Denji and his friends in Public Safety Division 4 have encountered plenty of powerful devils throughout Chainsaw Man. The characters are no strangers to challenging and formidable foes, whether it be being imprisoned in a hotel by the Eternity Devil or engaging in the unavoidable conflict with the Gun Devil. Some devils, however, are more powerful than these adversaries and possess special abilities that make them, particularly challenging to defeat.
Denji is unaware that he has already encountered two of the Four Horsemen. These devils are frighteningly powerful because they are the offspring of some of humanity's oldest fears, including War, Famine, Control, and Death. A key plot point involves the horsemen, but it's not entirely clear what they are or why they're after in the human world.
The Four Horsemen: Who Are They?
The Four Horsemen are four of Chainsaw Man's most powerful demons, and rightfully so. Devils are born from human fears, so the longer a fear exists, the more potent its strength becomes. The War, Famine, Control, and Death Devils have existed since the beginning of time, making the Four Horsemen nearly as powerful, if not equal to, Primal Fears like the Darkness Devil. All four devils have distinctive golden eyes with red rings, making them easy to identify – though avoiding them is more difficult.
The names of those who were eaten and erased by the Chainsaw Devil, such as the Nuclear Weapons Devil and the Nazi Devil, are only remembered by these four devils. The Horsemen are referred to as a group, but they have little in common and seldom work together. The last time the four worked together was when they were brutally fighting Pochita in hell alongside the Weapons Devil. Sometime after this fight, they entered the real world and split up to pursue their separate objectives.
Nayuta is Makima's Reincarnation, Who Served as the Control Devil
Makima was the first of the Four Horsemen to be introduced in CSM, and her reveal as the Control Devil shocked fans around the globe. After separating from her peers, Makima began to pursue Pochita in hopes of utilizing his power and erasing her fellow Horsemen from existence. This is why she took such an interest in Denji, manipulating and controlling him with his greatest desires to eventually exploit Chainsaw Man's abilities. However, the Control Devil never saw her goal come to fruition, as before she could succeed, Denji found a loophole in her power and defeated Makima. After being consumed herself, Makima was reincarnated, and Nayuta is now the new Control Devil.
Once Kishibe located the reincarnation of the Control Devil, he brought her to Denji to raise. The mentor did this in hopes that Denji would nurture Nayuta with love, giving her the connections and relationships Makima was never able to form without control. So far, this approach seems to be working. Denji is trying his hardest to save money for Nayuta's education, giving her intelligence a positive outlet, and raising her as a little sister to form the familial bonds Makima lacked.
Yoru Is The War Demon Of Chainsaw Man
The second of the Four Horsemen to enter the series was the War Devil. After being mauled by Pochita in hell, Yoru's appearance was reduced to a bird form, similar to Chainsaw Man's weakened form (Pochita). Now, Yoru is using Asa, Denji's schoolmate and potential love interest, as a vessel, occupying half of her brain. This means Yoru is technically a fiend rather than a devil because she is living in a human host. This is a strange phenomenon, as fiends can usually only take control over human corpses, but Asa is alive and well -- she's just occasionally subjected to Yoru's sudden switches.
While being a fiend does lessen the War Devil's power, it's the most advantageous approach for her plan. Yoru is trying to find Chainsaw Man and is aware that the hybrid is a student at Asa's high school, so being undercover and taking on her appearance makes sense for the operation. The War Devil is seeking Chainsaw Man because she wants to force him to vomit up the forgotten Nuclear Weapons Devil, bringing this fear back to humanity.
High School is Where the Famine Devil also Attends
Also introduced in Chainsaw Man Part 2, the Famine Devil, who likes to go by Fami, is attending Denji and Asa's high school. She has taken the form of a tall girl with scale earrings, which are symbolic of this particular devil's nature. The Famine Devil has only made a handful of appearances in the manga, but each debut grows more ominous. For example, after the characters were trapped in an aquarium, Fami was standing on a rooftop, sinisterly looking down upon Asa, Yoru, Denji and Yoshida.
Although Fami's motivations are currently unknown, she has demonstrated a willingness to assist Asa and stated that she would sacrifice anything for her sister. Yoru is being discussed, and it is implied that the Four Horsemen consider one another to be family. This might imply that Fami and the War Devil will work together since they complement one another. It would make sense if Fami collaborated with Yoru to revive nuclear weapons because more war inevitably leads to more famine.
Death Devil: A Mysterious Being
The last of the Four Horsemen is the only one who has yet to appear in Chainsaw Man. Fans are eagerly awaiting the Death Devil's appearance, which will almost certainly be a major plot point. The Death Devil embodies the primal fear of death, making it the most powerful of the Four Horsemen. Because death is the most fundamental fear that all living creatures can have, it is presumably one of, if not the, most powerful devils.
There are numerous theories about who this devil could be, but as yet, none are very solid. Considering the recurring theme among the other Four Horsemen, the Death Devil will likely be a girl with the same signature golden eyes -- and a character like this is not yet prevalent in the manga. However, since death has been feared since the beginning of life itself, a character as powerful as this will most likely be introduced as some kind of final boss.
The Four Horsemen are a formidable group, and each member leaves behind a catastrophic trail of danger wherever they go. Denji, in all his blissful ignorance, is at the center of the horsemen -- the Control Devil is his 'sister,' he's going on dates with the War Devil's vessel and the Famine Devil is lurking in the hallways of his school. It would be unsurprising if the Death Devil was similarly right under his nose.
