Chainsaw Man: Theory proves Public Safety's descent in Part 2 is Makima's fault

One of the most confusing aspects of the second part of author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man manga series for fans has been the apparent change in Public Safety overall. Whereas part one portrayed the Public Safety organization as relatively just and agreeable, part two has continued to prove that this is far from the case as it currently is.

Likewise, many Chainsaw Man fans are curious as to what exactly happened that caused this major change in the organization’s attitudes, goals, and methods. However, the answer is not only somewhat obvious but a result of Public Safety’s own doing in the form of the previous Control Devil Makima.

Makima’s division of Public Safety in Chainsaw Man part one forced the organization's metamorphosis

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As X (formerly Twitter) user and apparent Chainsaw Man fan @Secret_Doves points out, Makima did not start out being in control of Public Safety, or anywhere close to it. She is instead a low-level manager and is the head of the experimental Special Division 4, whose existence is threatened by a lack of results thus far. Likewise, as the Control Devil, Makima’s freedom and self-governance should also be on the line.

To combat this, Makima spends the early arcs by consolidating power via a false flag attack on Public Safety, which she is heavily implied to have known about prior to its commencement. This sets up the merging of Special Division 4 with the other Special Divisions, with Makima remaining as leader. Following Division 4’s successful retaliation and proving of her worth, she both bolsters her argument for more authority and shocks a “complacent organization.”

The first part puts Makima’s further consolidation of power on the back burner, still showing it but doing so much more subtly. This can be shown when she’s given the authority to temporarily combine Devil Extermination Division 7 and Special Division 4. Despite this, she still doesn’t take full control of Public Safety. However, this latest boost in authority is likely what starts the implied power struggle between the Makima and Kishibe camps.

For his failure against Makima in Chainsaw Man's first part, Kishibe is likely being punished by the new version of Public Safety (Image via MAPPA Studios)

The Makima camp eventually falls under her complete, total, and literal control once amassing enough authority to use her power on a majority of the organization. It’s worth mentioning that the Control Devil’s abilities function on perception; if the Control Devil views someone as beneath them, then they can be fully controlled. By amassing this aforementioned authority and rising in the Public Safety ranks, Makima began to view more people as being beneath her.

To combat Makima, Kishibe’s forces amassed what appears to be governmental support based on the special forces soldiers seen acting under his direct command. However, Kishibe’s resistance is undermined at the point when Makima amasses enough influence to take control of the majority of Public Safety’s forces. She is seemingly implied as having the majority of their forces under her control throughout ’s final stages.

What Makima’s plotting and Kishibe’s subsequent rebellion prove is that Public Safety is not a monolithic organization, being quite far from it in fact. Likewise, this hasn’t changed in part two as far as fans can tell. This is especially true if it is assumed that Kishibe is still part of the organization despite his opposition to Makima in part one.

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If this is the case, then what has changed in Chainsaw Man part two is how fans interact with Public Safety. Whereas part one showed readers the organization’s inner workings, part two saw fans interact with Public Safety solely through Hirofumi Yoshida. Furthermore, the group’s intentions are always implicitly outlined in these interactions, never explicitly so.

Likewise, it can be assumed that Yoshida’s words of advice to Denji symbolize that there’s a faction within the group trying to protect Denji and Nayuta. This faction is likely led by Kishibe and is likewise weak because he failed to stop Makima. Despite being right about her, new factions in Public Safety almost certainly lay the blame at his feet, and subsequently use this blame to undermine his authority for their benefit.

This new faction is almost certainly the group fans saw in chapter 145, shown to be staunchly anti-Devil and anti-Chainsaw Man. This also opposes the experimental squad ideology Makima showed, further pointing to her being at fault for the change in Public Safety. Now, as Kishibe’s faction is likely dissolved as a result of Denji’s latest transformation, the blame for Public Safety’s evolution in part two undoubtedly lies with Makima.