Chainsaw Man's Fire Devil may be more powerful than fans currently believe

Modified Dec 29, 2024 12:30 GMT

The primordial devils from the Chainsaw Man series have cemented themselves as some of the most powerful entities ever introduced in the series. While the current four primal devils have been revealed, the Fire devil might also be one of the oldest or a former primal devil that has fallen from grace over time.

The actual mechanism behind devil rankings has remained ambiguous since the series' debut. But the information citing fear as the primary cause behind a devil's powers implies the possibility of a devil ascending and descending through the ranks, such as the fire devil.

The fire devil embodies the concept of fire and fear towards it, given that fire was one of mankings oldest and most feared discoveries, it is possible that this devil once inhabited the upper echelons of the devil heirarchy.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Chainsaw Man series.

Chainsaw Man: The Fire Devil might be on par with the primordial devils

The Aging Devil, one of the primal devils as shown in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

The Fire Devil has been one of the few devils to act as a major antagonist in the series, serving as a key figure in the plot orchestrated by the Chainsaw Man church. While the Fire Devil does not have a revealed form, its name makes its affiliation clear.

Given that devils functionally embody the concept from their names and the fear associated with that concept, the Fire Devil is one of the oldest devils in existence. Fire was one of the earliest discoveries and one of the most feared destructive forces in human history.

While this fact does not necessarily support the hypothesis of the Fire Devil being a primal fear, it places the devil in a position rivaling the primal fears. The current primal fears are darkness, aging, falling, and death. All of these concepts preceded the discovery and widespread use of fire. However, fire's sheer destructive force should have made it akin to a primal fear in its earliest days.

Makima, one of the highest devils in devil hierarchy (Image via MAPPA)

Although this hypothesis aligns with every known law about devil hierarchy and powers, it suggests that the current Fire Devil must be a severely degenerated and underpowered version of its former self.

While fire was one of humanity's greatest fears in primitive times, history has seen it contained, with humanity becoming overtly familiar with fire. The destructive force of fire and its concept has consequently distributed into bombs, nuclear weapons, and the fear of explosives, diminishing the fear that fire once commanded.

Chainsaw Man as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Fire also served as a cornerstone of human development, becoming one of the earliest forms of energy that allowed humanity to break away from natural forces. This phenomenon within the Chainsaw Man narrative could have marked the Fire Devil's origin, making it one of the earliest devils to interact with humanity. Its presence might have aided human development and, as a result, cultivated more fear from humans.

Over time, as humanity learned to contain fire, the fear associated with it diminished. This decline directly translated to the Fire Devil's fall in the demon hierarchy and marks a form of starvation for the devil. This starvation could explain why it is under Fami's control.

Final thoughts

Chainsaw Man chapter 188 will be released on December 31, 2024, and will be available for reading on Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform. Chapter 187's first panel was already revealed during Jump Festa 2025. It depicted an entire foot being regurgitated by Denji.

The actual identity of the foot isn't known yet, but many fans have theorized that it might belong to Yoshida, especially given his eerie disappearance over the last few chapters.

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Edited by Ivanna Lalsangzuali