A fan-favorite Chainsaw Man character may explain Public Safety's confusing actions

Modified Oct 31, 2024 04:06 GMT

A fan-favorite Chainsaw Man character may explain Public Safety's confusing actions (Image via MAPPA Studios)

One of the most confusing aspects of the Academy Saga of mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man series has been the actions of Public Safety and some of their Devil Hunters. More specifically, fans are concerned with the overall goals and plans of the organization and the absence of notable members from Part 1, the Public Safety Saga.

While some assert that these are two separate plot points in Chainsaw Man Part 2, some evidence strongly suggests they’re related. It could be the absence of fan-favorite character Kishibe, which specifically explains why Public Safety has been so erratic and inconsistent.

Public Safety’s change of heart in Chainsaw Man may be a result of Kishibe’s influence

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With the return of Pochita’s Hero of Hell form in Chainsaw Man, fans saw Public Safety spring into action to test and leverage his abilities. This is seemingly dichotomous to Hirofumi Yoshida’s warnings to Denji earlier in the second part, which suggested Public Safety didn’t want him to become the titular hero. In reality, it’s likely that these opposing intentions are a result of Yoshida working for Kishibe, who is issuing new orders as the situation develops.

First, it’s unlikely that Kishibe left Public Safety following Part 1’s events. He played a direct role in eliminating Control Devil Makima, who had by that point become more of a threat to Public Safety than an asset. He likely took a position similar to the one she held in terms of influence and control following Part 1’s events. In turn, he likely enlisted Yoshida to keep track of Denji, his former protege, and ensure he behaved as Kishibe and Public Safety wished.

This is further supported by the fact that Kishibe was presumably the first human character to be told of Pochita’s Erasure ability by Makima. He was likely given full control over Public Safety’s actions towards and control of Denji for being the one to discover the threat or benefit he posed. Likewise, Kishibe’s decision at the start of the Academy Saga was likely that it was best for Denji to never transform again.

Yoshida has likely acted as Kishibe's right-hand man throughout Chainsaw Man Part 2 so far (Image via Shueisha)

However, as Part 2 developed, Kishibe likely changed his stance due to the new threats that appeared. This includes the Chainsaw Man Church, as well as Nostradamus’ prophecy, which heralds the Death Devil’s arrival. This likely culminated in the Fire Devil reveal and the chaos caused in its wake, as well as Control Devil Nayuta’s capture and murder. Nayuta’s inclusion is because Kishibe was likely monitoring Denji and Nayuta.

Likewise, he almost certainly knew it was too late for Nayuta the second she was captured by Barem Bridge and the Church, guessing at their plan. This would also explain why Yoshida refused to acknowledge Denji’s questions about Nayuta when he awoke in the Tokyo Devil Detention Center. As Kishibe’s direct subordinate, Yoshida would know of Nayuta’s status and the Church’s plan for her.

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Given this, Public Safety decided to take advantage of having Denji in custody and ensure they could separate his powers from him. However, his escape forced them to change their plans yet again, especially once seeing him strung along by the Chainsaw Man Church. Having already been prepared to sacrifice Nayuta, they likely saw the writing on the wall at this point and decided to go along with whatever would happen.

Thus, the latest events in the series unfolded, as fans have seen. Yoshida and Kishibe scramble to create a plan to demonstrate the value of Denji’s powers to the Higher Ups while showing that he can be controlled. This also explains why Yoshida is on the battlefield, yet Fumiko Mifune goes to speak with the Higher Ups. All the while, Kishibe orchestrates the attack on the Hero of Hell from behind the scenes.

Final thoughts

Public Safety's seemingly rash decision-making could be a result of a dynamic approach by Kishibe (Image via MAPPA Studios)

All this makes significant assumptions regarding Kishibe’s status, what role he and Yoshida would have in Public Safety, and more. However, such a scenario as theorized above would explain the seemingly inconsistent philosophy of Public Safety, even when things were going their way. Fans will hopefully discover the group’s confirmed motivations and Kishibe’s official status in the coming weeks and months.

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Edited by Joseph Brogan