Famine Devil Fami's weakness in Chainsaw Man may have an obvious explanation

With the buzz around Chainsaw Man's Death Devil and her surprise reveal, attention hasn't really died around the real Famine Devil. Before the big unveil, Death was posing as her sister and pulling the strings from behind the curtains. But when the record was set straight, along with Death's powers coming to light, the real Fami's abilities were also showcased.

In essence, she can absorb/sap the life force of living beings to revive herself. So in other words, she cannot be killed (at least that is the conclusion for the time being). From the looks of it, that does seem like quite a powerful ability to have in one's toolkit. But strengths aside, the Famine Devil's weakness also seems obvious, which could or couldn't play against her in the near future.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Chainsaw Man: Fami's Achilles heel could be clear-cut

Chainsaw Man chose to reveal the Death Devil and the Famine Devil simultaneously. The former was posing as Fami while the real Famine Devil was the final Horseman to arrive on Earth. Again, the pair's powers were also glimpsed, as per recent events. Death could control entities through consumption while Fami sapped the life force of living beings to heal/revive herself.

Fami's weakness can be paralleled to Nayuta. The latter was the reincarnation of the Control Devil, who came into existence after Makima's death. Now it is an established fact that the little girl isn't nearly as strong as her former reincarnation. But she does know of her Horseman heritage, through Denji's memories. So all in all, Nayuta is weaker in comparison due to inexperience.

On the flip side, one who doesn't seem to have reincarnated yet is the War Devil Yoru. She is weaker now simply because Chainsaw Man consumed a part of her and wiped out a major part of the concept of War. The only wars seemingly happening in the series are street brawls and Hunters vs Devils. Now tying in everything, Fami embodies the fear of Famine, which is what makes her strong.

Fami (Image via Viz Media)

Famine can be looked at as physical and metaphorical - in a physical sense, one does not wish to starve. The need to satisfy oneself through consuming food is a basic necessity and the fear of this not happening is quite real, an ingrained fear. Metaphorically, many things have a core in "hunger," i.e., the fear of things falling apart or a fall from fame stems and leads to a hunger of not having that thing.

Unless there is a Devil that specifically embodies this, Fami would be the one being powered by these fears. Hence, she would be possessing quite an impressive level of power, when these concepts are introduced into the equation. But at the same time, she is also very vulnerable. As seen in Chainsaw Man, she seems to resort on fist-to-fist combat, against Fakesaw Man and Death.

Given her ability to absorb life force, if used strategically, she can be extremely fearsome even now. If she is able to play her cards right and close the distance between her and her opponent, she stands a high chance of victory, considering it only took mere ants to fully revive her. But then again, her apparent habit of insisting on hand-to-hand battle may be problematic in the future.

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Final Thoughts

Death Devil (Image via Viz Media)

To conclude, Chainsaw Man's Famine Devil Fami emerges as a complex and paradoxical force. Her ability to absorb/sap life force seemingly renders her unkillable and establishes her as a force to be reckoned with. However, her vulnerability lies in her combat style and strategic choices. Despite wielding the terrifying essence of famine, physically and metaphorically, Fami’s apparent reliance on close-quarters combat could put her in danger.

This would especially be true against opponents who are tactically inclined. Fami healing herself from a couple of ants testifies her resilience, yet her predictability in battle may fuel her downfall. As each chapter drops, time will dictate if Fami grows past this vulnerability or falls victim to it. But for the time being, she is yet a Horseman, a terrifyingly powerful entity albeit with an Achilles heel.

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