Yoru may not be Chainsaw Man's true War Devil (& it isn't Nayuta either)

With Death's reveal in Chainsaw Man, the perception of who is actually who they say they are has been thrown off. For a major portion of Part II, the Death Devil was posing as her sister Fami before finally coming clean in chapter 198. With this in mind, there is now speculation surrounding Horsemen's true identities, in specific, Asa Mitaka and Yoru.

It is possible that instead of Yoru, Asa is the real War Devil. There is evidence to back this claim as well. Such proof begins when the pair were introduced, i.e., as their "contract" was forged. At the time, it didn't seem too unusual, as it looked like a Denji-Pochita situation. However, that event itself and subsequent happenings seemed to push more for Asa being the actual War Devil.

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

Chainsaw Man: War Devil's true identity is neither Yoru nor Nayuta

Asa Mitaka in Chainsaw Man (Image via Viz Media)

To begin with, the "contract" between Asa Mitaka and Yoru in Chainsaw Man isn't really a contract. It is different from the Devil contracts seen so far in the series. Yoru's offer to Asa doesn't explicitly label it as a contract, which is what happens in other cases.

Even when Pochita and Denji contracted, it was explicitly mentioned. This is similar to when the Eternity Devil contracted with Public, Makima with Aki, Power with Denji and the Aging Devil's contracts.

The only exceptions to this are Himeno's Ghost Devil contracts and the American President with the Gun Devil. But this is likely because it was a human making the offer. Further evidence is that Yoru cannot take over if Asa is afraid or seemingly inflicts self-harm. Devil contracts give the Devil what is stated—Aki loses skin when Fox is summoned and Himeno disintegrates completely when she surrenders herself to Ghost. However, Yoru gets nothing from Asa.

Next, the Death Devil seems to care for and refer to Asa a little differently. When the latter decided to save Yuko, Death simply said, "Anything for my little sister". This appears to be a major nod to Asa being War and not Yoru. Barring other instances, this one wasn't linked to Death's grand scheme and she just wanted to aid her younger sister. In the aquarium, Death reveals herself as "War Devil's older sister" to Asa and later refers to Asa/Yoru as War Devil when talking them.

Additionally, Public Safety called Asa the War Devil (and not Hybrid/Fiend) when they attempted to arrest her. Tied to this was Death protecting Asa when they rescued Denji, even looking out for her and listening to Asa's requests, something she would likely only do for her sisters.

War Devil Yoru in Chainsaw Man (Image via Viz Media)

Moving on, Yoru and Asa share a sort of love-hate relationship. Despite having "forcefully" taken over Asa's body, she seems willing to work with the girl, more often than not.

When Asa is actually enjoying herself (date with Denji, poster girl for Chainsaw Man Church), she becomes similar to Yoru. She acts like Yoru would when she knows she is feared. There one minute difference though—Asa doesn't like harming anyone and fears the rejection of doing as she wants, unlike Yoru.

Asa/Yoru's power ties in here as well—weaponizing objects or people. Though Yoru claims to care for nothing, she seemed genuinely concerned when she converted the Gun and Tank Devils into gauntlets. Hence, linking everything thus far, it is possible that Yoru is the suppressed other half of Asa's personality after the latter's reincarnation. She likely lived fully unaware of her past till she died, her last wish of being more selfish reawakening her subdued personality, i.e., Yoru.

A minor detail, but yet important—Yoru's scars hint at a past battle against something akin to Pochita's chainsaws. Further, Part 2's promotional art showcases Denji (Hybrid Form) splitting Asa's head. Like Part 1's poster teasing Makima's demise, this one does the same, but that might have already happened: Chainsaw Man killing the War Devil. This is probably indicated by Asa's dream, the chicken corpses representing previous War Devil kills.

Lastly, what could be behind Asa's door is either the guilt she carries over her inability to save her mother using her War Devil powers, or the thing that pushed the previous War Devil to battle Pochita.

In conclusion

Asa and Denji in Chainsaw Man (Image via Viz Media)

To conclude, Death's true identity being revealed in Chainsaw Man has considerably influenced how fans interpret the roles and relationships among the Horsemen, particularly Asa and Yoru. The rare “contract,” Death’s sisterly interactions with Asa, and inconsistencies in how Devil powers typically manifest—all suggest that Asa may be the real War Devil, rather than Yoru, who might be a manifestation of Asa’s suppressed self.

Public Safety identifying of Asa as "War Devil" and Death's protective behavior push this idea. The emotional and psychological similarities between Asa’s behavior and Yoru’s traits, coupled with subtle cues like Yoru's scars, Asa's dream, and Part 2's promotional art, bolster the suggestion that Asa’s true identity is more than what meets the eye. Not just a Fiend or a Hybrid, Asa may be the reincarnated War Devil herself.

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About the author

Casey has been an anime writer at Sportskeeda since almost a year. Being drawn into the world of animanga after watching the Dragon Ball series almost a decade ago, Casey's interest in the genre, along with his love of crafting plot theories influenced his writerly endeavors. Presently pursuing a Master's degree in International Business, Casey worked for Uneake and FootballExpress for 1.3 years before joining Sportskeeda.

Casey's writings reflect his commitment to producing the most reliable content, evidenced by his flair for in-depth reporting. He places a high value on meticulous research and complete factual accuracy.

Although it was legendary Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus that influenced his love of animanga, Casey soon branched out and explored other titles. The unique ways in which mangakas express ideas, as well as their far-reaching effects, have inspired Casey in his creative pursuits.

When not busy writing, Casey enjoys working out, listening to music, strumming the guitar, and playing football.

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Edited by DEEPALI