Chainsaw Man: Denji Struggles With New Status Quo

Chainsaw Man’s recent chapters have flipped the script from Denji in the driver’s seat to the new protagonist Asa Mikata. While Asa is a high school student much like the former protagonist, her abilities as a devil are far different from the Chainsaw Devil’s. Thanks to recent events, Denji is now struggling with the possibility of never becoming the Chainsaw Man ever again and is having a rough time as new revelations are hitting the ground floor running in the manga series.

Warning. If you haven’t read the latest chapter of Chainsaw Man, Chapter 134, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into spoiler territory. In the previous chapter of the bloody shonen hero, Denji was told that the government wasn’t too thrilled with his activities as the Chainsaw Devil. Not only has his battles against Devils caused some serious property damage, but a new religion had been started in his honor known as the “Chainsaw Man Church”. Attracting a young generation, the church was seen as a threat to the government, who employed the young devil hunter Yoshida to lay down the law. Telling Denji that if he transforms into Chainsaw Man again, Nayuta will perish, Denji seems to have taken this to heart and is planning on not using his power.

While watching television, Denji is shocked to discover that the church has its own Chainsaw Man, a mysterious character who is seemingly the doppelganger who saved Denji and Asa from the Falling Devil’s machinations. With the fake Chainsaw Man stating that he is working to create a “devil-less world”, the former star of the series can’t help but freak out as a result. 

“I’ve never thought that stuff! I don’t fight for any reason! I died a gazillion times, and next thing I knew…next thing I knew, people were callin’ me Chainsaw Man on their own! Your guy isn’t Chainsaw Man! I’m more Chainsaw Man than him!”

While Denji has grown a little since the very beginning of the series, it’s clear that even having lost allies and taken on challenges, he still has some serious growing up to do. Luckily for Chainsaw Man, Nayuta apparently has a much calmer composure in the face of this new trial. 

Do you think Denji’s days as Chainsaw Man are done? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Chainsaw Devil.