Why did the War Devil kiss Denji in Chainsaw Man? Yoru's actions, explained

Modified Sep 12, 2024 07:38 GMT

Why did the War Devil kiss Denji in Chainsaw Man? Yoru's actions, explained (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Recent months of the Chainsaw Man manga’s serialization has been some of the most unpredictable and shocking among all contemporary shonen series. One of the most shocking events was War Devil Yoru and Denji sharing an extremely intimate and private moment with each other in chapters 167 and 168.

In the process of this moment, Denji and Yoru shared several passionate kisses, with the latter initiating this. Likewise, this isn’t the first time the pair have kissed, with their first coming in chapter 119. As a result, many fans are now asking “Why did the War Devil kiss Denji in Chainsaw Man” in reference to both of these larger instances of the pair smooching.

Yoru’s purpose for kissing Denji, explained

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In both instances, the answer to “Why did the War Devil kiss Denji” was to further her goal in fighting Chainsaw Man, either by turning him into a weapon or getting him into a fighting mood. As Yoru reaffirms in chapter 168, she does not feel any affection or love for Denji, even if Asa Mitaka does. This also serves as another example of Yoru using others to achieve her goals by any means necessary.

The first time Yoru kissed Denji in chapter 119, Denji was on a date with Asa Mitaka, which eventually led the pair back to his and Control Devil Nayuta’s house. The purpose of the date was to make Denji fall for Asa, thus turning him into “theirs” and allowing the pair to transform him into a weapon. Yoru specifically wanted this weapon to fight the titular hero with, not realizing he was Denji all along.

The second time Denji and Yoru kiss begins in chapter 167, where she’s using threats on certain body parts of Denji’s to force him to fight her. This is after she discovers his true identity as Chainsaw Man following her rescue of him from the Tokyo Devil Detention Center. As she continues threatening him, the two eventually begin tussling with each other, not necessarily fighting but clearly at odds with one another.

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This eventually gives Yoru a brief, momentary flashback to when she and Denji first kissed. This memory was locked away by Control Devil Nayuta shortly after the deed was done but was brought up to the surface in the moment of their scuffling and getting close to one another. She then says that they’ve kissed before giving Denji a quick peck and going back in for more after. She claims in the aftermath that she only kissed him because it felt good.

However, it’s more likely than not that she felt this was a means of possibly getting him in the mood to fight. This is supported by her words to Denji as she leaves, which see her tell him to perk up and prepare to fight. Combined with the fact that she went into the alley with Denji initially to motivate him into fighting, this almost certainly played a role in her decision to kiss him.

Yoru and Denji’s relationship in Chainsaw Man

War Devil Yoru and Denji aren't particularly close in Chainsaw Man (Image via Shueisha)

As mentioned above, Yoru emphasizes to Denji during chapter 168 that she does not like him, and that Asa’s feelings simply flowed into her. This is further supported by her actions after he transforms into Pochita’s Hero of Hell form, which see Yoru begin fighting him mercilessly without a second thought.

This is also consistent with Yoru’s previous thoughts on and plans for Denji, for which she has always only seen him as a means to an end for both her and Asa. The two also have very little interaction with each other outside of the aforementioned issues, further confirming that the answer to the question of “Why did the War Devil kiss Denji” is not a romantic one.