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Chainsaw Man chapter 123 was released on Tuesday, March 14, bringing with it the exciting naming of the series’ newest Primal Devil. Called the Falling Devil, fans saw the newest threat attack Asa Mitaka and War Devil Yoru both mentally and physically, forcing the former to mentally relive trauma while the world was turned upside down, literally.
Many fans were expecting Chainsaw Man chapter 123 to reveal the Primal Devil as something other than the Falling Devil, but have come around to the idea since the issue’s release. Likewise, fans are now trying to figure out exactly how the Falling Devil’s powers work, with no clear explanation apparently present in the latest issue.
Chainsaw Man chapter 123 seems to imply Falling Devil’s powers to be linked to unresolved trauma
Brief chapter recap
Chainsaw Man chapter 123 began with Yoru running away from the Falling Devil, who introduced herself to readers as she ran. The Falling Devil claimed that it was visiting Earth at the requests of Hell’s residents, suggesting it didn’t die and be reincarnated on Earth. Yoru pleaded with Asa to take back control since she can create strong weapons, but this was unsuccessful.
The Falling Devil then clapped its hands, seemingly starting its attack, which forced Asa and viewers to relive her life immediately after her mother’s death. The former was living in an orphanage with the cat she saved from the Typhoon Devil. Readers then saw the orphanage’s caretaker ask her to give the cat away so both Asa and the cat can be happier than they currently are.
Readers saw Asa acquiesce, but eventually discovered that the caretaker killed the cat instead, having claimed that it’s not fair for Asa to be the only one there with a family member. Chainsaw Man chapter 123 then returned readers and Asa to reality, where the latter found herself hanging onto a railing so as not to fall into the sky.
Readers then witnessed seven other individuals, most likely the convicts whom Famine Devil Fami referenced as dying “this week” in the last issue, float into the sky and into doors presumably leading to Hell. The Falling Devil then explained that “the lower one’s heart sinks, the higher their body falls.” The chapter ended with Yoru attempting to calm Asa down enough to take control of their shared body and save them, since the former can’t win this fight.
The Falling Devil’s powers, explored
When assessing the Falling Devil’s powers, it's important to establish what readers saw up to Chainsaw Man chapter 123 before speculating on exactly how her powers work. Her debut in chapter 122 seemingly suggested that she’s able to create mass hysteria, or at least control people en masse, and force them to intentionally “fall” as a result.
Chapter 123 saw her warn that “those who don’t finish their food will taste death,” implying her first course to be the revisiting of one’s traumatic past which Asa experiences. Upon returning to reality, Asa found that her own gravity and that of other affected individuals has been essentially flipped. Also worth noting is that passersby on the street seemed to recognize Asa experiencing this anomaly.
The Falling Devil then claimed in Chainsaw Man chapter 123 that the “concept of this dish” is that “the lower the heart sinks, the higher the body falls.” She also directly likened this to one’s life experiences here, sharing her hope that “the flavor of past traumas” will “delight your taste buds.”
Putting all of this together, it seems that the Falling Devil has two different sets of powers: one passive which stems from her presence, and another which she actively uses. The passive set of powers appears to be what causes her mass hysteria on select humans. Unfortunately, the exact condition of this is not yet known, as well as whether or not she’s able to target or control this passive ability.
Chainsaw Man chapter 123 seemingly implied that her active powers are to force a selected individual or set of individuals to relive their past traumas. The pain this causes each individual seemingly forces their bodies to ignore gravity and begin “falling” into the sky, and eventually Hell. The Falling Devil herself said as much in the issue’s final pages.
Furthermore, her words seem to imply that if one is able to come to terms with or move past their traumas, her powers are either negated or will not affect them as intended. This could be setting up Asa Mitaka for her biggest moment of character growth yet.
However, this is all purely speculative, with no official explanation of the Falling Devil’s having appeared in the series thus far. That being said, fans can expect this to occur in the series’ near future.
Follow along for more Chainsaw Man anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
