Pochita may not be the Chainsaw Devil, but Chainsaw Man fans are wrong about the Birth Devil theory

Chainsaw Man's Pochita continues to amaze and intrigue fans to this day, even with 194 chapters of the story complete. Touted as the Hero of Hell, many feel that isn't his true identity despite his appearance and being called the Chainsaw Man. True enough, creator Tatsuki Fujimoto hasn't ever directly addressed this topic and allowed fans to formulate the most applicable theories.

Thus, there has been a ton of speculation on who or what Pochita truly is. One of the most common ones is that Pochita is the Birth Devil. However, a closer analysis of his character might reveal something else. A recent theory speculates that Pochita may not be the Chainsaw Man but isn't the Birth Devil. His abilities seem to be hinting at oblivion. Here's a closer look.

Disclaimer: This article is speculative in nature.

Chainsaw Man: Not the Birth Devil or Chainsaw Devil, Pochita may be something entirely

Delving right in, a recent theory speculating Pochita's true identity has been gaining traction. A bit of a detailed theory, this hypothesis states that Pochita is the Oblivion Devil. To begin with, it establishes that like other Devils (like Bat or Eternity), Pochita's powers don't correlate to the fear he embodies. His special ability lies in Erasure, concepts, and fears that Makima mentioned which left Kishibe scratching his head.

Moreover, the feats attributed to Pochita, place him leagues above other Devils. Fighting and defeating the Four Horsemen previously speaks volumes of his power. This is due to them being heavily feared given their nature. In addition, a fear born of human creation shouldn't be able to contend with and defeat concepts like War, Famine, etc. This is another point that pushes the case that Pochita isn't who he claims to be.

As such, Pochita could be the Destruction/Oblivion Devil. This would align with his Erasure ability, which completely wipes something out as if it never existed. Again, it would be symbolic as well, given that chainsaws are used for cutting trees, i.e., destruction. Now this supports the argument that Pochita's chainsaws aren't necessarily indicative of being the Chainsaw Devil, but something else that causes destruction which took the chainsaw form.

Moving on, such would also align with religious interpretation, i.e., the Four Horsemen showing up a little differently with religion. As per the Bible, the Book of Revelations places them as they are - War, Hunger, Control, and Death. But it also speaks of a demon, the King of the Abyss. This could line up with Pochita's Hero of Hell title and furthermore, Abaddon (Hebrew) or Apolloyon (Greek) means destruction, thereby pushing the Destruction/Oblivion Devil agenda.

Now, Abaddon has mostly been displayed as an agent of nature, destroying the natural cycle of things. But Chainsaw Man has already shown that not all Devils are evil; some might be inherently bad while most are simply following their instincts. Pochita's dream, in chapter 97, was to be hugged, which could have always been a dream given the fear he struck in others as well as others dying upon getting close to him.

Similar to this theory, there were other ones formulated that came close to being plausible. One of them terms Pochita as the Forgotten Devil, i.e., the fear of being forgotten, and would explain Pochita's desire for companionship and his Erasure. Alternatively, one theory sees Pochita as the Progress Devil. This originates from how chainsaws were/are immensely useful to humanity. They enabled progress in nearly all fields and could signify an "out the old, in with the new" idea (Erasure).

What Pochita really could be

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This Chainsaw Man theory finally takes a step ahead to put forth quite an intriguing viewpoint - Pochita might be the Dream Devil. It argues this point by putting forth the frequency of the word "dream" and its context. The earliest reference was when Denji was at death's door and Pochita contracted with him - Pochita would become the boy's heart in exchange for seeing more of Denji's dreams. This very idea is attractive.

Chainsaw Man has been constant in its emphasis on following/chasing one's dreams. As such, Pochita might be just that. In chapter 150, Pochita appeared before Denji, telling him that his initial dream was fulfilled and wanted to know what was next. The idea that Pochita could be the Dream Devil will redefine the use of the word and its context and keep Pochita's motivations flexible. Now the idea that dreams are expressed through chainsaws brings forth something fascinating.

Chainsaws were when humanity began to dominate nature - expand civilization, industrialize, etc. With chainsaws, humanity climbed above nature through ingenuity. Therefore, with life being about living and not survival, dreams could flourish. This is similar to Denji's life improving after meeting Pochita. Symbolically, Erasure could stand for dreams reshaping the world when put into practice, like how Chainsaw Man can wipe out a concept to start anew.

Final Thoughts

Fujimoto's genius and unpredictability make such theories possible for Chainsaw Man. With each passing chapter, readers are kept on their toes and do not fully know what to expect until the actual chapter drops. He has proven to be a master at teasing ideas, introducing new and intriguing concepts, and foreshadowing events that happen later on.

Even now, Chainsaw Man's Pochita remains a mysterious entity. There is good reason that he is so in demand, be it to be used as a tool or simply to put an end to him. But one thing is certain - Pochita isn't one to die easy and has been able to stand up to any and every threat he has faced. Whatever his actual identity may be, it could potentially quell the doubts about him thus far.

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Edited by Bharath S