Adding to the vast collection of successful Shonen mangas and animes, Chainsaw Man brings to life a bunch of interesting characters. You have crazy humans, powerful devils, and even zombies in this anime. But none of them are as interesting as our lead, Denji, whom we met in the first chapter itself. He is someone every devil aspires to be, but is also afraid to face. So, let’s find out who is Denji in Chainsaw Man, along with his background story and meeting with Pochita, abilities, and weaknesses.
Who is Denji in Chainsaw Man (Explained)
Spoiler Warning: Our guide contains spoilers about Denji, his abilities, and the plot of Chainsaw Man’s Public Safety Arc. We suggest you watch the Chainsaw Man anime or read the manga first, at least till chapter 97, to avoid ruining the story.
Who is Denji in Chainsaw Man
Denji is the protagonist (Chainsaw Man) and is the one who made a contract with a chainsaw devil to gain its powers. As a teenager, Denji is used to living below his means and doesn’t even have primary education. He is socially inept and acts childish in most situations. At first, he might give a rude or brash vibe, but that’s simply because of his upbringing and severe poverty.
Also, Denji struggles with basic tasks like elementary calculations and reading Kanji (the most complex but common form of the Japanese alphabet). But what Denji lacks in wisdom, he more than makes up for in his empathy and readiness.
Unfortunately, if money, food, or any form of comfort is involved, Denji doesn’t stop to think twice and dives head first into the action. This is proved in the pilot episode of the Anime when Denji agrees to eat a cigarette for a few Yens. Though, he was clever enough not to swallow it. Later, we learn that he had sold an eye and a kidney to gain some additional money to repay his father’s debt. This same clever and witty behavior allows him to take down devils in surprising ways.
How Did Pochita Meet Denji
Pochita, the chainsaw devil, found Denji at his father’s grave, grieving his loss and dealing with the sudden burden of an unpaid debt to the Yakuza. At that moment, Pochita was hurt and could have died without proper support. On noticing Pochita’s weakened state, Denji offered his blood to the devil. Human blood allows devils to heal and regenerate. Pochita drank Denji’s blood to heal, and this moment marked the beginning of a strong friendship between the two.
How Did Denji Become Chainsaw Man
Before turning into a devil hybrid in Chainsaw Man, Denji was a teenager who used to hunt small-time devils for the Yakuza to pay off the debt his deceased father left behind. The gang then betrayed and tried to kill Denji. In his final moments, Pochita formed a contract with Denji and took over his heart to grant him the power of the chainsaw devil.
As per the contract, Denji will show and fulfill his dreams to Pochita while Pochita will lend his powers to Denji. The merger of the two led to Denji being saved from death, and he now has a cord hanging from his chest. And whenever Denji pulls the cord, which is Pochita’s tail, he turns into Chainsaw Man. He gains all the powers of the Chainsaw devil while maintaining consciousness and control over his body.
Chainsaw Man Denji: Forms
Both anime and manga of Chainsaw Man feature Denji in the following three forms:
- Normal Human
- Devil Hybrid
- Chainsaw Devil
Normal Human
Before making a deal with Pochita, Denji was a normal human being with no power. Though, he was still able to wield and use Pochita as a chainsaw-like weapon. Even with no powers, Denji fought and killed devils to earn a living and pay off his father’s debt to the Yakuza.
Devil Hybrid
After merging with Pochita, Denji gained the powers of the chainsaw devil. In this form, unlike a normal human, Denji has a cord hanging out of his chest. This cord looks similar to the ones used to start a chainsaw and is actually Pochita’s tail. In this devil-human form, Pochita acts as the heart of Denji (see picture here).
So now, whenever Denji pulls the cord hanging from his chest, he turns into Chainsaw Man. In this form, a chainsaw comes out of Denji’s head and hands, and he gains immense powers to fight and kill devils. Moreover, in dire situations, Denji can even turn his limbs, including his arms or feet, into chainsaws. During this entire transformation, Denji has complete control over his body, with Pochita only lending his power.
The Chainsaw Man transformation sees Denji lose a lot of blood while fighting devils, making him anemic after a fight. So if Denji doesn’t have enough blood before pulling the cord, only a small part of the chainsaw comes out of his head. At that time, his power is also weaker than usual. This was first witnessed in the 9th chapter of the CSM manga.
Chainsaw Devil
If the contract between Denji and Pochita is somehow temporarily severed, Pochita can take over their body. Then, he can freely turn into his strongest devil form, removing Denji’s consciousness from the equation. But Pochita is still mindful of his dreams and sits down to eat a hamburger at a restaurant.
In the devil form, as shown below, we have a chainsaw revving out of Denji’s forehead as usual. But the complete devil form has four arms, and we have a chainsaw coming out of each arm.
His overall body also appears stronger and bulkier than usual. His skin appears as if it is covered with a black armor-like material. You can even notice spikes on the shoulders and at the back of Chainsaw Man’s head. Mentally, in this form, Pochita has complete control over Denji’s body, but Denji’s own consciousness is in a sleep-like mode. Due to full control, Pochita can use most of his abilities, making this the most powerful form of Denji.
Chainsaw Man Denji Abilities
After becoming the Chainsaw Man, Denji also received access to a ton of Chainsaw devil abilities. These abilities can be broadly divided into two types:
- Devil Abilities – common abilities that most devils have in the world of Chainsaw Man.
- CSM Abilities – abilities that are exclusive to the Chainsaw Man
Common Devil Powers
Denji has the following common devil abilities:
- Healing: As seen in the first episode of the Chainsaw Man anime, Denji can quickly heal himself by consuming blood. Even if he’s on the verge of death, Denji just needs enough blood to heal and regenerate his body parts, as explained below.
- Strength: When Denji becomes the Chainsaw Man, he gains immense strength by which he can defeat multiple enemies at once. You can see this strength in action when Denji is fighting a group of zombies in the pilot episode of the anime.
- Immense Speed: In chapter 87, we see Denji killing a bunch of hybrids before they even have time to react. This is a testament to his above-average speed.
Chainsaw Man Powers
After turning into Chainsaw Man, Denji gains access to the following exclusive abilities:
- Chainsaw: The most obvious ability that Denji can use are the sharp chainsaws that come out of his forehead and arms. He can easily use them to cut down enemies before they even have a chance to retreat.
- Regeneration: With the devil contract and enough blood, Denji can also easily regenerate his body parts. This ability is immediately noticeable when Denji gains his lost eye back on merging with Pochita.
- Chains: If required, the Chainsaw Man can unhook the chains around his chainsaws to use them as hooks and ropes. You can notice him using these chains to pull enemies and capture them in Chapter 95.
Chainsaw Man also has access to other abilities like devil erasure and partial elimination. But they don’t seem to be accessible by Denji’s consciousness at the moment. So, we are not adding them to his skillset. But you can find out more about these abilities in our dedicated guide about Pochita and his abilities.
Chainsaw Man Denji Weakness
Even though Denji is a devil hybrid in Chainsaw Man, he has two major weaknesses:
- Fear: Chainsaw Man gains strength from the number of people who fear the idea of chainsaws. But, as proven in manga Chapter 87, positive popularity and lack of fear can weaken his abilities.
- Control: As mentioned earlier, Pochita can take over Denji’s body if the contract between him and Pochita is broken. Whenever that happens, there’s no way for Denji to take control back, leaving his fate in Pochita’s hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Denji’s girlfriend? Who is Denji in love with Chainsaw Man?
Denji doesn’t have any girlfriend or romantic partner in Chainsaw Man. But he has shown serious romantic interest in Makima, who is a senior member of Public Safety Devil Hunters. We also see Denji have romantic feelings for Reze (bomb devil), even though she had been faking her crush on him to get Pochita’s heart.
Is Denji in love with Power?
The Chainsaw Man manga confirms that Denji and Power don’t share a romantic relationship. One character even refers to Power as the little sister of Denji.
Did Power and Denji sleep together?
Denji and Power lay together and even showered together at one point in the Chainsaw Man manga. But they don’t have any romantic or sexual feelings for each other.
Everything You Need to Know About Denji in Chainsaw Man
Whether it’s his abilities or the origin story, you know everything there is to know about Denji from Chainsaw Man. Though, he is only one of the many devilish characters in the franchise. If you want to learn about all of them, you first need to understand the differences between a fiend, a devil, and a hybrid in Chainsaw Man. They appear similar but are practically much different. Having said that, which character is your favorite in Chainsaw Man? Tell us in the comments below! Also, if you have any other doubts about Denji’s character, ask away in the comments section.
