Yoshida's disappearance in Chainsaw Man may speak of his true identity

Modified Dec 26, 2024 20:30 GMT

Chainsaw Man is filled with mysterious characters, each of them having unknown motives that the fans have no idea about. One such character is Hirofumi Yoshida who disappeared in chapter 174 after the Chainsaw Devil ate the Octopus Devil. Yoshida had a contract with this devil, so could he be dead after this incident or could there be more to his disappearance?

Debuting in Part 1, Yoshida has been a mysterious character given how the author has only released a little information regarding him. Moreover, he is also the only person who stood his ground against Quanxi during the International Assasin arc. So, his being a human doesn't make any sense, meaning that he might be the Octopus Devil himself.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Chainsaw Man manga series and has the author's opinion.

Chainsaw Man: Exploring the reason behind Yoshida's disappearance

Yoshida and the Octopus Devil as seen in the manga (Image via Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha)

Hirofumi Yoshida is a former private devil hunter appointed by Makima to keep an eye on Denji during the International Assasins arc in Chainsaw Man Part 1. Since his first appearance, the character has been an underdog. From secretly assassinating Joey to fighting and standing his ground against Quanxi, Yoshida's abilities are that of a high-class devil hunter like Kishibe.

While he is smart on his own, his powers come from the Octopus Devil, with whom Yoshida previously shared a contract. Interestingly, the terms of this contract are yet to be revealed with fans considering it to be similar to the one between Aki and the Future Devil (where the devil doesn't take a body part in exchange for its services).

The Chainsaw Devil eating devils (Image via Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha)

However, the mystery around Yoshida thickened in Chainsaw Man chapter 174. While Fumiko Mifune talked to Japanese executives about the sacrifice of children for the eradication of the Aging Devil, Denji wreaked havoc on the main battlefield. During this battle, Denji (in his Chainsaw Devil form) ate the Snow, Mouth, Bitterness, and 'Octopus' devils.

After this incident, Yoshida also disappeared from the front lines, leaving a question mark about what he could be in reality. The answer might be simpler than the fans think and all hints deduce that Yoshida might be the Octopus Devil himself (similar to how fans thought Makima had a contract with the Control Devil in the start but she was the real deal in reality).

This makes sense given how the character is a proficient fighter and tactician. Moreover, Yoshida's playful nature also ties him to an octopus, hinting that he might be currently in the Chainsaw Devil's stomach. Denji might vomit him in the future too (just like he did with the Snow Devil) and his reveal as the Octopus Devil might see Yoshida revealing more about his true ambitions.

Analysis and final thoughts

Yoshida as seen in the manga (Image via Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha)

There are numerous other takes fans could take in Yoshida's case. He might have died similar to Himeno by sacrificing his entire body to the Octopus Devil to win against the Chainsaw Devil. However, given his major role in Chainsaw Man Part 2, it wouldn't make sense for Fujimoto to get rid of such an important piece in a hurried way.

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Edited by Tiasha