Key to defeating the Death Devil may lie in one of Chainsaw Man's core themes

Modified Feb 24, 2025 04:30 GMT

One of the series' core themes could be the answer to overcoming Death (Image via MAPPA)

Chainsaw Man's looming threat of the Death Devil's arrival draws ever closer. With a major saga recently wrapped up, it seems Death could be there soon. The only obstacle now is for Denji to decide what he must do, considering that Yoru has placed a Makima-esque offer before him, the exchange involving the defeat of Death.

However, whether this will ultimately happen remains to be seen. Aside from Yoru turning Denji into a weapon, a recent theory puts forth that the key to defeating Lady Death lies in one of Chainsaw Man's core themes. It speculates that the very thing that mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto has emphasized throughout the series may be what ultimately proves to be the winning card.

Disclaimer: This article is speculative in nature and reflects the author's opinions.

Chainsaw Man: One of the series' core themes could be the answer to overcoming Death

Delving straight in, a recent theory has been doing rounds in Chainsaw Man comes with an intriguing speculation. It theorizes that one of the series' core themes - "What is the meaning of Life?" which is answered with "To pursue one's dreams" - might be the key to besting the Death Devil. It may be a method Fujimoto always intended Denji to resort to in the end.

The theory refers back to chapter 1, where despite his terrible way of life, Denji kept surviving. What fueled him was the drive or dream rather, of one day living a regular life with his basic needs fulfilled. Then, later on (chapter 134), when he finds himself disallowed from pursuing his dream of being Chainsaw Man, he feels depressed and deeply unhappy, even though he has a regular life.

So this implies that without the ability to pursue his dreams, Denji becomes unhappy enough that he feels dead on the inside. Thus when Death arrives, the theory speculates that Denji will somehow give Death something to live for. Death, after all, is a "dreamless sleep". However, if the Devil were given something to strive for, there would be no reason to wipe Humanity and hence fulfill one of the story's main themes.

Giving Death something to live for would be ironic

The above-explored theory does seem plausible. After all, Chainsaw Man has mainly been about the pursuit of one's dreams/desires. Initially, Denji was living a pitiful existence, wishing for the simplest of things like jam on bread and a regular life. When he received that, his dreams evolved into something bigger (for his character), with being the popular Chainsaw Man one of them.

But then again, when he was unable to do so, he became sort of zombie-esque, not caring much. This is very much in line with what Fujimoto has emphasized through Denji, i.e., "the pursuit of dreams gives life meaning". According to this logic, with a little irony thrown in, maybe Death could in fact be persuaded to strive towards something and have meaning added to her life.

Moreover, nearly every point seems to label the Death Devil as an extremely negative influence. But what if Death turns out to be different? It could be that due to Humanity's sins and their treatment of Devils, Death feels the need to intervene. But if her view/opinion of Humanity is altered and somehow coexistence is achieved, the prophecy could be avoided. Finally, given Denji's ability to form uncanny bonds, he could be the one to show Death that there is meaning in life.

Final thoughts

The looming arrival of the Death Devil puts forth an existential challenge, but the theory above suggests that the answer might lie within one of the series' central themes - the pursuit of dreams. Throughout Denji's journey, Tatsuki Fujimoto has emphasized that life is given meaning with dreams, and without them, existence becomes empty. Denji's own struggles reinforce this idea, losing his aspiration and causing him to turn emotionally lifeless.

The theory speculating that Denji might ultimately defeat Death, not via violence, but by giving Death a reason to "live", i.e., a dream to pursue, is intriguing. This ironic twist aligns with Chainsaw Man’s exploration of human desires and their impact. Moreover, the possibility that Death is not inherently malevolent adds another layer of intrigue to the whole ordeal.

So, if Denji is able to form an uncanny bond with Death, coexistence may replace destruction, expectations subverted and the fate of humanity reshaped.

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Edited by Sreerupa Das