Highlights
- Uncover the dark secrets behind Denji’s chainsaw heart as The Prophecy unfolds in Chainsaw Man manga.
- Death Devil, eldest sister of Four Horsemen, brings calamity per Nostradamus’s prophecy in 1999.
- Fami orchestrates chaos, with Nayuta embracing the end in Chainsaw Man with real-world origins.
In Chainsaw Man, it was first believed the anime would follow Denji’s dream of living a normal life after growing up in poverty while uncovering the secret of why everyone was after his chainsaw heart.
However, as the manga progressed, more sinister and tragic events began to occur, with Denji taking center stage as the events of The Propephy started to unfold. However, some of these events were orchestrated by Fami, throwing the world and Tokyo into chaos as time began to march to 1999. But what is this so-called Prophecy, and what does it mean for the character in Chainsaw Man?
What is The Prophecy in Chainsaw Man?
Hirofumi Yoshida first introduced the Prophecy in Chainsaw Man in Chapter 122 during a conversation with the Famine Devil in a local cafe. While it may have been hard for some to notice at first, the Chainsaw Man anime takes place in 1999, not in modern times. In Chapter 122, Yoshida revealed that a new urban legend had resurfaced from one of the prophecies of the French astrologer Nostradamus.
In the seven month of 1999, a Great King of Terror will descend.
Yoshida reveals this prophecy has gained attention because it predicted the end of humanity and that a new age of Devils would arise along with the end of humanity. The “Great King of Terror” in the above text alludes to one of the four horsemen, the Death Devil.
Who is the Death Devil?
There is little known about the Death Devil as she is only mentioned in passing when speaking about the Four Horsemen and the battle against the Chainsaw Devil (Pochita). However, we do know that she is the eldest sister of the Four Horsemen, and her whereabouts are currently unknown. Similar to her three sisters, it’s likely she will also have rings around her eyes.
How did Public Safety learn more about this Prophecy?
After society began to buzz with news of this urban legend, Public Safety conducted an experiment to learn more about this prophecy. In this experiment, they made 30 convicts make a contract with the Future Devil and asked them when they were going to die. The convicts took up this offer on the condition of their release.
However, the Future Devil then predicted that out of 30 of the convicts, only 23 would lose their lives in July 1999. Additionally, the remaining seven convicts will soon die within a week of the conversation between Yoshida and Fami. However, as the Falling Devil comes to do Fami’s bidding, some might have died that day.
With this, it’s clear that the Death Devil will bring a massive calamity upon her arrival. However, Fami also kickstarted some events leading up to the Prophecy. The event that Fami refers to in her conversation with Yoshida is the coming of the Primal Fear, the Falling Devil. Once the Falling Devil arrived, she began to massacre humans indiscriminately, although her main goal was to send Asa Mitaka and Yoru to hell as ordered by Fami. However, Denji soon swoops in to save his “potential girlfriend.”
Fami’s true goal
While it certainly seemed like the Famine Devil was one of the many Devils eager for the Prophecy to come true, in Chapter 131, we learn this is not the case. When Nayuta, the reincarnated Control Devil, stops the Falling Devil from killing Denji and Asa, Fami reveals the Nostradamus Prophecy is coming true, in which the ultimate terror will descend upon the world and end all humanity.
Nayuta, being the Control Devil and one of the Four Horsemen, doesn’t find any problem with this Prophecy and actually thinks it would be fun. However, upon learning her favorite foods, like pizza and Chinese food, will no longer exist, she becomes terrified by the Prophecy becoming true, which Fami also reveals is “the worst scenario imaginable.”
It is also here that Fami reveals that she never intended to kill Asa and Yoru. Instead, she wants Yoru, the War Devil, under her control as her pawn and even asks Nayuta to join her side, to which Nayuta declines. To further complicate things, Fami is also the secret leader of the Chainsaw Man Church, which she persuades Asa to join. In a way, Fami now has Asa under her control, and Asa also learns how to use her powers more effectively by killing Devils.
The Prophecy has real-world origins
While Prophecies and other events can be made up in anime, the Prophecy in Chainsaw Man has real-world origins. Michel de Nostredame, formerly known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer and physician known for predicting future events.
One of Nostradamus’s most famous prophecies is the one used in Chainsaw Man, befalling a great tragedy that may soon occur as a “great King of Terror” will end humanity. In the world of Chainsaw Man, it’s not surprising that Public Safety wouldn’t take a prediction like this seriously, especially considering humans and Devils somewhat coexist and the multiple prophecies that have come true from Nostradamus’s predictions.
Chainsaw Man is available to stream on Prime Video.