Earlier in the year, Shueisha announced that Chainsaw Man would be launching its third official popularity poll. Not only was it the first popularity poll since 2021, but it was also the first one to include characters from part 2, so it was nothing if not the manga’s biggest poll to date.
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After months of voting, the results of Chainsaw Man’s new popularity poll have finally been revealed, and while many of the results were to be expected, there were plenty of surprising placements for old and new characters alike. That can especially be seen with the top 10 characters, all of which more than deserve to be broken down.
10) Asa Mitaka
Asa Mitaka is the deuteragonist of Chainsaw Man from part 2 onward. After being killed by a Devil, Asa is saved by allowing the War Devil, Yoru, to possess her body as she seeks revenge against Chainsaw Man, although Asa’s growing feelings for Denji end up complicating things at every turn.
In addition to her delightfully cringey personality, Asa’s sympathetic character and her struggles with self-worth have made her one of Chainsaw Man’s most endearing characters, especially with the genuinely heartwarming nature of Denji and Asa’s romance. Asa’s become somewhat divisive in recent years, but the fact that she earned tenth place says a lot about how great she can be.
9) Pochita
Pochita is Denji’s old partner who gave Denji the power to transform into Chainsaw Man. While Pochita originally seemed to just be a cute, dog-like Devil, it’s slowly revealed that Pochita was once regarded as the Hero of Hell for his ability to erase Devils from existence, and much of the story revolves around the fight for his power.
Whether it’s as an adorable mascot or as a terrifying monster that can still be plenty adorable, Pochita always finds a way to be a highlight of the story, despite only ever making a handful of appearances after the opening act. Pochita has managed to rank ninth in every popularity poll, and that’s perfectly fitting for a character like him.
8) Hirofumi Yoshida
Hirofumi Yoshida is a major recurring character in Chainsaw Man. In part 1, Yoshida was a freelance Devil Hunter hired to protect Denji from international assassins, but he takes on a larger role in part 2 when he becomes Denji’s classmate and sole link to Public Safety, although that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
While Yoshida ends up being woefully underdeveloped by the time of his sudden death, what little screentime he had made him a great foil to Denji and an all-around fun character to watch at every turn. Yoshida ultimately earned eighth place in the popularity poll, and even with his death, he’s unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon.
7) Beam
Beam is the Shark Fiend and one of several Fiends forced to work under Makima at Public Safety. Beam is defined by his fanatic loyalty to Pochita from when he fought as the Hero of Hell, and while Denji is often annoyed with him, he still ends up being one of Denji’s strongest allies.
Beam was always someone who added much-needed comedy to the series, and the way Chainsaw Man: The Movie — Reze Arc expanded on his powers and personality worked wonders to show off how fun he is. That’s likely the biggest reason Beam took seventh place in the poll, and even if recency bias is at play, it’s still great to see.
6) Angel
Angel is, fittingly, the Angel Fiend and another one of Makima’s unwitting henchmen. While Angel was once selfish and lazy, he slowly grew to care for Aki as a genuine friend, although even that didn’t protect him from becoming one of Makima’s victims as she slowly unveiled her endgame for Denji.
With his genuinely sweet friendship with Aki and a backstory with surprising depth to it, Angel has always been a fan favorite in Chainsaw Man, despite his limited presence. The success of the Chainsaw Man movie only heightened Angel’s popularity, and sure enough, he successfully managed to take sixth place.
5) Power
Power is the Blood Fiend and the original female protagonist of Chainsaw Man. Power was Denji’s first partner upon joining the Public Safety Bureau, and despite Power’s selfish and childish nature, the two quickly develop a familial bond that becomes one of Denji’s strongest relationships in the series, by far.
Not only does Power’s audacious personality make her a delightfully unhinged character to watch, but as she develops into one of Denji’s few real friends, she becomes as heartwarming as she is hilarious. Power recently ranked as the fifth-most-popular character in Chainsaw Man, and that’s a major testament to how much people want her to return.
4) Denji
Denji is, of course, the main character of Chainsaw Man. After living a life in poverty and sickness, Denji is given a new chance at happiness when he’s hired to use his powers as Chainsaw Man as a professional Devil Hunter, although it soon becomes clear that Denji’s new life is far from what he hoped for.
While Denji’s stupidity could easily make him annoying, not only is it funny more often than not, but when combined with his tragic and unpredictable nature, Denji becomes one of the most entertaining and well-rounded heroes in modern anime. Denji might have only taken fourth place in the poll, but fortunately, that doesn’t make him any less endearing a protagonist.
3) Aki Hayakawa
Aki Hayakawa was Denji’s handler when he first joined the Public Safety Bureau. While looking after Denji and Power was originally just a job to Aki, the two of them quickly became the closest thing Aki had to a family, and even his lifelong mission of defeating the Gun Devil became secondary to protecting them at all costs.
Aki is easily one of the most developed characters in all of Chainsaw Man, and it results in making him a heartwarming and tragic figure whose death still stands out as one of the most haunting moments in the entire story. Aki taking third place is a massive testament to his enduring popularity, and that’s unlikely to fade anytime soon.
2) Makima
Makima is the original central antagonist of the series. From the moment Makima was introduced, the series had hinted at a sinister character underneath her kindly demeanor, and sure enough, Makima is ultimately revealed to be the Control Devil who’s been manipulating Denji to gain control of Pochita for her plans of world domination.
With how sadistic a villain Makima is, even before her true nature is revealed, combined with her incredible character design, she’s easily one of Chainsaw Man’s most iconic characters and has consistently been the second-most-popular character in the series. Makima is easily one of the best villains in modern anime, and overall, it’s easy to see why.
1) Reze
Reze is the main antagonist and eponymous lead of Chainsaw Man’s Reze arc. Reze is introduced as a quirky new love interest for Denji, but she was actually a Soviet spy tasked with literally and figuratively stealing Denji’s heart, although she ultimately ended up falling in love with Denji for real in the process.
With her incredible fight scenes, fun personality, and beautifully tragic romance with Denji, Reze has always been one of Chainsaw Man’s most popular characters, and the success of the movie has amplified that immensely. As it stands, Reze is currently the most popular character in all of Chainsaw Man, and it’s hard not to see that as well-deserved.
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