Chainsaw Man episode 9: Makima's contracts introduced, Kobeni shows her stuff, and more

Chainsaw Man episode 9 was released on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, bringing with it the exciting retaliation of Tokyo Special Division 4 against their attackers. After briefly recapping what happened with Denji’s group last episode, fans are then shown Denji versus Katana Man before the episode features Makima somehow coming back to life.

Chainsaw Man episode 9 also sees Makima use her Devil contracts, which are shown to be some of the most unsettling powers seen thus far in the series. Kobeni Higashiyama also gets a chance to shine in the episode, proving why Himeno was right to recruit her for the role in the first place.

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Chainsaw Man episode 9 sees Makima’s mystical powers used as Denji and Kobeni fend off the Tokyo shooters

Chainsaw Man episode 9: Chainsaw versus Katan

Chainsaw Man episode 9 begins with a brief recap of the last episode, mainly focusing on Himeno’s death and the Snake Devil being called and then disappearing. Katana Man tells the blonde teenage girl that the Fiend ran off, to which she says they’re after Chainsaw’s heart, so it doesn’t matter.

A hand of the Ghost Devil is then seen making its way over to Denji and pulling his ripcord, causing him to spring back to life. Katana Man says he will split Denji in two this time, with the teenage girl warning not to damage the heart. Denji, meanwhile, says he doesn’t know what’s happening but is certain that the two are bad guys, which he loves since he can kill them and no one will object.

After Katana Man goads him back, their fight begins with Denji rushing him as Chainsaw Man episode 9 heads into its opening theme and visual sequence. Upon returning, fans see that one of the teenage girl’s fingernails has been seemingly removed, while she radios into another team and introduces herself as Sawatari.

Sawatari then confirms they’ve engaged Chainsaw, and she requests backup. Meanwhile, Denji and Katana Man are duking it out, with neither seemingly able to get the upper hand. Shortly thereafter, some of the Katana Man’s cronies show up, shooting Denji with their pistols. Katana Man tells them to aim for his arms and heart, but Denji is able to subdue them before they do so.

Katana Man then rushes Denji again, managing to cut Denji when he isn't looking. One of the cronies on the ground begins shooting at Denji, with Denji then taking him hostage and taunting Katana Man. However, Chainsaw Man episode 9 sees Katana Man enter his crouched stance, where he then reappears behind Denji after having sliced both Denji and his goon in half at the waist.

Katana Man then picks up Denji’s torso by the chainsaw handle in his head, telling one of his goons to get the car. He then tells Sawatari to hurry up before saying that all of Denji’s associates should be dead. His Katana Man transformation then melts off, as he comments on how Devil Hunters are still human, and that they can’t win against guns.

Chainsaw Man episode 9 then shows the corpses or remains of all the Tokyo Special Division 4 members attacked, except Kobeni Higashiyama. The sequence ends on the shinkansen Makima was riding on, showing her attackers planning to move through the other cars and blend in as civilians. However, Makima shockingly stands up behind one of them, seemingly alive despite her wounds.

As one of the attackers draws their guns, Chainsaw Man episode 9 cuts to black, before reappearing at the Kyoto train station, where a man and woman Devil Hunter pair are waiting. The woman is approached by someone who calls her Tendo and informs her about Special Divisions 1 through 4 coming under assault in Tokyo.

The man questions if Makima is dead, while Tendo says they’ve been wasting their time. The train then arrives before them, with people sprinting off as sirens blare. Chainsaw Man episode 9 then sees Makima step off of the train alive and well, saying hello to Kurose (the man Devil Hunter) and Tendo.

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Chainsaw Man Episode 9: Makima’s contracts…?

The two ask Makima if she was shot after she tells them to move the bodies from the shooting. She says that she wasn’t hit and that the blood on her isn’t her own. Chainsaw Man episode 9 then shows the interior of the train, where Makima’s shooters are seen dead in a pool of blood with dinner-plate-sized holes in their chests.

Kurose and Tendo inform Makima that they’re still confirming casualties, with Kurose asking if they should head to Tokyo as backup. Makima says they won’t make it in time, and deduces that the enemy is probably after Denji. She says she will do what she can from Kyoto, telling Kurose to borrow 30 convicts with life sentences or worse from the Ministry of Justice and Tendo to find the nearest temple at the highest altitude.

She also asks for a clean pair of clothes here, as the episode cuts to an anime-original sequence showing the convicts in transportation. They are seen eating various processed snack foods and questioning where they’re going before being told to be quiet by the policeman driving them.

Chainsaw Man episode 9 then sees Makima changing her clothes at the shrine and preparing to “do what she can from Kyoto” as the prisoners arrive. Meanwhile, Denji is being hauled into the van by the survivors of Katana Man’s assault team. Katana Man tells Sawatari that he will be out of action for a while, which she acknowledges but doesn’t say anything about.

Suddenly, a crow is heard as one of the cronies goes to lift Denji, seemingly sending him into a panic as he says something is weird. His skull is then seen being crushed before his entire body is squished into nothing but blood on the floor. Sawatari then contacts Team E to have Team C reconfirm Makima’s death, but as the lone man in Team E tells Sawatari they haven’t heard from Team C, the same thing happens to him.

Sawatari curses Makima as the scene transitions to Kyoto, where Makima has her elbows fully out to her sides and is placing her hands on top of the other. Eerie music plays as the prisoners, Kurose, and Tendo are blindfolded.

Tendo explains that Makima reports directly to the Chief Cabinet Secretary and that low-level Devil Hunters don’t have the clearance to know about her contracts. Makima then kneels in front of one of the prisoners, asking them to say the name Shuzo Mishima, which they do. She then stands up and places her palms on top of one another again, twisting her hands as she does so.

This is interspersed with shots of the scene around Denji’s body in Tokyo, where the man known as Shuzu Mishima dies in a similar manner to those above. Makima moves on to the next prisoner, having him say Takashi Inoue, with the same thing happening to yet another of Katana Man’s cronies.

This continues in a similar fashion with the rest of the goons as shots of Makima are interspersed, with one of them taking a woman hostage. However, Makima’s ability is shown to affect only the person whom she targeted, with the hostage walking away unharmed. Chainsaw Man episode 9 then sees Sawatari and Katana Man in disbelief that Makima is still alive.

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Chainsaw Man episode 9: The assault’s fallout and information withheld

Meanwhile, Chainsaw Man episode 9 shows that all of the prisoners have died, as Makima tells Tendo and Kurose to remove their blindfolds. The two are shown to be in disbelief about what just happened, as she looks back and happily tells them that this is all she can do from Kyoto and that she needs to get back to Tokyo.

Chainsaw Man episode 9 then returns to Tokyo, where Sawatari says they should escape while they still have the opportunity. However, Kobeni Higashiyama then appears with a knife and walkie-talkie in hand. A flashback is then shown of Arai getting shot through the neck, before stepping between Kobeni and the shooter and saving her.

Kobeni is in total shock at this development, while in the present, she asks Sawatari and Katana Man if they’re with the shooters. Sawatari then calls the Snake Devil, showing that her price for using it is one of her fingernails each time. However, Kobeni perfectly dodges the Snake Devil’s attack, running along its body and rushing Katana Man, chopping his arm off in the process.

She then catches his gun which flew from his severed arm, shooting him twice in the back while Sawatari returns fire. Kobeni then grabs Denji and uses him as a shield, prompting Sawatari to rush Katana Man into the van and drive off. Kobeni, meanwhile, continues shooting in an effort to kill Sawatari, but is unsuccessful in doing so.

With no ammo left, she watches as the two get away before Chainsaw Man episode 9 sees her apologize for trying to kill Denji the other day. She then begins laughing, seemingly at herself as she questions who would apologize for attempted murder. As she does this, shots of Arai’s body falling to the ground play, with her then rushing the shooter and having him shoot himself.

Present Kobeni then begins to cry before she says it’s her fault Arai is dead because he protected her. She says she can’t continue to be a Devil Hunter, sadly saying that she will tell Himeno she’s quitting the next time she sees her.

Chainsaw Man episode 9 then cuts to somewhere in Tokyo, where Makima, Tendo, and Kurose have been approached in the street by the Division 4 Devil Hunter with glasses. Makima calls him Madoka and asks him who survived, to which he says most in Divisions 1-4 aside from the non-humans are dead.

Makima deduces that the Gun Devil is involved, while Madoka shares the message that Divisions 1-3 are merging in with 4, and Makima is in command of the new group. She has no reaction to this, while Tendo and Kurose are shocked, prompting Madoka to hand her his letter of resignation. He says he feels as though his choice is to quit or be killed, as the two stare at each other.

Makima then begins to walk away, before Madoka says he’s curious about how much of what happened today Makima had anticipated. She responds that she can’t share Public Safety intel with civilians, thanking him for his service as she departs.

Tendo and Kurose follow her, reminding her that they’re not joining Division 4, but are just here to help train the members. They say that in a week, they will be going back to Kyoto, which Makima calls a shame since “the dining in Tokyo is to die for.” Chainsaw Man episode 9 then plays its ending theme and visual sequence after this dark, grim line by Makima.

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Chainsaw Man episode 9: In summation

Like almost every episode since the Eternity Devil arc began, Chainsaw Man episode 9 marks a new high for the series in every aspect, including from an adaptation standpoint. Fans also see the series’ story continue to twist and turn, with Makima’s lying to Tendo and Kurose alarming viewers as they watch this ominous sequence unfold.

Chainsaw Man episode 9 also sees Kobeni Higashiyama win over many fans, with those who previously disliked her viewing her actions in this episode as a sort of redemption. Ironically, fans also see Power run away in this episode, leaving Denji and Aki to die, showing both their true sides in one episode.

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Be sure to keep up with all Chainsaw Man anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.