murderous rampage after hallucinating Denji crying during the snowball fight, ceasing his deluge of snowballs (which, in truth, were bullets) because it was the first time he had ever seen Denji cry. This pause was enough to allow Denji to pierce Aki’s body with his chainsaws, killing him.
The death of Aki led Denji into a deep spiral of grief and depression, with Denji losing his will to live, unable to cope with the reality that he had murdered his best friend and surrogate older brother. Denji’s despair would lead him to extreme decisions, such as relinquishing his free will and subjugating himself to Makima so that he could escape the painful reality that Aki was dead by his hands.
Power
Beginning as partners assigned by Makima, Denji initially viewed Power as a nuisance, whilst she attempted to use him for her own gain. Power initially betrays him, bringing him as a trade-off for the Bat Devil to return her cat. After she is rescued from the Bat Devil by Denji, she apologizes and begins to warm up to him. Denji’s and Power’s relationship would evolve as they began to genuinely care for one another, much like siblings.
After Makima is killed, Denji and Power would fight side-by-side during the War Devil’s takeover. They would even share a contract in her dying moments, exemplifying their loyalty towards each other.
Beam
Beam is a devil who idolizes Denji as Chainsaw Man, having sought him out for a favor. Beam consistently protects Denji at all costs, diving into danger to save him. Beam and Denji share a strong relationship, with both cooperating effectively during battle and displaying respect for one another.
Nayuta
Despite initial reluctance, Denji adopts Nayuta as a part of his family after Makima’s death. As time goes on, he grows to genuinely care for her. Though she constantly manipulates Denji into fulfilling her desires, he always looks out for her safety and well-being. He sees her as a mix between a friend and a little sister, often doing his best to ensure she is educated and has a proper childhood, reflecting the parental role he never had. However, Denji’s protective instincts begin to shine when Nayuta’s powers threaten Asa, revealing how far he has come in his relationships.
Others
Hirofumi Yoshida
Denji initially sees Yoshida as a nuisance, although Yoshida has been tasked with protecting him. Denji openly speaks about his feelings and ambitions with Yoshida, though he finds Yoshida’s demeanor perplexing.
Fumiko Mifune
At first, Denji is put off by Fumiko’s aggressive flirting, which makes him believe she is joking. He becomes more comfortable with her, realizing that she is genuinely interested in him. This reveals a complex relationship marked by admiration and frustration.
Barem Bridge
Denji and Barem share a hostile relationship, with Barem constantly taunting Denji and provoking him. Barem’s actions against Denji’s loved ones escalate his hatred toward Barem, making him one of the major antagonists in Denji’s life.
Abilities
Physical Prowess
Enhanced Human Condition: Due to fusing with Pochita, Denji gained superhuman abilities even when not transformed. In his human form, Denji is durable enough to survive being hit by Power with a hammer and getting squeezed by the Bat Devil, despite both individuals possessing immense strength. He is also very strong, capable of decapitating a Fiend with just one swing of his axe.
Enhanced Endurance: Due to his rough childhood, Denji has developed a high tolerance for pain and stress, being able to still function as a Devil Hunter for the Yakuza despite having multiple organs missing at the time. His mental fortitude has allowed him to fight for three days straight while constantly being injured and remaining conscious even after having multiple parts of his body cut or blown off.
Hybrid Powers
Hybrid Transformation: By pulling on the cord emerging from his chest, Denji can transform into a bloodthirsty Chainsaw Devil. Denji needs blood in order to use his abilities, so if he does not have enough of it in his body, he cannot fully transform and will instead enter a pseudo-hybrid form. While Denji still has access to some of his powers in this form, they are considerably weaker and his chainsaws are shorter. If Denji runs out of blood while already being fully transformed, his chainsaws will automatically retract themselves. While in this form, Denji does not possess Pochita’s signature ability of Devil erasure, which was proven in his fight against the Falling Devil, which was eaten by him but neither weakened nor erased.
Augmented Strength: After entering his Hybrid form, Denji’s physical strength is increased exponentially. He can break walls and kill most Devils with just one punch. On one occasion, he was able to catch a thrown car out of the air without staggering and then throw it back with an equal amount of force, and on another occasion, he was capable of lifting a car and then throwing it with enough force to make it explode.
Augmented Durability: While in his Hybrid form, Denji’s physical durability is increased to inhuman levels. He can fall from great altitudes and punch Devils through walls without receiving any injuries. He has survived a point-blank blast from the Bat Devil that destroyed a building behind him, multiple explosions from the Bomb Hybrid, being on fire for extended periods, and being near the Typhoon Devil’s tornado, which has been shown to be strong enough to lift cars. His head and chainsaws are far more durable than the rest of his body, due to being made of metal, and capable of deflecting bullets.
Augmented Stamina: Denji was capable of fighting the Eternity Devil for approximately three days. As long as Denji continues to drink blood to recover from his injuries, he is essentially a perpetual motion machine.
Chainsaw Manifestation: As part of his transformation, Denji grows fully functional chainsaws from his arms, legs, feet, and head. These chainsaws are extremely effective at cutting Devils’ flesh, allowing Denji to sever limbs and bifurcate his enemies. They are also very effective at cutting other materials, such as stone and concrete; however, they have shown to be incapable of cutting through metal. The chainsaws in his legs and feet are not usually active, but Denji can employ them just by willing it. Just like the rest of his body, these chainsaws regenerate every time Denji pulls his cord and fully transforms.
Chainsaw Retraction: If he needs the full use of his arms and legs to do certain tasks while in his Hybrid form, Denji’s chainsaws can be retracted into his body, allowing him to perform mundane actions such as grabbing objects. While Denji can willingly retract his chainsaws, they can also be retracted automatically based on his instincts alone.
Chainsaw Wall Crawling: Denji can manifest short chainsaws under his feet, which he can use to stick onto walls and even walk on them. He used this ability once to run away from a group of dolls created by Santa.
Chain Entanglement: Denji is able to disconnect his chains from his chainsaws to use them in combat. He can wrap his chains around his opponent’s body and then pull them closer to him. Denji can also wrap his chains around objects to cut them, throw them, or do both. If Denji’s arms get torn off but are still connected to his body, he can still use his chains like body tissue to wrap his enemies. The chains can also be used as grappling hooks, allowing Denji to wrap them around a target and then pull his body closer to said target.
Devil Transformation: After surrendering his contract with Pochita, Denji transformed into a Full Devil. In this form, Denji displays incredible speed and strength, easily defeating multiple Hybrid Devils in a matter of seconds. Though he has been shown to have taken damage and even been incapacitated by being sent to Hell and blasted into Space, these acts merely delayed him for a few minutes before he returned unscathed. His immense power is further highlighted in Hell, where it is implied that he defeated every Demon residing there. Makima stated that he has killed her 26 times in this form. This form seems to lack Denji’s personality and awareness, though it has been shown to retain some memories and frequently acts in accordance with them. After being defeated by Makima to save Kobeni and later rescued by Power, Denji transformed back to normal and regained consciousness.
Blood Consumption: Denji can heal completely from nearly any fatal injury, and in some instances recover from death, so long as he consumes a sufficient amount of blood. After losing his arm to the Bat Devil, Denji’s arm reattached itself after he received a blood transfusion. With his fight against Santa Claus, he consumed one of her doll’s blood to keep fighting while still being on fire.
Nigh-Immortality: Due to being a Hybrid, Denji is immortal and nearly unkillable. He can survive getting shot, being thrown from buildings, and taking all kinds of injuries that would kill most Devils. Even if he dies, as long as someone pulls the cord on his chest, Denji can come back to life in perfect condition. Even after being decapitated, being cursed by the Curse Devil, and having most of his body blown up, Denji still managed to come back to life with no lasting damage.
Body Duplication: As a Full Devil, he regenerated from just his heart after he ripped Pochita out and threw it from space. After noticing this method of regeneration, he could remove Pochita from his body and regenerate it as a separate entity that talked just like Denji, which allowed him to fool Makima, using the rest of Power’s blood to seemingly keep himself alive without a heart while the duplicate fought.
Devil Contracts
Chainsaw Devil Contract: In exchange for living a “normal life”, Pochita became Denji’s heart and turned him into a Hybrid. All of his Hybrid abilities originate from this contract.
Blood Devil Contract: In exchange for finding the reincarnated Blood Devil and befriending them, Power gave all of her remaining blood to revive Denji.
Blood Chainsaw: Due to the blood gained from Power, Denji can manifest a chainsaw made from said blood, boasting a sharp pair of horns similar to that of Power’s on the base of the chainsaw. By using her blood manipulation ability imbued into the chainsaw, Denji was able to disturb the regeneration of Makima by causing her blood to continue ripping her body apart internally, which allowed him to defeat her.
Skills Set
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Even without his transformation, Denji is a capable unarmed and armed fighter. Against the Leech Devil, which was many times his size and weight, he was able to easily block her blows while delivering punches and headbutts with enough force to damage her. His skills improved further after training with Kishibe, in which he learned to rely more on strategy instead of blind strength.
Strategic Intelligence: Despite never receiving a proper education, Denji is very perceptive when it comes to ascertaining his enemies’ weaknesses and how to exploit them. Denji was trained under Kishibe, who he refers to as “master” later in the story, who teaches him various strategies. This is shown in the fight against Katana Man where Denji deceives Katana Man by making him think that Denji can only manifest chainsaws in his arms. Denji also managed to incapacitate Reze by using her weakness against water and defeat Santa Claus by abusing her weakness towards fire and light. In the time between Parts 1 and 2, Denji has continued developing his skills, such as learning to use his neck cables to reattach his head and legs after being dismembered and learning to resist mental attacks by damaging his own brain with his chainsaws as seen in the fight against the Falling Devil.
Swimming: After meeting Reze, Denji learned how to swim. He managed to use this skill to his advantage during his fight against her.
Weapons
Super Chainsaw Man Motorcycle (スーパーチェンソーマンバイク Sūpā Chēnsōman Baiku): A motorcycle enhanced by Asa from the motorbike stolen from a man driving on the street. This motorcycle possesses a very large chainsaw positioned horizontally between the two wheels. Its other notable features include a vastly upgraded engine and a black livery.
Weaknesses
Anemia/Low Blood Amount:Despite being turned into a Devil Hybrid, Denji will suffer from anemia when he is fatally injured by either a shallow cut or a heavy blow, which weakens his transformation into Chainsaw Man. To counteract this, Denji must consume a copious amount of blood to refill his strength.