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.
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 ManHow Did Pochita Meet DenjiHow Did Denji Become Chainsaw ManChainsaw Man Denji: Forms
Normal HumanDevil HybridChainsaw DevilChainsaw Man Denji Abilities
Common Devil PowersChainsaw Man PowersChainsaw Man Denji WeaknessFrequently Asked Questions
Normal HumanDevil HybridChainsaw Devil
Common Devil PowersChainsaw Man Powers
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.
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.
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.
Both anime and manga of Chainsaw Man feature Denji in the following three forms:
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).
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.
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.
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.
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:
Common Devil Powers
Denji has the following common devil abilities:
Chainsaw Man Powers
After turning into Chainsaw Man, Denji gains access to the following exclusive abilities:
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:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Denji’s girlfriend? Who is Denji in love with Chainsaw Man?
Did Power and Denji sleep together?
