Chainsaw Man chapter 156 hints at why Denji turning into a monster is inevitable

Modified Feb 29, 2024 22:30 GMT

Denji as seen in the Chainsaw Man anime (image via MAPPA)

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 hit the final nail in the coffin for Denji's character, seeing as to how he became subjected to a fate worse than death, courtesy of the Public Safety. Following this shocking yet climactic chapter, fans fear they might have witnessed the last bit of Denji's humanity crumble.

After considering everything he has gone through up to this point in the story, coupled with everything that happened to him in this chapter, a recent fan theory on social media suggested that Denji might be heading towards a much darker path, which could see him becoming a monster.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man chapter 156 and reflects the writer's opinion.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156: Fan theory points out how Denji turning into a monster is now more feasible than ever

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At the beginning of Chainsaw Man chapter 156, Denji was seen waking up in a hospital, with Yoshida there to greet him. Apparently, Denji had passed out for an entire week at the hospital, due to which he was unable to move a single step.

When Denji asked Yoshida if Nayuta was alive, Yoshida told him that they were unsure about her whereabouts. Furthermore, he informed Denji that since he had broken his promise of never turning into Chainsaw Man again, Public Safety would not be able to help him anymore.

Shortly afterward, Yoshida was seen discussing Denji's fate with other public safety hunters. Apparently, Denji's body was going to be dismembered by Public Safety and taken into custody by the Government.

Denji's future looks bleak after Chainsaw Man chapter 156 (image via MAPPA)

What's even worse is that this is exactly what ended up happening, as Denji was shown being held captive at the Tokyo Devil Detention Center, where he was slowly getting dismembered by a bunch of surgeons. Furthermore, as he was getting his limbs cut off, Denji dreamt of Pochita, where he told him that he wanted to go and save Nayuta.

However, Pochita enquired in a seemingly sarcastic tone about how Denji could save her when he didn't have any legs. This particular panel became one of the highlights of this chapter, as fans pointed out that the way Pochita interacted with and seemingly put Denji down may hint at the latter's character heading down a darker path.

Pochita's treatment of Denji in Chainsaw Man chapter 156 caught a lot of fans off-guard (image via MAPPA)

According to a theory posted on X by @tfwPhoebe, everything that has happened to Denji until now, coupled with his treatment in Chainsaw Man chapter 156, might have foreshadowed him turning into a monster soon.

The fact that Pochita, who had supported and uplifted Denji even in the darkest of times, is now seemingly taunting him at his lowest point seemed odd to many. Additionally, many fans seemed to agree that Pochita's portrayal in the recent chapters has been pretty eerie and unnerving, which is in contrast to his usual cheerful and caring nature.

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As such, fans fear that Denji is slowly headed down a dark path from where he possibly cannot return. However, after considering all the tragedies that have happened to him till now, it's hard to expect anything else from his character.

Seeing that there is no way out of his situation other than turning into a monster and destroying everything in his path, one can expect Denji to turn into something similar to Pochita's 'Hero of Hell' Devil form.

Denji is undoubtedly the most tragic character of the Chainsaw Man series. Not only is he currently on the verge of losing his own life for good, but he might also have lost Nayuta, the one person he cares about the most. Therefore, Denji abandoning his humanity and turning into a fearsome monster to try and save Nayuta seems inevitable at this point.

Final thoughts

Asa Mitaka/War Devil's possible arrival at the end of Chainsaw Man chapter 156 provided some hope for Denji's fate. But it'd be a pretty epic and memorable moment for the latter's character if he finally lost control of his sanity and turned into a terrifying monster to take revenge on the Public Safety for everything they have done to him.