Story overview — coverage is partial
Coverage is limited to the scope described in this write-up. Recording changes, further installments or an unwritten ending may remain outside it.
=== Setting ===
The series is set in the late 1990s, in an alternative timeline where the Soviet Union still exists. Devils (悪魔, Akuma) are born from the collective fears of humanity, and grow more powerful as those fears grow more common. Specialist operatives known as Devil Hunters (デビルハンター, Debiru Hantā) are tasked with eliminating them and can form contracts with them to gain their abilities in return. A Devil possessing a human body (usually deceased) is known as a Fiend (魔人, Majin), while certain individuals can become hybrids by merging with Devils. Devils can reincarnate, cycling between Hell and Earth; when killed on Earth, it reappears in Hell, and if killed in Hell, returns to Earth. A unique exception to this cycle is the Chainsaw Devil, whose consumption of another Devil has erased the concept that Devil represented both from existence and human memory. As a result, the Holocaust, AIDS, and nuclear weapons are forgotten.
Plot
Denji is a teenager living in poverty who works as a Devil Hunter to pay off his deceased father's debt to the yakuza. He is aided by Pochita, his canine companion and the Chainsaw Devil. After the yakuza betray and kill Denji in a deal with the Zombie Devil, Pochita merges with Denji, reviving him as a hybrid on the condition that he live a humble, ordinary life. By pulling a cord in his chest, Denji transforms into Chainsaw Man and kills the yakuza and the Zombie Devil.
Denji is subsequently recruited by the government-run Public Safety Division, a unit of professional Devil Hunters led by Makima, who assigns him to hunt the Gun Devil. Denji is partnered with Aki Hayakawa, an experienced Devil Hunter, and Power, a Fiend created from the Blood Devil. Makima is later revealed to be the Control Devil, whose true goal is to dominate Pochita, as his ability to consume Devils allows him to erase the fears and concepts they embody from existence. The Gun Devil is deployed by the United States to eliminate Makima, but she defeats it and forces it to possess Aki as the Gun Fiend; Denji is forced to kill him in self-defense. Makima also later kills Power in front of Denji, rendering him catatonic and forcing Pochita to take over his body. Denji eventually manages to kill Makima and, in the aftermath, is entrusted with the care of Nayuta, a young girl who is the reincarnation of the Control Devil.
Asa Mitaka, a socially withdrawn high school student, forms a contract with the War Devil, Yoru, after being killed by a classmate who made a contract with the Justice Devil. Now a Fiend with Yoru inhabiting her body, Asa seeks to break their pact, while Yoru secretly plans to revive the Nuclear Weapons Devil and seek revenge against Chainsaw Man for her near-destruction. Meanwhile, Denji balances his life as a student and as Chainsaw Man while caring for Nayuta. Fami, a girl claiming to be the Famine Devil, manipulates events to delay the Death Devil's arrival. After Barem Bridge—the second-in-command of the cult-like project Chainsaw Man Church, secretly controlled by Fami—destroys Denji's home and kills his pets, Nayuta seemingly sacrifices herself. Denji is imprisoned and harvested for parts before being rescued by Asa, Yoru, and Fami.
Empowered by humanity's growing fear of war, Yoru offers Denji a new deal: defeat the Death Devil and earn Asa's affection or be transformed. The pair clash with the Falling Devil, and Yoru defeats it after America reinvents the nuclear bomb. Denji is left for dead but is saved by Fami, who turns out to be the Death Devil, Li'l D. Li'l D explains that Yoru intends to cause an infinite war by having Pochita erase death. Some time later, Barem appears and an enraged Denji gives Pochita control to devour him. Afterwards, Pochita duels Yoru while Denji and Asa meet in a separate dimension. Asa decides to sacrifice herself to allow Denji to kill Yoru. Pochita instead devours Li'l D. Yoru seemingly kills Pochita, but Denji emerges in a new hybrid form and defeats Yoru.
The erasure of death causes insect-based Devils to become more powerful, bringing about a global apocalypse. After being devoured by a Devil, Denji and Pochita find themselves in an open field. Pochita realizes that becoming Denji's heart caused his trauma. After saying goodbye, Pochita devours his own heart, erasing himself. In a new reality, Denji wakes up alone in a shack. The yakuza take him to an abandoned warehouse where they nearly kill him when Power arrives and saves him with her blood-related abilities, permanently linking the two. Shortly afterwards, Nayuta, now working for Public Safety, recruits Denji and Power as Devil Hunters. They are sent to kill a Devil at a school, where Denji meets Asa, who has never been possessed by Yoru. She thanks Denji, who is wielding a chainsaw, calling him Chainsaw Man—triggering a remnant of Pochita that still resides in him—before returning to her classmates. Denji and Power then depart to get money for food.
The series is set in the late 1990s, in an alternative timeline where the Soviet Union still exists. Devils (悪魔, Akuma) are born from the collective fears of humanity, and grow more powerful as those fears grow more common. Specialist operatives known as Devil Hunters (デビルハンター, Debiru Hantā) are tasked with eliminating them and can form contracts with them to gain their abilities in return. A Devil possessing a human body (usually deceased) is known as a Fiend (魔人, Majin), while certain individuals can become hybrids by merging with Devils. Devils can reincarnate, cycling between Hell and Earth; when killed on Earth, it reappears in Hell, and if killed in Hell, returns to Earth. A unique exception to this cycle is the Chainsaw Devil, whose consumption of another Devil has erased the concept that Devil represented both from existence and human memory. As a result, the Holocaust, AIDS, and nuclear weapons are forgotten.
Plot
Denji is a teenager living in poverty who works as a Devil Hunter to pay off his deceased father's debt to the yakuza. He is aided by Pochita, his canine companion and the Chainsaw Devil. After the yakuza betray and kill Denji in a deal with the Zombie Devil, Pochita merges with Denji, reviving him as a hybrid on the condition that he live a humble, ordinary life. By pulling a cord in his chest, Denji transforms into Chainsaw Man and kills the yakuza and the Zombie Devil.
Denji is subsequently recruited by the government-run Public Safety Division, a unit of professional Devil Hunters led by Makima, who assigns him to hunt the Gun Devil. Denji is partnered with Aki Hayakawa, an experienced Devil Hunter, and Power, a Fiend created from the Blood Devil. Makima is later revealed to be the Control Devil, whose true goal is to dominate Pochita, as his ability to consume Devils allows him to erase the fears and concepts they embody from existence. The Gun Devil is deployed by the United States to eliminate Makima, but she defeats it and forces it to possess Aki as the Gun Fiend; Denji is forced to kill him in self-defense. Makima also later kills Power in front of Denji, rendering him catatonic and forcing Pochita to take over his body. Denji eventually manages to kill Makima and, in the aftermath, is entrusted with the care of Nayuta, a young girl who is the reincarnation of the Control Devil.
Asa Mitaka, a socially withdrawn high school student, forms a contract with the War Devil, Yoru, after being killed by a classmate who made a contract with the Justice Devil. Now a Fiend with Yoru inhabiting her body, Asa seeks to break their pact, while Yoru secretly plans to revive the Nuclear Weapons Devil and seek revenge against Chainsaw Man for her near-destruction. Meanwhile, Denji balances his life as a student and as Chainsaw Man while caring for Nayuta. Fami, a girl claiming to be the Famine Devil, manipulates events to delay the Death Devil's arrival. After Barem Bridge—the second-in-command of the cult-like project Chainsaw Man Church, secretly controlled by Fami—destroys Denji's home and kills his pets, Nayuta seemingly sacrifices herself. Denji is imprisoned and harvested for parts before being rescued by Asa, Yoru, and Fami.
Empowered by humanity's growing fear of war, Yoru offers Denji a new deal: defeat the Death Devil and earn Asa's affection or be transformed. The pair clash with the Falling Devil, and Yoru defeats it after America reinvents the nuclear bomb. Denji is left for dead but is saved by Fami, who turns out to be the Death Devil, Li'l D. Li'l D explains that Yoru intends to cause an infinite war by having Pochita erase death. Some time later, Barem appears and an enraged Denji gives Pochita control to devour him. Afterwards, Pochita duels Yoru while Denji and Asa meet in a separate dimension. Asa decides to sacrifice herself to allow Denji to kill Yoru. Pochita instead devours Li'l D. Yoru seemingly kills Pochita, but Denji emerges in a new hybrid form and defeats Yoru.
The erasure of death causes insect-based Devils to become more powerful, bringing about a global apocalypse. After being devoured by a Devil, Denji and Pochita find themselves in an open field. Pochita realizes that becoming Denji's heart caused his trauma. After saying goodbye, Pochita devours his own heart, erasing himself. In a new reality, Denji wakes up alone in a shack. The yakuza take him to an abandoned warehouse where they nearly kill him when Power arrives and saves him with her blood-related abilities, permanently linking the two. Shortly afterwards, Nayuta, now working for Public Safety, recruits Denji and Power as Devil Hunters. They are sent to kill a Devil at a school, where Denji meets Asa, who has never been possessed by Yoru. She thanks Denji, who is wielding a chainsaw, calling him Chainsaw Man—triggering a remnant of Pochita that still resides in him—before returning to her classmates. Denji and Power then depart to get money for food.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Chainsaw Man. HTML and reference formatting removed; headings adjusted. · Content license