Chainsaw Man chapter 173 gives Hirofumi Yoshida his biggest death flag yet, and an old Fujimoto interview proves it

Modified Aug 10, 2024 18:27 GMT

Chainsaw Man chapter 173 gives Hirofumi Yoshida his biggest death flag yet, and an old Fujimoto interview proves it (Image via Shueisha)

For many fans, one of the most exciting aspects of Chainsaw Man chapter 173 was the reappearance of Hirofumi Yoshida, who hadn’t been seen since Denji’s Breakout mini-arc. With Yoshida being a fan-favorite character and the center of many previous Part 2 theories, it’s understandable why his reappearance is exciting to some.

However, an interview between series’ mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto and editor Shihei Lin, recently rediscovered in the wake of Chainsaw Man chapter 173, has fans second-guessing their excitement. For context, Lin has worked with Fujimoto on the manga throughout Part 1 and Part 2’s serialization thus far.

Fans are likewise taking his words from the interview very seriously in the wake of Chainsaw Man chapter 173, with Lin bringing up a comment from a reader about Yoshida being killed if he becomes too active. While Lin clearly isn’t asserting anything himself, his choosing to bring up this comment in the interview and find it funny, combined with Yoshida now fighting Pochita, has fans concerned for his fate.

Yoshida’s return in Chainsaw Man chapter 173 could be leading into his death as Part 2 reaches its climax

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The excerpt that has resurfaced in the wake of Chainsaw Man chapter 173 is from the pair’s Jump Festa 2021 interview, which would have been in December 2020. The two discuss the results of the 2020 popularity poll for the series likewise, which saw Yoshida creep into the top 10 over other fan favorites like Reze, Angel Devil, and more. Fujimoto discusses how shocked he was that Yoshida was so popular.

Lin then adds that he received the above comment from a reader, which specifically read, “please do not make Yoshida too active, because then he will be killed.” Lin comments on how he was confused at first but admits it made sense after thinking about it. With this in mind, it’s clear he understands the fan’s concern and is even somewhat validating it by the nature of his confession of initial confusion and later clarity.

In turn, Yoshida has been quite active in Part 2 long before Chainsaw Man chapter 173, playing a key role in how the series has developed as it relates to Denji in the Academy Saga. While he hasn’t been in terrible danger up until now, his sudden reappearance has fans concerned, especially for the fact that he’s now set to fight Pochita’s Hero of Hell form. Excluding Primal Devils, Pochita is arguably the strongest Devil in the entire series in this form.

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However, it’s worth emphasizing that this doesn’t mean Yoshida’s fate is sealed. While the coincidence is certainly cause for concern, Yoshida’s sudden appearance did see him successfully trap Pochita within the Octopus Devil’s arms. Likewise, he is fighting Pochita alongside what much of the fandom presumes to be a new Primal Devil, certainly giving him an edge and better odds in the fight against Pochita.

It’s also worth considering that Public Safety has seemingly already achieved the goals they set out to by chapter 173’s end. With the confirmation of Pochita’s erasure powers and the fact that he can be forced to throw the Devils back up, there’s little sense in Yoshida (a Public Safety agent) continuing to fight the Hero of Hell. This is especially true considering the Primal Devil is contracted to do so by Public Safety and is at much less risk than Yoshida.

Yet, in the same breath, truly no character in Fujimoto’s manga series besides Denji has plot armor to the point of surviving anything and everything. Control Devil Nayuta’s recent death emphasizes this, as does that of Aki Hayakawa, Power, and many others from the Public Safety Saga, also known as Part 1 of the manga. With this in mind, Yoshida fans should hope for the best but expect the worst from the series in the coming weeks and months.