Chainsaw Man: Chainsaw Devil's Devil Erasure Ability, Explained

Key Takeaways

Chainsaw Devil’s Devil Erasure ability erases the concept of fear, affecting both devils and humanity.
Chainsaw Man must consume devils to activate Devil Erasure, erasing their existence past, present, and future.
Devil Erasure has mysterious side effects, making the unpredictable Chainsaw Devil the most dangerous devil.

As a seasoned anime fan with years of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that Chainsaw Man is one of the most intriguing and thought-provoking series I’ve come across recently. The character of Chainsaw Devil, or Denji as he’s known in the human world, is a fascinating blend of power, danger, and mystery that keeps me hooked episode after episode.

Many aspects make Chainsaw Man a character to be wary of, particularly when he transforms into his Chainsaw Devil form. His arms are equipped with two roaring chainsaws, a massive chainsaw juts out from his forehead, his roar is fierce and intimidating, his fighting style is extremely aggressive, the violence and brutality he exhibits can be gruesome, the bloodshed and destruction he leaves behind are numerous reasons to be afraid.

To put it simply, among all the devils, it’s Chainsaw Devil’s Devil Erasure ability that strikes terror. Frankly, this power is so dominating that it’s a mystery why any devil would challenge Chainsaw Devil. What makes this even more intriguing is that this ability doesn’t just target devils; it has a significant impact on humans too. So, let’s delve into the details of Chainsaw Devil’s Devil Erasure for better understanding.

A Crash Course on Devil

Chainsaw Man: Chainsaw Devil's Devil Erasure Ability, Explained

Let’s discuss the concept of “Devil Erasure” first. To set the stage, let’s quickly review the nature of devils in the Chainsaw Man universe. This discussion won’t cover every detail about devils in this series; instead, it will serve as a brief introduction focusing on aspects that are pertinent to our main topic, which is the “Devil Erasure.

Every Devil Represents a Concept of Fear

In this series, the devils aren’t merely grotesque, bloodthirsty creatures. Instead, each demon embodies a human fear. For instance, if your fear is war, there’s a war-themed devil. If it’s guns, you’ll find a gun-related devil. Even fears as seemingly innocuous as chickens have their own devils in this world. Essentially, for every fear that resonates deep within us, there’s a demon to represent it.

The stronger the fear, the stronger the devil will be. This means primal fear, such as aging, death, and hell, are some of the most powerful devils out there. This principle also works for fears based on abstract concepts, such as zombies or ghosts.

A Cycle of Rebirth

When a novel form of anxiety arises, such as fear of social media, a corresponding entity will supposedly be crafted in the underworld. If, for any reason, this entity is slain by its kin, it will reincarnate on Earth. Though it’s the same spirit, it will have a completely fresh memory and personality.

If a devil dies on Earth, it will be reborn in Hell, starting anew with different memories and characteristics. This continuous cycle of rebirth means that devils do not truly die. However, there’s an exception – Devil Erasure. This unique ability is the only method known to permanently end the life of a devil.

What Happened When Chainsaw Devil Consumed a Devil

To set off the Devil Erasure ability of Chainsaw Man, it’s not sufficient for him to merely kill a devil; he needs to ingest or consume it. This implies that he must literally eat the devil. While eating the entire devil would be preferable, just consuming its head should suffice. This is how the Devil Erasure function works when Chainsaw Man employs it.

Consumed = Erased

To the Chainsaw Devil, acts of killing and consuming hold distinct meanings. Killing a devil merely sets them on their path to reincarnation, but when he devours one, he essentially annihilates both the devil and the ideas they symbolize. They are no longer part of the cycle of rebirth, and the very concepts they embodied within humanity cease to exist as well. It’s almost as if that entity was never a part of existence at all.

Historically, entities like Nazis from World War II, SOA, AIDS, Arnolone Syndrome, the Mount Hio Eruption, Nuclear Weapons have instilled immense terror and dread. Nowadays, it seems as if these names have been swallowed by Chainsaw Man, making them a thing of the past.

—Makima, Chapter 84

It Works Everywhere, Every Time, All at Once

After a devil has been eliminated, its aura of terror doesn’t just disappear at that specific moment. Instead, the terror associated with it vanishes simultaneously across all spaces – whether on Earth, in Hell, or in any other time, be it past, present, or future. This erasure affects not only human beings and animals but also devils themselves, effectively expunging the concept of this fear from their collective memories.

Take Nuclear Weapons, for example. When Chainsaw Devil consumed the Nuclear Weapons Devil, Nuclear Weapons instantly became a foreign concept to everybody. They never heard of Nuclear weapons before and have a difficult time comprehending what Nuclear weapons even mean. It’s as if Nuclear weapons never even existed in the first place.

Change in Perspective

Although Devil Erasure can eliminate specific items, thoughts, worries, or even mental constructs as if they were never conceived, it does not have the power to destroy physical items or artifacts crafted from that idea. Instead, people may view these objects differently in terms of their purpose and usage.

During the time when ears were hypothetically non-existent, hearing persisted; mobile devices and radios continued to function, and ear cleaners were marketed as a craft item.

—Fumiko Mifune, Chapter 174

Things Can Go Back to Normal

When the Chainsaw Demon devours another Demon, it breaks the cycle of reincarnation for that particular Demon, effectively banishing its existence from our world. However, there’s a unique circumstance under which a banished existence can be restored – if the Chainsaw Demon regurgitates the consumed Demon.

So long as the Chainsaw Fiend hasn’t completely processed the Devil, it can regurgitate it at any time. The Devil will be lifeless when expelled, but it will then be capable of re-entering the cycle of regeneration. This implies that the idea it symbolizes continues to thrive in reality. This is what transpires when Chainsaw Fiend consumes Ears Devil in Chapter 174 and subsequently spits it out promptly. For a span of 3 minutes and 50 seconds, every living organism wanders about without ears, unaware of the significance of having ears.

Mysterious Side Effects

Because the Devil Erasure only eliminates ideas about devils while leaving behind human-created items associated with them, it’s extraordinarily challenging to foresee the consequences when it absorbs a significant devil, particularly one deeply connected to our daily lives.

If we were to eliminate “hands” from our existence, would we be forced to perform all tasks using our feet instead? If we remove the idea of “aging”, does that mean mental and physical deterioration cease to exist altogether? Would a society devoid of aging lead to a utopia or spiral towards a dystopian future? This is one potential risk of Devil Erasure, as there are numerous unforeseen consequences.

“The scale of this is so big I can’t wrap my head around it…”

—Kishibe, Chapter 84

The Most Dangerous Devil in Existence

In terms of raw power, numerous devils surpass the Chainsaw Devil. This is particularly evident when considering devils embodying our deepest primal fears, like death, aging, and losing balance, among others. These Fear-Based Devils wield abilities that are virtually incomprehensible to humans.

That being said, even the most powerful devil will be erased once the Chainsaw Devil gets the chance to consume them with his Devil Erasure. Unfortunately, the moment Chainsaw Devil consumes one of the Primal Devils who embodied humanity’s most basic fear, the fate of human beings will also be altered forever. For better or worse. This immense yet unpredictable ability is the reason why Chainsaw Devil is the most dangerous devil in existence.

Chainsaw Man is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

2024-11-25 03:34

Chainsaw Man: Chainsaw Devil’s Devil Erasure Ability, Explained