Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man is a series filled with blood, guts, gore, absurd humor, and even more unconventional designs. Despite its intensity, the humans in Chainsaw Man are all drawn relatively normally. Aki, Asa, and Kishibe all have typical features that contrast the series’ more intricate and symbolic hybrid and devil designs. From Denji’s Chainsaw head to Makima’s bright yellow eyes and Reze’s nuclear head, all the designs in Chainsaw Man serve a purpose to further tell Fujimoto’s story.
The designs’ highlight is in the full manifestation of the devils in Chainsaw Man. The supernatural entities that feed on humanity’s fears all have fantastic designs that emphasize the artistic talent of their creator and the symbolic messaging each one displays. While all the devils in the series have their own merits, the following ten are some of the series’ highlights.
10 The Fox Devil Pairs Nicely With Aki
The Fox Devil Debuts in Episode 4, “Rescue”
The Fox Devil, one of the contracted demons under Aki Hayakawa, plays a significant role early on in the series. Its grand entrance, swallowing the Leech Devil whole before it can harm Denji any further, is a moment that resonates with fans. Aki’s signature hand technique, used to summon the demon, has become an iconic symbol of the series, even making an appearance in Marvel’s Deadpool comics.
While the fox’s design is simple in itself, the red eyes contrasted against the pale white fur make it stand out among the other devils. Combined with the summoning method for this devil, it’s clear to see why the Fox Devil is paired with Aki in terms of fan art. The Fox Devil represents Fennecaphobia, the fear of foxes, so just being a large fox with crazy eyes is the perfect design for them.
9 Ghost Devil Calls Back to Classic Horror
Ghost Devil Debuts in Chapter 25, “Ghost, Snake, Chainsaw”
The Ghost Devil, which represents Phasmaphobia and humanity’s fear of ghosts, is contracted to Himeno. In exchange for her eye, she can use the Ghost Devil’s ghost-like abilities and even save Aki’s life at the behest of Himeno. The Ghost Devil’s design shocked readers with its elongated neck, black hair, stitched eyes, and multiple arms. All of these traits hearken back to the Devil’s horror roots.
A pale face and long black hair are the typical appearances given to ghost girls in Japanese media. Ringu (1998)’s titular ghost has a similar appearance. This design of ghost girls dates even far back to the Noh tradition, a major form of 14th-century Japanese theater. The Ghost Devil’s stitched eyes and mouth can be seen in other horror ghost media. Another striking aspect of the Ghost Devil’s design is the daises that decorate its neck. Daises have been commonly associated with the Virgin Mary and the concept of death, as daisies never last long.
8 The Eternity Devil Is Shaped Like Infinity
The Eternity Devil Debuts in Episode 5, “Gun Devil”
The Eternity Devil embodies the fear of eternity, Apeirophobia. A large, dangerous devil with the power to create a pocket reality that makes escape impossible. In the first part of Chainsaw Man, a six-man team from the Special Division is tasked with killing the devil in the hotel it inhabited. The crew quickly discovers that the Etenirty Devil is one of the strongest devils fought so far.
Outside of its all-encompassing design of flesh, arms, and heads fused together, it is a Cronenberg-like mess. What makes the Eternity Devil so memorable is its use of the number 8 in its power and design. The number 8 is closely associated with the lemniscate, the infinity symbol, so Fujimoto brilliantly used it anywhere they could. The protagonists are trapped on the 8th floor of the hotel, time is frozen at 8:18, and even more symbolically, the Eternity Devil’s core resembles the infinity sign. These factors all contribute together to give the Eternity Devil an unforgettable appearance.
7 The Curse Devil Nails the Terrifying Look
The Curse Devil Is Revealed in Episode 8, ”Gunfire”
The Curse Devil, representing Deprecophobia, the fear of curses and being cursed, appears as another contract devil Aki can use. With its power, it will temporarily immobilize the target of the curse and bite into their shoulders with sharp bone teeth. The imagery of the Curse Devil creates religious irony as the victims are restrained in a cross position, giving readers an intense image to look at.
What stands out about the Curse Devil’s design is the use of bones and nails incorporated into its appearance. When the Curse Devil manifests, it has two skulls as its main focal point, one human and another with three-slit eyes and mandible teeth. Bones are a staple used in curses and witchcraft, and the human skull is recognized as the universal symbol of death. The nails have even more significance because they directly reference a real-life Japanese ritual called Ushi no Toki Mairi. The significance of the nails plays into the devil’s powers and design exceptionally well.
6 The Chainsaw Devil Is the Hero of Hell
The Chainsaw Devil Is Revealed in Chapter 84, ”Hero of Hell”
Related
Who Is Makima In Chainsaw Man?
Makima controls a fair amount of the narrative in Chainsaw Man, and although her actions are undeniably reprehensible, why do fans still love her?
Pochita is the Chainsaw Devil, representing Trionigophobia, the fear of chainsaws. While he may be one of the cutest dogs in anime history, he also has a terrifying complete form. In this full form, the Chainsaw Devil has a humanoid appearance with four arms, a chainsaw on each arm, and the classic chainsaw head that Denji forms. He towers over every human with black-covered armored plates. To top it all off, an intestine wraps around the Chainsaw Devil like a scarf.
The Chainsaw Devil is likely influenced by Abara‘s Black Gauna, which Fujimoto has claimed influences his work. The Hero of Hell has an even stronger symbolic comparison to the classic tokusatsu hero Kamen Rider. The Chainsaw Devil resembles classic Japanese heroes with the scarf to the plated black armor. When readers consider Makima’s end goal to subjugate the Chainsaw Devil under her command by weakening humanity’s fear of the Chainsaw Devil by making him a more heroic figure, to make the appearance of the devil look heroic is a genius move from Fujimoto.
5 The Future Devil Has an Iconic Appearance
The Future Devil Debuts in Episode 10, ”Bruised & Battered”
The Future Devil embodies Chronophobia, the persistent fear of the future. It is a horrifying devil with a main focus on eyes and an interest in Aki. The Future Devil’s lower half is a tree with its hands extending as branches and trunks. Vines and fur are everywhere, and a large hole in its center holds one large eye. Counting the one eye and the eyes on its head, the Future Devil is rocking seven whole eyes to peer into the future.
Iconic, interesting, and unique. Since its appearance and jovial nature, the Future Devil hasn’t left fans’ minds. Of course, what also helps is the ironic statement it gives to Aki, which ends up being one of Chainsaw Man’s saddest fights. The symbolism in the design is extremely clever. The eyes and the tree all represent the future. The eyes represent the mystical Seers whose eyes see into the future. The number of eyes is seven, commonly seen as good luck, which humanity is always hoping for in the future, and the trees branch out just as the future is always branching out.
4 The Aging Devil Has a Long Lasting Image
The Aging Devil Appears in Chapter 173, ”Hard of Hearing”
At the time, the Aging Devil was the latest Primal Fear shown in the series. Representing gerascophobia, the fear of aging the devil appears as Public Safety’s plan to remove the aging of humanity, which may potentially be a good thing for humanity. The extent of the devil’s abilities hasn’t been explained yet, but it has a huge connection to mirrors and hell. Fans were immediately impressed by how well-designed the Aging Devil was when it was shown in chapter 173, and before its name even got announced, the Aging Devil had theory after theory about what fear it was.
The appearance of the Aging Devil has three key aspects that showcase its fear. The divided face of an old man, the withered body, and mirrors all represent the fear of aging. The old man’s head is ripped in half to reveal a smoother face beneath, yet it is still attached through his guts, meaning the visibility of age can’t be escaped. The withered, gaunt body that is nothing but sunken skin and bones. The use of the mirror can come from realizing how old someone is when they stare into a mirror. That’s when all the physical signs of aging can be seen and can’t be hidden.
3 The Falling Devil Is Inspired by a Famous Thriller Movie
The Falling Devil Released in Chapter 122, ”The Prophecies”
The Falling Devil represents Basophobia, the fear of falling. Another one of the Primal Fears is that most living things are afraid of physically and emotionally falling. As the devil manifests, it uses the corpses of humans as its body until she’s able to form her true form, surprisingly looking like a feminine restaurant chef, even sporting a large white hat and apron. This aspect of her design calls back to The Menu(2022), which Fujimoto had stated he was a big fan of in the Vol.15 release of Chainsaw Man. Alongside her multiple arms, the Falling Devil has scythe-like limbs that resemble wings.
The Falling Devil contrasts against every major devil seen so far, having a humanoid appearance and being dressed like a chef. The symbolism of this character can be harder to trace. While the chef’s design seems out of place, it actually has a deeper meaning when the concept of suicide is brought into the Falling Devil’s powerset. Preferring to break her enemies emotionally and drive them to suicide, the Falling Devil reflects the horrific work conditions of the service industry that The Menu. It’s more than likely Fujimoto saw the theme behind the film and incorporated it into the devil’s design.
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s author comment from Chainsaw Man Vol. 15
2 The Gun Devil Appears With a Bang
The Gun Devil Debuts in Chapter 75 “9,12”
The Gun Devil is the fear of hoplophobia, the fear of guns and firearms. The Devil is the primary moving factor in the first part of Chainsaw Man. When it appears in the manga, it makes an entrance that shocks readers and the protagonists. Appearing as a humanoid figure with guns the size of buildings for arms, the Gun Devil floats across the sea with its skeletal body mixed with screaming heads. The lower half of the Devil is replaced by ammo belts, and, similar to Denji, the Devil’s head is a giant gun.
Using its power to shoot bullets, the Gun Devil massacres Japanese citizens on its way to Makima at the behest of the US Government. Readers witness this moment in a mesmerizing way as the name of each Japanese citizen killed is displayed next to the Gun Devil. The imagery is haunting, as the readers have to come to the realization that, in the matter of a page flip, the Gun Devil had killed hundreds of innocents in half a second. This power is evident with the myriad skulls present just when it emerges. The mayhem is exactly what the foreshadowing of all previous chapters had led to. Fujimoto even stated that the Gun Devil is to represent the “free country” and “gun society” of the United States.
1 The Darkness Devil Shows True Fear
The Darkness Devil Appears in Chapter 64, ”Welcome to Hell”
The most iconic look of the entire series lies with the Darkness Devil, representing the fear of the dark or nyctophobia. The transcendent being is a Primal Fear whose power to manipulate darkness and an unseen force makes the Darkness Devil one of the strongest devils in the series. The Darkness Devil manifests with emancipated human corpses combined, acting as the Devil’s body. The head resembles a pterodactyl, with a cape of darkness behind it, so the Devil is never without its element. This design alone makes the Darkness Devil one of the most threatening villains Denji has ever faced.
It ranks so high because of its pure horror factor. The Darkness Devil’s introduction has the villain reducing humanity’s most outstanding achievement, astronauts, to worshiping corpses. Astronauts are humans who are brave enough to explore the unknown and darkness of space, and the Darkness Devil humiliates that courage by making gravestones of the explorers. With this design aspect, the human bodies, which may be the bodies of the astronauts and the control over darkness, it’s almost as if the Darkness Devil is looking right at readers and telling them they are unsafe.
Chainsaw Man
Following a betrayal, a young man left for dead is reborn as a powerful devil-human hybrid after merging with his pet devil and is soon enlisted into an organization dedicated to hunting devils.
- Author
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
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- Tatsuki Fujimoto