Aki: Why does Aki hate the Gun Devil in Chainsaw Man? Explained

Why does Aki hate the Gun Devil in Chainsaw Man? Explained

Modified Oct 12, 2024 07:00 GMT

Aki Hayakawa in Chainsaw Man (Image via MAPPA)

Chainsaw Man's Gun Devil serves as the overarching antagonist of the series. While never really revealed in the manga, the character has garnered a lot of hate in the series following its attack on November 18. The Devil hit Japan for 26 seconds and its rampage killed about 57,912 people. One of the afflicted was the much-loved deuteragonist, Aki Hayakawa.

Aki's family and childhood home fell prey to the Gun Devil's attack, which awakened a deep hatred and intent within him to kill it. Thus, Aki joined Public Safety as a Devil Hunter and made it his goal to hunt and kill this monster. He was assigned to partner Himeno and was later tasked with the care of Denji and Power.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Chainsaw Man series and reflects the author's opinions.

Aki's origins in Chainsaw Man

As aforementioned, Aki Hayakawa was one of the countless victims of the Gun Devil's rampage in Japan. In the brief 26 seconds that the Devil bulldozed through the country, it caused frightening damage and took the lives of over 50,000 people. Among those declared dead were Aki's family members.

This awakened a loathing for the Gun Devil within him and prompted him to join Public Safety in a bid to kill it. So, a couple of years later, he enlisted as a Devil Hunter, was paired up with Himeno, and began reporting to Makima. His intense hate and drive to take down the Gun Devil kept him going, despite the extreme danger of it all.

He would willingly take on any job that was linked to the Gun Devil. From what was shown in the manga, it was mainly about locating and securing pieces of the Gun Devil's flesh across Japan.

Aki's pursuit of the Gun Devil and his ultimate fate

Denji, Aki, and Power in Chainsaw Man (Image via MAPPA)

Till Denji and Power entered Aki's life, the latter's only focus was the extermination of the Gun Devil. However, being tasked with the two's care was likely one of the best things that happened to Aki.

Despite the repeated bickering and harmless fights among the trio, it didn't take them long to develop a close relationship with each other. Moreover, Aki felt the need to protect and nurture his newfound family more than ever. His pursuit of the Gun Devil began to cool down as he focused on Denji and Power.

However, due to a previous contract with Makima, he ends up becoming the Gun Fiend when the Gun Devil kills him and possesses his corpse. Aki then ambushes Denji and the pair battle it out. During this, Aki visualizes the fight as the duo throwing snowballs at each other. He soon sees Denji crying, thus giving up and really dying, before reuniting with his brother in the afterlife.

It is not only Aki's death that is tragic but the manner in which the entire scenario transpires. Makima's betrayal and getting possessed by the Gun Devil, who crushed Aki's family, makes matters worse. Moreover, his battle with Denji and its utter destructiveness adds to the tragedy of his passing.

Final thoughts

Somewhere along the line, Aki's focus shifted from killing the Gun Devil to protecting his new family. Initially, he was powerless to stop the Devil's rampage, but later, given his credentials, he was quite capable. This is also likely why he refused to go on a mission when asked to by Makima, but later took it up when Denji and Power joined him.

The portrayal of his death is quite distressing. In Gun Fiend form, he indiscriminately fired, killing innocent bystanders - something Aki would have hated. Moreover, likening the encounter to a snowball fight was genius yet dark on Fujimoto's part. The contrast of the bright and snowy winter day against the grim and violent reality highlights the anguish of Aki's painful childhood and crushing death.

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Edited by Janhavi Chauhan