Denji lives up to Kishibe's expectations in Chainsaw Man chapter 185

Modified Nov 28, 2024 04:09 GMT

Denji lives up to Kishibe's expectations in Chainsaw Man chapter 185 (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Heading into Chainsaw Man chapter 185, fans were unsure of what to expect from Denji’s plan specifically, with any one of several paths forward seemingly equally viable as the next. Officially released on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at 12 am Japanese Standard Time, the issue did indeed reveal Denji’s plan.

After running to make himself hungry, he chose to chop down and cannibalize one of the people-trees in order to give his stomach, or Pochita’s, human blood.

Chainsaw Man chapter 185 saw this successfully revive Pochita in reality, setting up a rematch with the Aging Devil. Fans responded well to this development, calling it the perfect demonstration of Denji’s ingenuity and unpredictability. However, fans are also missing that Denji finally proved Kishibe’s words right, cementing him as the truly ideal Devil Hunter.

Chainsaw Man chapter 185 sees Kishibe’s words on Denji and Devil Hunters proven right

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Kishibe’s first appearance in mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto’s flagship series comes in chapter 19. Here, a flashback from Himeno establishes him as her mentor, where he also says that “the Devil Hunters that the Devils fear are the ones with a few screws loose.”

Later on, in chapter 96, Kishibe tells Denji “out of all the Devil Hunters [he’d] met up to now, [Denji’s] the one most suited for the job.” Kishibe also adds his wish that Denji survives due to this quality.

Jumping ahead to Chainsaw Man chapter 185, Denji has arguably finally lived up to Kishibe’s expectations in the most exemplary way possible. There’s arguably nothing that signifies having “a few screws loose,” more than committing cannibalism, which is what Denji does in chapter 185.

However, this is shown to confuse and surprise the Aging Devil, which Kishibe also says in chapter 19 is key to making Devils feel fear of what they don’t know or understand.

It’s a scene that establishes that Denji has indeed lived up to Kishibe’s expectations of him, especially since Denji is still a Devil Hunter in early Part 2. What distinguishes this latest example of Denji living up to Kishibe’s expectations is how much of a line it crosses, relative to prior actions.

While Denji’s prior actions have demonstrated his unique brand of insanity, none have been on a level truly comparable to that of committing cannibalism.

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Chainsaw Man chapter 185’s events are also unique in that they serve as a direct callback to Kishibe’s words to Denji in chapter 96. These words precede Denji’s attempt to kill Control Devil Makima by eating her flesh, which he hoped would circumvent her immortality contract with the Japanese government.

The fact that both plans are successful and of the same essential nature proves that Denji has finally blossomed into the Devil Hunter Kishibe always knew he’d be. In turn, this could be setting up Kishibe’s return to the series by nature of referencing these original events and showing how Denji has grown.

Kishibe didn’t outwardly say anything about Denji needing to grow stronger in his most recent appearance, but it’s plausible that he was waiting until Denji was strong enough to return. This may even lead to Denji returning to Public Safety, proving him a valuable enough asset to be left alive and untargeted with Kishibe’s help.

Final thoughts

Denji finally lives up to Kishibe's ideals of him in chapter 185, and it's perfect (Image via MAPPA Studios)

While this isn’t the first time Denji has committed cannibalism, it’s the first time he’s done so in a way that truly lives up to Kishibe’s expectations of him. From the Aging Devil’s shock to the plan's effectiveness and everything in between, it shows just how perfect Denji is for the Devil Hunter role.

This is what distinguishes it from his consumption of Makima, and also elevates this example to a height at which it can be logically called proving Kishibe’s words true.