Chainsaw Man may disappoint fans with the Fire Devil host reveal no matter what (& it's obvious why)

Chainsaw Man did a splendid job, finally revealing the Fire Devil in the latest chapter. Posing as Fakesaw Man, it has operated in the shadows until now. Once again, it was a brilliant moment that swept the carpet from under readers' feet, given how long the character has been teased. What's more intriguing is that the Fire Devil specifically points out the body it had been controlling.

Needless to say, that threw the fandom into a frenzy of speculation. Given how Denji chose to deal with Fakesaw Man, the corpse was mangled, and its severed head was cut in half. Many began to label the deceased Seigi Akoku, but there has been no official confirmation yet. It wouldn't be wrong to say that, however, the true host will possibly disappoint readers no matter what.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinions.

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Chainsaw Man: The Fire Devil host's reveal may ultimately disappoint

Denji and the Fire Devil (Image via Viz Media)

In Chainsaw Man chapter 204, the Fire Devil finally revealed itself when Denji sliced and diced Fakesaw Man. From the imposter maimed corpse arose the Devil that has been teased since the beginning of Part II. As expected of creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, the Devil's design was as ominous and terrifying as ever. Furthermore, there is now a buzz around who its host has truly been.

Many are of the opinion that Seigi Akoku had the Fire Devil within him, the human it was using to do its bidding. At one point, even Hirofumi Yoshida was speculated to be the Fire Devil, but that was ruled out during the Aging Devil Arc. As things stand, it looks like the revelation about the host's true identity will be underwhelming nonetheless.

This stems from the idea that Chainsaw Man Part II had grand plans for the character; hence, there were repeated Fakesaw Man appearances. This includes him murdering Yuko and being present during the Falling Devil's attack. But he was then MIA for quite a while, likely indicating a change of plans. This isn't uncommon in Shonen, wherein ideas are discarded/altered with time.

Another instance of this can be seen in Jujutsu Kaisen - the military plot during the Culling Games looked potentially important before it was completely done away.

On a similar note, the host's reveal in the next chapter may not be a major development. It could be an odd scenario where Denji doesn't even realize who the person is whose face he needs to remember. Additonally, it won't be as satisfying given that there weren't many great candidates for the Fire Devil host's identity, including Seigi.

This would once more be reflected in what Chainsaw Man Part II has focused on more - Denji and Asa. Apart from this pair, the supporting cast hasn't been fully fleshed out like in Part I. Save for the Death Devil, and characters like Yoshida, Barem, and Fumiko, an origin story, development, or goals, didn't support the rest of the cast.

In fact, it would be better to assume that Fujimoto opted to home in on the protagonist duo and less on the details elsewhere. Furthermore, Denji's not recognizing the host could be the whole point - not "Do you remember his face?" but rather, "Do you care about the life you just took?". Fujimoto's next actions are always unpredictable, and another plot twist wouldn't be surprising.

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Final Thoughts

Denji (Image via MAPPA)

Chainsaw Man chapter 204 presents a much-awaited moment through the Fire Devil's official introduction, though its execution may tease narrative compromises. Readers were roused given its dramatic emergence, but suppositions around who the host actually is (touted as Seigi Akoku) may ultimately not meet expectations.

Rather than a flaw, it would reflect Part II’s thematic shift. Expansive subplots may have been on the cards previously, but the narrative has since chosen to highlight Denji and Asa. This would essentially pay comparatively less attention to the supporting cast's development.

Needless to say, these deliberate narrative choices would have a spillover effect in the reveal, feeling unsatisfactory. As is the case with Fujimoto, nothing is ever black and white. So here, there would be concerns over identity, agency, and consequence. Denji, not knowing who it is, may boil down to whether or not he cares that he took a life.

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