Recurring detail in Chainsaw Man Chapter 171 suggests Nayuta could still be alive

Modified Jul 17, 2024 11:13 GMT

A recurring detail in Chainsaw Man chapter 171 suggests Nayuta could still be alive — Nayuta as seen in the Chainsaw Man manga (Image via Shueisha)

With the release of Chainsaw Man Chapter 171, the manga series finally revealed the full extent of Denji's reaction to seeing Nayuta's head on the conveyor belt. While everyone was left shocked by the events that unfolded in the chapter, a recurring detail in the manga hints at Nayuta still being alive.

The manga's previous chapter saw Barem showing Denji the right way to eat sushi. He wanted Denji to turn into the complete Chainsaw Man, the one who was capable of erasing concepts. Just as Denji was left confused over how he could transform into the said entity, Barem presented Denji with Nayuta's head on the sushi conveyor belt.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Chainsaw Man manga.

Nayuta's missing mole in Chainsaw Man Chapter 171 could be a hint at her being alive

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Back in Chainsaw Man Chapter 167, the manga saw Yoru engage Denji and Asa Mitaka in a level of physical intimacy that neither of them had consented to. However, during this, one of the manga panels showed Yoru without her facial scars, leading fans to believe that it wasn't the War Devil but Asa Mitaka.

The manga later confirmed that it was a mistake as Chapter 168 opened with Yoru controlling Asa Mitaka's body. Hence, the manga effectively confirmed that manga creator Tatsuki Fujimoto had made an error in the previous chapter.

Yoru as seen in the Chainsaw Man manga (Image via Shueisha)

The manga creator has made similar mistakes in the past with Hirofumi Yoshida and Nayuta, forgetting to draw the moles on their faces. Nevertheless, Fujimoto soon corrected his mistakes in the following chapters. But this was not the case for Nayuta's head as seen in Chainsaw Man Chapters 170 and 171.

Chainsaw Man Chapter 170 saw Barem present Denji with Nayuta's head on the sushi conveyor belt. While most fans were left shocked by the development, some fans theorized that Nayuta hadn't actually died. The head that was presented to Denji was a fake as it did not have a mole. But other fans corrected them stating that Tatsuki Fujimoto often forgets drawing such details, and the same could be corrected in the next chapter.

Denji as seen in Chainsaw Man Chapter 171 (Image via Shueisha)

Thus, with the release of Chainsaw Man Chapter 171, fans were hoping for the manga to confirm Nayuta's death by showing the mole. Surprisingly, the illustration of Nayuta's head in Chainsaw Man Chapter 171 remained the same as no new features were added to it.

Considering how manga creator Tatsuki Fujimoto did not add the mole to Nayuta's face despite the two-week gap between Chapters 170 and 171, there is a good chance that the detail was omitted purposely. This could be a hint of Nayuta being alive.

Barem as seen in Chainsaw Man Chapter 171 (Image via Shueisha)

As for the Nayuta head on the sushi conveyor belt, Barem must have used the powers of an ambiguous devil to recreate Nayuta's face from memory to trigger Denji's emotions. Given how a mole is a very minor detail, Barem must have failed to notice it and could have manifested a Nayuta head without the detail.