Chainsaw Man presents us with one of the most interesting worlds that we have seen in mangas or animes lately. You will meet humans, devils, humans with devilish powers, and even combinations of the two. While such diverse characters can be exciting for some, it doesn’t take long before it becomes confusing to keep track. Well, if that’s the case, you are in the right place. We have compiled this guide to help explain the differences between devils, fiends, and devil hybrids in the Chainsaw Man anime. They aren’t as similar as they sound, or you might expect them to be. So, let’s find out!
Chainsaw Man: Devils vs Fiends vs Hybrids (Explained)
Note: Our guide contains some spoilers for the characters and their abilities. We suggest you watch the Chainsaw Man anime or read the manga first to avoid ruining the intended experience.
What is a Devil in Chainsaw Man
In the world of Chainsaw Man, devils are supernatural creatures that are born in hell and prey on human fears. Every devil has unique powers, and their names correlate to those powers in most cases. All the devils in Chainsaw Man are practically immortal. But if they die in the human world, they are reborn in hell. And then, if a devil is killed in hell, it gets reincarnated in the human world. Though, as revealed in the final chapters of the manga, they don’t remember anything from their previous life.
As for the powers, every devil in this anime has the following abilities:
- Blood Healing: Every devil can heal itself by consuming the blood of another creature – devil or human. Sometimes, consuming the flesh and blood of another devil has some special effects on the eater. These include temporary powers, enchanted healing, and more.
- Contracts: The devils, if they want, can make contracts with humans. While doing so, they lend some of their abilities to humans by control over taking one or more body parts of the human as a sacrifice. Both parties must consent for a contract to work. This lays the groundwork for the Chainsaw Man anime.
- Possession: If a devil finds a dying human, it can take control of its body. This limits the devil’s power but allows them to assume a complete human form without making a contract.
- Special Powers: As mentioned earlier, based on the fear they are based on, the devils in Chainsaw Man also possess special powers in the context of that fear. For example, the fox devil embodies the fear of foxes and has a strong jaw and sharp claws.
What is a Primal Devil in Chainsaw Man
Primal devils are some of the strongest devils in the world of Chainsaw Man. These devils are based on the most basic fears of humans like darkness. And from the looks of it, the primal devils have never been killed in hell, so they have never been reincarnated in the human world. Because of their immense power, all other types of devils are afraid of the primal devils.
What are Devil Hybrids in Chainsaw Man
As the name suggests, hybrids are a result of a merger between humans and devils. A hybrid can transform into its fused human-devil form with the help of a physical trigger like the cord in Chainsaw Man or a pin in the Bomb Devil. Once transformed, the hybrid gains full control over the devil’s power while retaining human consciousness.
Hybrid devils are different from humans that form a contract with the devil. The powers of such humans are limited, and they can’t transfer into a fused form.
In terms of abilities, hybrids have special healing power. With the right amount of blood, they can even revive themselves from fatal wounds or lost limbs. The most reliable way to kill hybrid devils is to remove all the devil elements from their bodies. In the context of the Chainsaw Man, that devil element is his heart (as we will detail in an upcoming explainer).
Interestingly, at the time of writing this article, the Chainsaw Man manga only features hybrids based on weapon-like devils, including a flamethrower, katana, gun, spear, etc. Unlike other fears like blood or snake, the fear of weapons is usually connected with the human in control of that weapon. Though, we are not sure if this somehow relates to the ability of a devil to form a hybrid. We expect the upcoming manga volumes to reveal more about the same.
What is a Fiend in Chainsaw Man
Fiends are devils that have possessed a human corpse in order to survive. Usually, this leads to the elimination of all consciousness of the human part, but at times, shared control of the body is also possible. Though, that’s a very rare case.
Also known as Devilman, the fiends look like regular humans with some of their devilish features on display. For example: the image here shows Power, the Blood Fiend, who is recognizable by her horns. But unlike regular or primal devils, a fiend’s power is dampened in this form. They can’t even form a contract with another human.
Even the ability to turn into their devil form only lasts temporarily for the fiends in Chainsaw Man. Because of that, they are much easier to kill than full-fledged devils or hybrids. But fortunately, the fiends at least retain the ability to heal themselves by consuming blood. But, if a fiend is killed, it immediately gets sent to hell, where they have to die to get reincarnated into the human world (much like any other devil).
Chainsaw Man: Difference in Characters
Now that we have covered all the details for every type of character in Chainsaw Man, here’s an overall breakdown of the major differences between humans, devils, hybrids, and fiends.
Ability Human Devil Hybrid Fiend Regeneration No Yes Limited Yes Making Contract Yes Yes No Yes Reincarnation No Yes Yes Yes Human Appearance Yes No* Limited Yes Human Consciousness Yes NA No* Yes Power Level NA Maximum Limited Maximum
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between fiends and devils in Chainsaw Man?
Devils are supernatural creatures that can take control of a human corpse to turn into a fiend. They do this as a last resort to prevent their death and avoid going to hell. Though, in their fiend form, devils can only access a dampened version of their power. Their healing ability also becomes much weaker.
Is Makima a fiend or a hybrid?
Makima is neither a fiend or a hybrid or a human with devil contract. Instead, she is the control devil who has a human like apperance.
SPOILER for Public Safety Arc
Is Power a devil or fiend?
Power is the blood devil fiend in Chainsaw Man. She can manipulate the blood in her body to form unique weapons and take on enemies.
Is Denji a devil hybrid?
Denji, our protagonist, is a devil hybrid between himself and the chainsaw devil named Pochita. Together, they form the Chainsaw Man, which is easily the strongest devil hybrid in the manga series. At least for now.
Devils, Fiends, and Devil Hybrids in Chainsaw Man
With that, I hope that you fully understand the different character types in the manga and anime world of Chainsaw Man. If the franchise introduces more types of characters, we will add them to this guide. So, make sure to bookmark this page to stay on top of Chainsaw Man characters with ease. Not to forget, if you just discovered this manga/ anime, we suggest you first figure out how to watch Chainsaw Man anime and join the fandom. Having said that, which type of a devil variant would you want to be in the CSM universe in the manage? Do tell us in the comments below!
Aparna Ukil
