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The latest episode of the Chainsaw Man series was an incredibly jarring one for viewers, completely rewriting what they had been told about the series’ world thus far. Amidst this, an assault was launched on Tokyo Special Division 4, with the fate of all but one of its members still unknown.
The character in question is Makima, whom fans saw ambushed in an incredibly brutal way to start the assault on Tokyo Special Division 4. While this scene in Chainsaw Man Episode 8 has many wondering about her status, there is indeed an answer to this question which can be found in the manga.
However, answering this question requires a discussion of several facts and aspects regarding the series, diving into spoiler territory in the process.
Chainsaw Man Episode 8 has fans curious about Makima’s status, but may leave them with a clue
Is Makima alive?
Chainsaw Man Episode 8 began with the wrap-up to the Eternity Devil arc, which included the conclusion of Denji’s stay in Himeno’s apartment. This also saw a flashback scene between Denji and Makima, where she consoles him following his puke kiss with Himeno. She even teases that the two have indirectly kissed by sharing a cola-flavored Chupa Chups lollipop.
It’s this lollipop that convinces Denji not to be intimate with Himeno, instead waiting for Makima once he defeats the Gun Devil. He then falls asleep on the floor. Over breakfast, the two essentially agree to form an alliance where Himeno helps Denji get with Makima, while he aids her in courting Aki Hayakawa.
The scene ends with Himeno suggesting he bring Aki and Power over for breakfast sometime. This causes him to wonder if Makima will come, prompting Chainsaw Man Episode 8 to shift perspectives to a Kyoto-bound shinkansen with Makima on board. Accompanying her is an unnamed Public Safety member, who discusses the day’s upcoming events.
As the train enters a tunnel, the four men sitting in front of and behind Makima reach down beneath their seats. All four then take out guns and proceed to shoot Makima and her escort to death. The men, calling themselves Team C, then radioed someone saying"
“We are go.”
Chainsaw Man Episode 8 then shows that all of Tokyo Special Division 4 is under assault, with the ultimate fates of those shown in this sequence left unknown. Following this, a fight scene between the newly introduced Katana Man and Aki Hayakawa follows, eventually ending (after some twists and turns) with the tragic death of Himeno.
While the closing scenes of the episode are incredibly harrowing, fans seem primarily concerned with the status of Makima following the attack. Although the episode doesn’t clarify her status, she indeed survives. The reason is due to her truthfully being the Control Devil.
As the Control Devil, Makima has a contract with the Prime Minister of Japan which turns any fatal attack on her into a corresponding ailment or accident on a random Japanese citizen. This allows her to survive the incident, essentially sacrificing the lives of some innocent Japanese citizens.
Furthermore, Makima was actually aware that the attack would happen all along. While not revealed in Chainsaw Man Episode 8, the upcoming episodes will see Madoka of Tokyo Special Division 4 question her intimations regarding the attack. Assessing her answer, it’s clear that she did indeed anticipate this assault, and chose to let it happen anyway.
One possible explanation for how she would have known this is due to her ability to borrow the hearing and sight of lesser life forms, such as birds and other animals. This ability seems to extend to anywhere on the planet, even Hell, based on events in future arcs the anime's first cour will not cover.
Nevertheless, Makima does indeed survive the attack on her life in Chainsaw Man Episode 8 and would have done so even if she wasn’t aware of the plan. Anime-only fans can hopefully rest easy knowing that the sneaky seductress will indeed return in upcoming installments.
Be sure to keep up with all Chainsaw Man anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.
