Kobeni: Did Kobeni quit Public Safety in Chainsaw Man? Explained

Did Kobeni quit Public Safety in Chainsaw Man? Explained

Modified Jun 19, 2024 10:04 GMT

Chainsaw Man's Kobeni Higashiyama proved to be quite a popular character despite her supporting role. Since her introduction, she has managed to rake in admirers with her timid and anxious appearance yet deadly-when-needed demeanour.

She is one of Public Safety's Devil Hunters and a member of Makima's special squad. Being a Devil Hunter, she has experienced her fair share of terrifying encounters one in particular which made her outright quit Public Safety altogether.

Here's what made Kobeni quit and also if she'll make another appearance in the series.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Chainsaw Man anime.

Who is Kobeni in Chainsaw Man?

Kobeni Higashiyama is a supporting character in Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man. She is a former Public Safety Devil Hunter, starting as a recruit working under Makima's Special Squad. She is quite faint-hearted and easily cracks under pressure, breaking into tears.

Her sense of fear causes her to take drastic action in order to save herself, like attempting to turn on Denji while trapped in the hotel. However, when Kobeni gets into action, she has proven to be cool-headed and efficient, ruthlessly dealing with both the Katana Man and Akane Sawatari, forcing them to turn tail and retreat.

Later, Kobeni reveals that she became a Devil Hunter partially because she was compelled by her parents. They wanted her to work to support her brother's college expenses. She was given the ultimatum of either becoming a sex worker or a Devil Hunter. Thus, she opted for the latter option and joined Public Safety.

Why Kobeni quit Public Safety

To put it simply, Kobeni quit Public Safety following the incident that took place in Hell. For context, this happened during the International Assassins Arc. It lasts between chapters 53-70 in the manga, where powerful assassins from all over the globe arrive in Japan to hunt Denji and claim his Chainsaw Man heart.

During the arc, Kobeni was accompanied by the Violence Fiend. Alongside Kishibe, they run to rescue Denji as he is attacked by Santa Claus' puppets. As the fight progresses, Santa Claus calls upon the Hell Devil and sends everyone present to Hell. The Darkness Devil appears and ravages the hunter group.

Kobeni has her arms cut off like everyone else, sending her straight into panic. With the Darkness Devil running rampant, at his request, Kobeni takes off the Violence Fiend's mask and hides. Later, Aki informs Denji that Kobeni was fine and has handed in her resignation from Public Safety following this horrific slaughter.

Will Kobeni return to the series? Explored

Kobeni Higashiyama will return to the series but after the Gun Devil Arc, which is between the International Assassins Arc and the Control Devil Arc. Following her quitting Public Safety, she finds employment at the restaurant Family Burger. Unfortunately for her, her encounters with Devils haven't ended yet.

She accidentally summons Chainsaw Man by calling out his name for help when another employee abuses her. Lots of clumsiness and four deaths later, the former takes Kobeni with him to get an ice cream before playing a game of Dance Dance Mushroom. Makima interferes and attempts to best the devil with Kobeni.

She ends up in an underground safehouse with Denji and Kishibe. Having witnessed Makima's attack, Kishibe warns her that she'll be unable to contact her parents ever again, at which she expresses some happiness. Denji and Kobeni then have a heart-to-heart over the similarity of their situations - no control over their lives and being compelled by circumstances to do a dangerous job.