Chainsaw Man's paradise escapee likely isn't Quanxi or Yoshida

One of the many aspects that makes author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man manga series unique is its general aversion to giving readers specific dates. Generally speaking, when dates or references for time passing are given, they tend to be incredibly important and significant to the series’ plot. The Gun Devil’s attack on Makima and Nostradamus’ prophecy each serve as key examples.

Likewise, the Chainsaw Man fandom began buzzing with curiosity in the wake of chapter 180, which saw a Devil Hunter in Aging Devil’s world say he’d been there for 82 years. The Devil Hunter also revealed in chapter 180 that only one person had escaped Aging’s world, sharing this in the same conversation where the above length of time is mentioned.

In the immediate aftermath of Chainsaw Man chapter 180’s release, fans immediately suspected either Quanxi or Hirofumi Yoshida to be this alleged escapee. However, given the suspicious mention of 82 years, which is generally uncharacteristic of Fujimoto’s narrative style, another candidate for this title has emerged.

The Aging Devil’s world’s escapee may be Chainsaw Man’s Whip Hybrid

Expand Tweet

Prior to chapter 180, the last time Chainsaw Man fans saw a timeframe of 82 years mentioned was via the Whip Hybrid. In chapter 143, the Whip Hybrid says that she’ll be turning 82 in the year 1999, which is when chapter 143’s events and those thereafter are set. This would suggest that the Whip Hybrid was born in 1917, during the tail end of World War I.

Yet despite this, the Whip Hybrid’s appearance doesn’t match her age at all. Miri Sugo comments on this, to which the Whip Hybrid answers that she’s “eternally young” and will “never die.” She adds that she believes she was “chosen by god” and is a “superior human specimen.” Coincidentally, the Aging Devil’s world also offers eternal youth and functional immortality based on what fans currently know.

As she speaks of her youth, Chainsaw Man chapter 143 focuses on two boys playing together rather than her. Also coincidental is that Hybrids are born from two parties; one is a human who provides the host body, while the other is a corresponding Devil who contracts the human as their host in exchange for access to their powers. At least, this is what fans know of Hybrid births and contracts as of this article’s writing.

Fans may be wrong about the Bow Hybrid Quanxi being who escaped Aging's world (Image via Shueisha)

Playing a key part in this theory also is the fact that the Chainsaw Man Church is heavily influenced by Christianity. Also seemingly influenced by Christianity is the Aging Devil’s world, which the fandom agrees to be a take on the Garden of Eden. This adds new context to the Whip Hybrid’s claim that she was “chosen by god,” suggesting that whatever brought her and the Whip Devil together is her god in a literal, religious sense.

All of this comes together to suggest that the Whip Hybrid may have been the one to escape the Aging Devil’s world. After arriving at the Aging Devil’s world (likely via similar means to chapter 180’s Devil Hunter), she likely made contact with a Devil somehow. Whether this was Aging or someone else, that Devil likely facilitated her contract with the Whip Devil, allowing her to become the Whip Hybrid.

Expand Tweet

This would explain why the Whip Hybrid believes herself to be chosen by god. In her eyes, a god, her god, truly did come down and choose her to save from the Aging Devil’s world. This was likely done in a way that circumvents the escape route revealed in chapter 181. This would also suggest that her “god” is another Primal Fear Devil, explaining how it was able to circumvent the rules of Aging’s world to save her.

This would also explain why the Whip Hybrid says she’s 82 years old despite needing to be older for this theory to work. She considers herself 82 years old as this being chosen by god, not as the human she once was. This is further supported by the fact that the Devil Hunter’s comments on the alleged escapee suggest it happened before his arrival. It’s likely that just before he arrived, she escaped, which is why he heard of it.

Final thoughts

While Yoshida could be the escapee, he's far from the only possibility (Image via Shueisha)

While this theory is speculative, the above certainly highlights the evidence for such a theory being true. Narrative significance to such a reveal also further supports the idea, with Flamethrower Hybrid Barem Bridge showing similar levels of religious zeal for his own actions and being and the Chainsaw Man Church. Hopefully, fans will get an answer as to who exactly this escapee is soon after the manga’s return on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.