Upon the publication of the most recent installment of Chainsaw Man, readers witnessed Denji’s complete awakening as he came to understand his surroundings and the predicament he had put himself and Nayuta in after his last transformation. In a similar vein, the issue begins with Denji inquiring about Nayuta’s whereabouts, displaying his worry for her well-being in light of their previous separation.
Nevertheless, it becomes evident in the most recent chapter of Chainsaw Man that Denji, Asa Mitaka, and their companions are still unable to locate the Control Devil. In fact, they revisit Denji’s previous residence, where they last encountered Nayuta, but are unable to find any trace of her.
Despite chapter 164 hinting at something happening to Nayuta, it should be noted that Chainsaw Man’s latest release does not fully confirm this in any way. This could be attributed to the author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s understanding of the consequences of potentially killing Nayuta and how it would negatively impact Denji’s character development at this stage.
Chapter 164: Denji’s True Motivation
In chapter 164, Fujimoto establishes that Denji’s main concern is locating Nayuta and ensuring her well-being instead of becoming Chainsaw Man once more. Denji’s behavior and words in the issue support this, as he even acknowledges that being the titular hero will only bring negative consequences.
In essence, Nayuta continues to serve as Denji’s driving force in his journey to embrace a mundane existence without his powers and become a more responsible caregiver for her. This was evident in the first half of part 2, as Denji maintained this mindset until he was mentally pushed to his limits by the loss of his home and family. This event symbolized the new life he and Nayuta were trying to build, prompting him to fight his way out of this harsh reality.
Despite choosing to fight as Chainsaw Man against Barem Bridge and co, Denji’s actions have consistently shown that he deeply regrets this decision. This is evidenced by his initial awakening in the Tokyo Devil Detention Center, his subsequent discussion with Hirofumi Yoshida, and his latest conversations in chapter 164.
The culmination of all of this is that Nayuta remains the driving force behind his actions, evident in his prioritization of her above all else in his life. If Nayuta were to be killed at this point, it would eliminate his motivation for personal growth and development and potentially leave him stagnant as a character until at least the end of part 2.
If the series were a battle shonen manga, it would be a probable scenario given the common tropes of the battle genre and its shonen audience. However, in actuality, Fujimoto’s flagship manga is a character-driven story disguised as a battle shonen. This is particularly evident in part 2, which caused some dedicated fans of part 1 to lose interest due to its slower pace and lack of action compared to the first part.
Despite Fujimoto being fully aware, it is clear that killing Nayuta would be the most detrimental decision for Denji as a character. It would greatly hinder his growth and development. If Nayuta were to die, Denji would inevitably fall into the familiar “shonen protagonist seeking revenge”archetype that has been commonly used in other series.
This would not align with Fujimoto’s usual approach and would greatly disrupt the flow of the series for readers.
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