Chainsaw Man: Power May Prove That Devils Can Become Heroes

Few monsters in anime come anywhere close to the level of grotesque horror seen in Fall 2022’s Chainsaw Man. From anthropomorphic bats the size of a delivery truck to writhing masses of zombified flesh, these Devils manifest some of civilization’s most carnal fears. The vast majority of these abominations so far have been ruthless and sadistic beings, seeking out any reason to murder innocent civilians. Yet even with all the evidence to the contrary, there may be more to these killing machines than initially meets the eye — and the first major indication of this is the cat-loving Blood Devil Fiend, Power.

When Power is first introduced, she does not appear to be particularly complex. Self-absorbed, impulsive and violent, she seems to lack any motivation to do good unless it benefits her or enables her desire to kill other Devils. However, even though she inevitably betrayed Denji, this was revealed to not be out of malice or hatred of humans, but rather out of a desire to save her pet cat Meowy. Interestingly enough, Episode 4 opens with a scene explaining how her innate thirst for blood and her love for Meowy are related. While Power initially believed that she was drawn to blood solely out of her nature as an evil Devil, she came to realize that the thing that attracted her to it was its warmth, something that was satisfied both physically and emotionally by her relationship with Meowy.

Devils Have Primal Needs, Much Like Humans

This, of course, is not the first time that a Devil has shown a change of heart brought about by a show of affection. After all, Pochita was similarly tamed after Denji showed him kindness after saving his life. Nevertheless, Power’s revelation may illustrate an essential quality about Devils as a whole. Though Power inhabits a human body, her mindset is far more bestial and spontaneous, giving weight to her true identity as a Devil underneath it all. Still, her quick turn towards endearment after meeting Meowy shows that Devils may just be seeking things out that fill some base need — in her case, the need for warmth.

Such a theory makes sense when looking at the simplistic nature of the Devils that have appeared up to this point. The Leech Devil, who shows up to fight Denji after he defeats the Bat Devil, seems to be easily swayed by men that she finds good-looking, especially if they possess what she would deem a beautiful dream. Aki’s Fox Devil is easily satisfied when allowed to devour other Devils, satiating a raw hunger that causes it to manifest as little more than a giant mouth and the fox head that comes with it. Even the Zombie Devil in Episode 1 could be interpreted as just wanting to make others like itself. Their tendencies may manifest in primarily malicious ways, but their uncomplicated and sometimes childish drives indicate that they may be amoral, rather than knowingly immoral.

This is an important distinction, because it indicates that every Devil has the capacity to become something other than evil. Some Devils may be more set in their ways than others, but if each of them has something they desire that can be replaced by something good or constructive, they could have the potential to become as endearing as Power or Pochita. Even if they can’t become traditionally friendly, at the very least they can likely be swayed to forge beneficial contracts with humans, just as the Fox Devil has with Aki.

Devils’ Simplistic Natures Make Them Surprisingly Personable

Intriguingly, this near juvenile way of thinking may make Devils more straightforward than the humans of Chainsaw Man. This is certainly the case with Aki, whose jaded sense of justice and desire for revenge leaves him to view his colleagues with disdain. Similarly, Makima’s enigmatic presentation depicts her as a person who not only has many complicated secrets, but as someone who may be pulling the strings behind the scenes. That said, exposure to Power and Denji may be changing Aki, as this episode shows signs of him reconsidering his way of thinking.

This makes Denji more fascinating as well, due to the strikingly candid outlook on life and the future that he’s had from the very beginning. With his simple dreams and desires, Denji is not swayed by illusions of grandeur, finding satisfaction with a hot bath, a pretty girl, and a tasty meal. Perhaps this simplemindedness is part of what makes him the perfect host to merge with a Devil unlike anyone before him.

All that aside, Devils are still very clearly a danger to society when left to their own devices. However, by working together with the newly benign Power, the members of the Public Safety Devil Hunters may find the key to ending these threats in ways they never imagined. Even so, if a path to rehabilitation is off the table, and the Devils decide that slaughter is the only way forward, Power, Denji and Aki are sure to do everything they can to eliminate danger in the most savage way possible.