Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man became an overnight success during the run of its first part, seemingly garnering more and more fans as each chapter passed. Fans love the manga because of the way Fujimoto has crafted the story in terms of heroes, enemies, and those who exist somewhere in between.
In dealing with its themes and storylines, Chainsaw Man allowed a plethora of powerful characters to prove their might in Part 1. However, there are a few who clearly stand out as being the strongest characters in the series thus far.
Here are the 10 most powerful characters in Chainsaw Man Part 1, ranked from weakest to strongest.
Devils and their contractors dominate list of most powerful characters in Chainsaw Man Part 1
10) Angel Devil
Kicking off the list is the Angel Devil who is said to be the second-strongest member of Tokyo Special Division 4, just behind a certain someone who also appears on this list. He’s even said to have the potential of being the strongest in the Division but is held back by his laziness.
His main power is Life-Force Absorption which he achieves by touching other humans to steal their life force for his own. He can then turn this power into weapons that are able to affect even the strongest devils, including the one with the potential to defeat Chainsaw Man himself.
9) Kishibe
Outranking the Angel Devil, however, is the veteran Kishibe, aka the strongest member of Tokyo Special Division 4. All of his physical abilities are much more enhanced as compared to an average human, making him powerful enough to fight devils and other supernatural enemies on an even footing.
He’s also contracted to three different devils, namely Knife, Needle, and Claw Devils, for an unknown price. As a result, he’s able to use their abilities in combination with his own skillset, which makes him a deadly warrior who should be feared by both humans and devils.
8) Aki Hayakawa
Aki Hayakawa ranks eighth on this list as he is incredibly powerful. He possesses remarkable strength of will, body, and mind throughout the series’ first part. Additionally, his three different devil contracts make for an incredibly versatile and overpowered set of moves and abilities, allowing him to fight in a variety of situations effectively. As a result, he undoubtedly ranks as one of the strongest characters in the series’ first part.
7) Reze
Also called the Bomb Devil, Reze is the first direct ally of the Gun Devil seen in the series, and is as powerful as such a partnership would imply her to be. She boasts impressive power and speed, and is capable of a wide variety of explosive techniques as the Bomb Devil.
She gives Denji one of the most difficult fights in the series up to that point, emphasizing just how strong she is. She’s also shown to be manipulative in combat as she uses the threat of innocent civilians getting hurt to force Denji and other enemies to cooperate.
6) Quanxi
Also called the First Devil Hunter, Quanxi is one of the most powerful characters in the series when she’s first introduced. She has been bumped down the ranks because of stronger characters being introduced later on, but that does not take away from her brilliance and power.
She’s also one of the few Hybrids, aka humans who can transform into devils, in the series with her counterpart being the Crossbow Devil. Her Hybrid form is very powerful as it gives her crossbow arms which can be used at both close and long range. She’s undoubtedly one of the most dangerous fighters in the series’ first part.
5) Santa Claus
Santa Claus is simultaneously one of the most enigmatic but powerful figures in the series' first part. The true identity of Santa Claus is unknown, thanks to their contract with the Doll Devil which allows them to steal and use the faces and bodies of other humans.
Makima and Kishibe even call Santa Claus the biggest threat out of all international Devil Hunters and Assassins, saying that it’s all over if the latter uses their Devils against them. All of their Devil contracts are highly potent. Santa Claus is even contracted with the Devil who stands at the top of this list.
4) Gun Devil
The Gun Devil is one of the most powerful devils in the entire series, boasting an arsenal of overpowered abilities. One such ability is his Bullet Projection which allows him to instantly kill various groups of people within 1500 meters of himself if they meet certain criteria related to age, gender, and birth month.
Even beyond his Bullet Projection, the Gun Devil is fast enough to have once killed 1.2 million people across various countries around the world in only five minutes.
3) Makima/Control Devil
Makima, also known as the Control Devil, presents quite a challenge in the first part of the series. Her powers are never explicitly described, but fans know about her ability to control any being that she believes is inferior to herself. The ability works on other devils and deceased individuals as well, which goes to show how powerful she can be.
Her intellect and cunning also render her perfect for the title of the Control Devil. She’s shown to be an expert at manipulation throughout the series, toying with Denji as needed to get him to fulfill her secret goals.
2) Denji/Chainsaw Man
Denji’s true powers stem from his ability to become Chainsaw Man, which he achieved by forming a contract with Pochita at the beginning of the series. He has enhanced strength, durability, and endurance as a result, in addition to the powerful chainsaws which protrude from his body in his transformed state.
Denji has proven himself to be a capable fighter even without his transformation during his battle against the Leech Devil. His incredible hand-to-hand combat skills, combined with the offensive powerhouse that is his Chainsaw Man transformation, makes him one of the strongest characters in Part 1 of the series.
1) Darkness Devil
The Darkness Devil dominates as the series’ strongest character, at least in the first part. Devils receive their powers by being feared, and the Darkness Devil feeds off the primal fear of darkness humanity has had since ancient times. The Darkness Devil is so powerful that it’s yet to face death despite its presumed archaic lifespan.
It has the ability to telekinetically control the Sword of Darkness which can instantly kill anyone it strikes. The Darkness Devil can even stare people to death since people begin hemorrhaging violently when he looks at them.