Makima from Chainsaw Man quickly established herself as one of the animanga community’s most terrifying antagonists. As a master manipulator with a complete lack of conscience, she quickly became an enemy of fans. Makima’s depraved behavior and penchant for atrocities ensured that her demise would not be pleasant.
Makima’s rule of evil came to an end as the first part of the manga ended. Denji, the character most targeted by her terrifying tactics, was the one to end her life, resulting in a slightly ambiguous conclusion. Makima is practically immortal, so how did Denji manage to take her life?
What is Included in Makima’s Agreement With the Prime Minister?
With a reputation that makes her a walking target and an infamous job role in the public eye, Makima made a contract with the Japanese Prime Minister to protect herself. This contract allows the Public Safety leader to distribute her suffering among the Japanese public. In particular, any attack made upon Makima would be changed into appropriate illnesses and accidents and placed upon Japanese citizens. As such, she was essentially invincible.
This means that every attack made toward Makima resulted in an equally morbid consequence for random citizens, while she walked away unscathed time and time again. This is why Makima was able to survive being shot in the head during the “Katana Man” arc, as well as the many other fatal attacks she’s recovered from. The antagonist’s death was particularly confusing because of this contract, as she should have been able to dedicate the attacks to a stranger. So, how did Denji manage to kill Makima?
Denji Defeated Makima in Their Final Conflict
Even getting close enough to attack Makima was practically impossible for Denji, so he had to use his brainpower and outsmart the enemy. One of her powers as the Control Devil was a heightened sense of smell, and Denji concluded from past information and his own observation that Makima distinguished people through their scent. Tragically, he also recognized that the scent he was identified with was not his own — it was Pochita’s. While this would have been a gut-wrenching realization for Denji, he used it to his advantage.
Makima was obsessed with Chainsaw Man, which is why she took such a liking to Denji. She wanted to own the devil and use its power to kill and erase the War, Famine and Death Devils, bringing about a new world. After Chainsaw Man and Makima’s intense battle, Denji was therefore pressured to never change into his hybrid form again for fear of being killed by the Control Devil. However, the devil hunter wanted to continue his life as the hero, so he devised a plan to attack Makima.
Denji broke off a part of Pochita and created a fake Chainsaw Devil to fight Makima and her lackeys at the graveyard. She succeeded in defeating this devil, tore out its heart and finally took possession of Pochita. Thinking that she had won the fight, she let her guard down, creating an opening for Denji to strike her with a chainsaw created using Power’s blood. Since Makima was always focused on Pochita, she never knew Denji’s scent, so she failed to notice him and his ruse. Once he got her, Denji proceeded to cut her up into pieces with his mentor, Captain Kishibe. However, this is no different from the many other attacks Makima has survived, so how she actually died was at this point still a mystery.
Denji Discovered a Vulnerability in Makima’s Contract
It is important to note that, as stated in Chapter 84, Makima’s contract with the Japanese Prime Minister clearly outlines that only attacks are passed on to the country’s citizens. The reason for Denji’s success is directly due to a loophole regarding these particular terms of the contract. Essentially, any self-inflicted or accidental injuries, or acts not intended as an attack, could not be passed on to the Japanese public.
The first part of Denji’s plan was clearly an attack, and while he and Kishibe chopped up Makima, it should be noted that countless Japanese citizens were affected. Makima would normally regenerate faster than Denji and Kishibe could chop her up due to her devil abilities and contract. However, the chainsaw with which Denji cut the control Devil was made of Power’s blood, which began to run amok inside her. Without the blood, Denji’s plan would have failed because the devil would have jumped back up in no time.
Once Makima was successfully chopped up, Denji cannibalized her to officially rid her of the world. However, as he himself said, even after everything Makima put him through, he still loved her from the bottom of his heart. He was ready to bear the burden of all her sins with her, so while he was eating her flesh, Denji was doing so not to kill Makima but to become one with her. Therefore, this wasn’t an act of violence but rather one of love, meaning it wasn’t an attack per se. As such, the terms of her contract weren’t met, so Makima could never come back from being consumed by her favorite subordinate. It was a roundabout way of getting close to her, but in the end, Denji achieved his dream of being together with Makima.
Why Did the Control Demon Not Disappear?
Since Denji is a hybrid who merged with Pochita, many fans were confused when the Control Devil reincarnated. The Chainsaw Devil can erase devils from existence by consuming them, so many assumed that after Denji ate Makima, the devil would be struck from history altogether. However, this was not the case.
While Denji possesses the Chainsaw Devil’s abilities, he and Pochita exist independently within his body. Denji, in his human form, was the one who consumed Makima, not Chainsaw Man, so he only killed her rather than completely erasing her existence. This is why the Control Devil still exists and has been reincarnated as Nayuta in the world. The reborn devil is now living with Denji in the hopes of raising her in a loving environment and saving her from her destructive tendencies.
The nature of Makima’s death was a confusing ordeal, as she was the most powerful character roaming the CSM universe. She was deemed to be unkillable, but with a surprising sense of wit and unshakable resolve, Denji outsmarted Makima and saw the end of her reign as the Control Devil.
