Chainsaw Man: Nayuta's death would be the worst thing for Denji's character development and Fujimoto knows it

With the release of Chainsaw Man's latest issue, fans saw Denji fully awaken and grasp his surroundings and the situation he created for himself and Nayuta following his last transformation. Likewise, the issue opens up with Denji asking the others where Nayuta is, clearly concerned for her safety, given the context of their previous parting.

However, Chainsaw Man’s latest release quickly makes it clear that neither Denji nor Asa Mitaka and co have any leads on the current Control Devil’s whereabouts as of chapter 164. The group even returns to Denji’s former home, where the pair last saw each other, finding no sign of Nayuta whatsoever.

While chapter 164 does suggest that something has happened to Nayuta, it is important to note that this is not fully confirmed in any way, shape, or form by Chainsaw Man’s latest release. This is likely due to author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto being fully aware of the implications of possibly killing Nayuta, and that doing so at this time would be the worst thing for Denji’s character development.

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Chapter 164 confirms that Denji’s main motivation in Chainsaw Man is Nayuta, not being series' titular hero

From the opening moments of chapter 164, Fujimoto makes it very clear that Denji’s current focus and priority is finding Nayuta and confirming her safety rather than becoming Chainsaw Man again. Both his actions and dialogue throughout the issue confirm this, with Denji even going as far as to acknowledge that only bad things await him when he becomes the titular hero.

In other words, Nayuta is still Denji’s motivation for learning to be okay with a normal life without his powers and also becoming a better and more reliable person and caretaker for her in the process. This was seen throughout the first half of part 2, with Denji only abandoning this mindset once mentally cornered by the loss of his home and family, which symbolized this new life for him and Nayuta. Essentially, he felt he had to fight his way out of this harsh reality.

However, everything fans have seen from Denji since choosing to fight as Chainsaw Man against Barem Bridge and co has shown that he immediately and deeply regrets this decision. This is portrayed via his initial awakening in the Tokyo Devil Detention Center, the subsequent discussion with Hirofumi Yoshida, and his latest conversations in chapter 164.

All of this culminates in an emphasis that Nayuta is still what motivates him, and this is showcased via his concern for her currently coming above everything else in his life. Likewise, killing Nayuta at this time would completely eliminate his motivation for growth and development, likely stagnating him as a character until the end of part 2 at the absolute earliest.

Were the series a battle shonen manga, this would be a likely scenario considering the typical tropes of the battle genre and the shonen demographic. However, Fujimoto’s flagship manga is in reality a character-driven narrative in the guise of a battle shonen. This rings especially true for part 2, which some hardcore fans of part 1 dropped due to feeling it moved too slowly and featured very little action compared to the first part.

With all of this in mind, Fujimoto is surely aware that killing Nayuta would be the worst possible choice for Denji as a character, considering how much it would stagnate him. Following Nayuta’s death, Denji would essentially face the cookie-cutter “shonen protagonist out for vengeance” trope that other series have popularized.

Not only would this not fit in with Fujimoto’s modus operandi, but it would also be incredibly jarring to readers, given the series’ structure so far.

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Related links:

Chainsaw Man chapter 164 highlights

Chainsaw Man chapter 163 highlights

Chainsaw Man chapter 162 highlights