Chainsaw Man: Chapter 173 – A New Primal Devil Emerges as Yoshida Retrieves Ears

Fans were eagerly anticipating the focus on Pochita’s return as the Hero of Hell and his battles against Public Safety and the War Devil Yoru in chapter 173 of Chainsaw Man, released on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. However, author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto surprised readers with a different direction for Pochita’s storyline in the latest installment of the manga series.

Instead of Yoru being pitted against Pochita, in Chainsaw Man chapter 173, Public Safety made a deal with a seemingly new Primal Devil that was introduced in the series. With the help of Hirofumi Yoshida, they were able to coerce Pochita into regurgitating the Ear Devil, effectively restoring hearing to the creatures on Earth.

Chainsaw Man Chapter 173: Pochita’s Ability to Regurgitate Teases a Fight with Yoru

World without hearing: An Analysis of Chainsaw Man Chapter 173

Chainsaw Man chapter 173, entitled “Hard of Hearing,”began by examining the effects of Pochita devouring the Ear Devil on the world. The first scene depicted a man struggling with his phone, appearing both frustrated and surprised by his inability to hear. The focus then shifted to a group of elephants in a savannah, noticeably lacking their usual floppy ears.

Amidst a crowd of people, a seemingly smashed cell phone was spotted on the ground, followed by a group of earless cats. The final panel depicted earless individuals walking the streets of Tokyo. The focus then shifted to a Public Safety agent attempting to communicate with prisoners wearing earmuffs. They attempted to convey that the Devil’s name had been erased, but the prisoners were unable to comprehend.

Chapter 173 of Chainsaw Man featured the prisoners being asked to raise their hand if they were familiar with a certain word, with the exception of names. However, no one raised their hand, leading the agent to confirm the eradication of the Ear Devil before instructing Team C to begin their operation. The scene then shifted to a bathroom, where three Public Safety agents were positioned in front of their respective sinks, each with a mirror.

After cutting off half of their left index fingers with a pair of scissors, each agent used their right hand to pick up the severed piece and began writing on the mirror. The first agent wrote the letter “H”while saying “cervical spine,”followed by the others who wrote “I”and “T”while saying “neck”and “vertebrae,”respectively. This revealed the word “HIT”as the focus shifted to a new Primal Devil, who saw the floating mirrors in front of them.

In chapter 173 of Chainsaw Man, a Primal Devil was depicted sitting on a throne that appeared to have been constructed from different human body parts. The throne was held up by two humans on all fours, both of whom had their arms amputated just below the elbow and were still bleeding. The throne itself was adorned with various human fingers, as well as teeth resembling fangs, and sections of human faces from the tongue to the nose, with the lower jaw and eyes missing on either end.

The Devil’s appearance was just as unsettling, as their body appeared to consist of entwined fleshy vines for support. Their face was mostly featureless, except for a mouth, and was framed by two halves of another face. The top half of this face was completely bald, but the bottom half had long hair cascading out from the bald spot. The face also appeared to be that of an elderly person, though it was difficult to determine their gender.

Chainsaw Man Chapter 173: Hearing Returns

Pochita seemingly meets his match in Chainsaw Man chapter 174 as he's cornered by both Yoshida and a new Primal Devil (Image via Shueisha) — Pochita seemingly meets his match in Chainsaw Man chapter 174 as he’s cornered by both Yoshida and a new Primal Devil (Image via Shueisha)

The 173rd chapter of Chainsaw Man witnessed the Devil let out a sigh before raising its fist towards one of the mirrors in front of it. The attention then turned to Pochita, who had just finished devouring the Ear Devil. Suddenly, the Primal Devil’s fist emerged from a much larger mirror above Pochita.

Although Pochita appeared to have been crushed, he managed to free himself by severing two of the hand’s fingers, resulting in the Devil losing the same two fingers in hell. Just then, an octopus arm wrapped itself around Pochita, revealing the arrival of Hirofumi Yoshida.

The Primal Devil praised Yoshida for his performance as the octopus arm squeezed Pochita, causing him to regurgitate the half-eaten head of the Ear Devil. The latest chapter of Chainsaw Man, 173, concluded with an emphasis on an elephant regaining its ears and appearing content with their return. The issue also excitingly announced that there will be no hiatus before the release of the next chapter.

In summation

Despite fans’ expectations, chapter 173 did reveal the return of ears as anticipated. However, it was not in the exact manner that fans had predicted. Nevertheless, this confirmation is thrilling as it solidifies Pochita’s ability to regurgitate consumed objects, hinting at the possibility of War Devil Yoru joining the battle to retrieve the nuclear weapons.

In chapter 173 of Chainsaw Man, fans can look forward to the return of Hirofumi Yoshida and his entrance into the action, leading to a highly anticipated rematch with Yoru/Asa Mitaka in future issues. Although the current arc may not be unfolding as expected, it remains captivating and full of excitement.

Chainsaw Man chapter 172 highlights
Chainsaw Man chapter 172 sets up War Devil Yoru making good on her part 2 promise
Chainsaw Man chapter 172 further hints at Pochita’s true identity via an Uzumaki reference
Chainsaw Man proves Makima made Public Safety what it was yet again in chapter 172
Fujimoto finally gives Chainsaw Man fans another iconic panel to rival Darkness Devil