Fujimoto may have already revealed Chainsaw Man's main antagonist (and it's not Death Devil)

The latest Chainsaw Man chapter presented some very intriguing and disturbing revelations for possible future developments. For one, Denji wasn't dead and in limbo, but had been taken away by Death to a safe place. Next, the boy heard nothing of what he must do next as his attention was elsewhere. But the most intriguing and disturbing one was Fumiko Mifune's Devil reveal.

As chapter 212 puts forth, Fumiko had contracted the STD Devil when she was just 14 years of age. That itself has dark implications and a little unsettling history. However, the reveal of Fumiko's Devil may have just established her as the final antagonist of the series. Moreover, her pushing Denji to have a "happy life" with War Devil Yoru only furthers this idea.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Chainsaw Man: The series' main antagonist may have already debuted, and it isn't Death

Diving straight in, Fumiko tries to persuade Denji to ally with Yoru, only fueling the idea that she has ulterior motives. These tie into the Devil she claims to be contracted with, i.e., the STD Devil. As she explains, whoever she gets physically intimate with becomes Fumiko Mifune in body and mind, essentially replicating herself.

Now shifting focus to the method of replication, physical intimacy or sex is essentially a component of War, Death, and Control. Moreover, certain diseases originating from unsafe physical contact and intimacy, like Syphilis, lead to loss of appetite and fatigue. Thus, it is also a part of Famine. So, putting these points together, it won't be wrong to (unofficially) call Fumiko the Fifth Horseman.

Alongside War, Death, Control, and Famine, she can stand as Pestilence. Now, physical intimacy has been a significant part of the narrative from the beginning. Rather than being a genuine human feeling that brings two people closer, it has been used as a tool for manipulation and misconstrued, becoming a motivator instead.

Fumiko influencing Denji (Image via Viz Media)

It is one of the main things on Denji's mind (starting from Makima). Makima uses it to manipulate Denji, Yoru attempts to use it as a motivator for Denji, and now, Fumiko duplicates herself through it. So, in a Deathless world in Chainsaw Man, new STDs will definitely emerge. If humanity could reinvent nuclear weapons, there is every possibility that new diseases will emerge, maybe even AIDS returns.

Living eternally afflicted with an incurable STD is a fate worse than Death. Circling back to Fumiko, her contracting with the STD Devil at the time she did has to have an unsettling origin story. She may have been a victim of assault, or is simply uninformed, or has somehow contracted one herself - the details on this need to be carefully brought to light first.

But through her powers in Chainsaw Man, she seems to duplicate, similar to how an STD strips away one's sense of self and integrity, and her approach to Denji in the manner she did speaks volumes about her cunning. As powerful as he is, the teenager has always fallen victim to offers of physical intimacy. So, if she gets him to help Yoru, she could likely replicate endlessly and ultimately topple Yoru.

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Final thoughts

Denji (Image via Viz Media)

Chainsaw Man chapter 212 may have just brought the series's actual villain to the forefront - Fumiko Mifune. The reveal of the Devil she has a contract with, the STD Devil, adds an unsettling layer to her character. This is especially true given the tender age at which she formed the contract, teasing a dark past.

The power she holds - create other Fumiko Mifunes through physical intimacy - looks to be directly tied to the recurring theme of sexuality as manipulation in Chainsaw Man. From Makima to Yoru, that has been Denji's main vulnerability, and Fumiko leveraging it positions her as an oddly menacing foe.

Symbolically, Fumiko's abilities align with Pestilence, likely placing her as a potential Fifth Horseman. Instantly, her status as a character is elevated and replaces her as the true threat humanity must fear. If she is scheming to create infinite copies of herself, she could surpass Death and Yoru as ultimate villains and use disease and intimacy against Denji and the world.

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