Despite fans’ hopes and prayers for Chainsaw Man to continue with Part 3, the series has officially come to an end. The most frustrating aspect of the finale is its latest twist, which frames everything across the series’ more than two hundred chapters as nothing more than Denji’s dreams, shifting to a reality where Pochita and Chainsaw Man no longer exist.
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While this twist may not be entirely satisfying, certain elements of the ending remain compelling, and fans have found some comfort in them. This includes the return of beloved characters like Power and Nayuta, who now exist alongside Denji in this new reality, offering him a better life. However, while bringing back familiar faces was one of the ending’s highlights, it feels especially strange that three vital characters were completely omitted.
3) Makima
Makima was the most vital character of Part 1 of Chainsaw Man, shaping the entire premise. With the latest twist rewinding time to when Denji was still in debt to the Yakuza, right before his life takes a pivotal turn with Makima’s arrival, it was widely expected that she would return. However, the series features Nayuta in her place, without any explanation.
Though Nayuta is also the Control Devil, she isn’t Makima, and this timeline effectively erases her without offering any clarity. This feels like a major shortcoming of the ending, as even a subtle hint at Makima’s existence could have helped offset the abrupt rewind that many are struggling to understand.
2) Reze
Reze had a relatively small role in the series; however, there is no doubt she was one of its most significant characters. She was the first girl to make Denji genuinely realize his dream of finding love, something fans hoped to see fulfilled until the very end. With the series rewinding time and bringing back old characters, Reze’s place in this new timeline should have been addressed, not omitted entirely.
Given that the ending doesn’t even show Denji fully realizing his dream of finding love, only hinting at it through Asa as a potential partner, it feels like the series missed an opportunity to satisfy fans in at least one aspect. Had this new timeline been used for Denji to reunite with Reze, it could have provided perfect closure for both of their characters. Instead, by neither including nor even mentioning her, the ending stands out for one of its most glaring oversights.
1) Aki Hayakawa
While Makima’s omission can be somewhat understood, avoiding a repeat of Denji being controlled, and Reze’s absence can be attributed to Asa, Part 2’s main character, taking the role of the primary heroine, Aki Hayakawa’s exclusion feels the most out of place. In the first part of the series, Aki served as the deuteragonist throughout, becoming one of the most beloved characters, arguably even more so than Power.
As a result, bringing back Power but not Aki and failing to complete that central trio feels deeply unsatisfying. With the alternative timeline, the series had an opportunity to give Aki a better life rather than one defined by an inevitable death. Instead, it not only leaves him out of the trio but also fails to show him living peacefully elsewhere. Thus, while Chainsaw Man’s ending is already abrupt and flawed in many ways, it could have still satisfied fans through moments like Aki’s return, but it ultimately falls short here as well, making the ending even more disappointing.
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