Chainsaw Man is probably the most anticipated anime of this current anime season, with its debut raking up all the hype in the Animesphere. It has been a trailblazer of a series for manga enthusiasts all around, so it makes sense that people are so excited for its anime adaptation. The setting is equal parts wonderfully absurd and carefully curated to deliver this knockout of a story. And the characters are no exceptions, with strong personalities to rival the heavy story. Speaking of what’s up with the Chainsaw Devil?

The Chainsaw Devil, also known as Pochita, is what makes the titular Chainsaw Man so powerful. One of the main reasons the Chainsaw Devil is feared across the Chainsaw Man universe is because of his power to eradicate different Devils, who are technically supposed to be immortal. So, it makes sense why the other Devils in Hell were trying to get rid of Pochita when Denji came across them.

The world of Chainsaw Man is really detailed, with a system set that defines power levels amongst the various Devils available. Out of them all, it seems like Pochita is the biggest threat. He has the outward appearance of a little dog, but Pochita happens to be a being of both immense mystery and immense power. Despite having been in a battle with the rumored Four Horsemen, he survives long enough to meet Denji and have him be empathetic enough to help him out.

We still haven’t gotten the full picture on what Pochita’s exact backstory is. But that is exactly what we’re here to figure out in a segment I like to call Character Analysis – where we take popular characters from across the Otaku world and break them down to see what makes them so iconic. Today, let’s take a closer look at the unsung star of Chainsaw Man, Pochita, and what makes him such a huge threat to Hell itself.

Pochita: What Makes The Cute Hellion So Powerful?

So, as I said before, there isn’t much we know about the Chainsaw Devil or how he came to being. Likely, his origin is the same as other devils. Devils are beings born from the collective fear of a specific object, factor, or entity. For example, if a human is scared of the dark, then a Darkness Devil comes to exist.

The same holds true for the Chainsaw Devil, who is born from the fear of chainsaws. He has your normal Devil powers, such as immense strength and durability. He is also immortal like the other Devils. But he is also a wildcard, due to a specific ability only he possesses.

This is the Devil Erasure technique, where he can effectively kill other Devils around him by consuming them, which means that those Devils cease to exist. This is how he got his unique moniker, The Devil That Devils Fear The Most. He is, arguably, the greatest danger to his own kind. So, it’s no wonder they turned on him the moment they got the chance.

Denji And Pochita: A Deadly Combo!

So, Pochita wasn’t always very kind towards humans. He’s a Devil, the most powerful one of them all. He has no need to be. However, that changed due to his fated meeting with Denji.

When Pochita escaped the other Devils battling him, he was barely alive. He stumbled upon Denji crying over his father’s grave, and Denji was kind enough to feed him his own blood to help him regain some strength. That small act of mercy towards the fearsome Chainsaw Devil, that’s what convinced Pochita to stay by Denji. It’s also why Pochita fused with Denji and took the place of his heart, when the human was murdered by the Yakuza being led by the Zombie Devil.

Pochita claims he did it because he wanted Denji to fulfill all the dreams he talked about. Pochita was probably one of the only people in Denji’s life that was ever sincere to him. And he knew that Denji deserved a second chance at life without the debts of his family weighing him down.

Since then, Pochita has been severely protective of Denji, conversing with him and helping him navigate his steps through a world that actively wants to eat him alive.   

The Devil Is In The Details:

Devils reincarnate by dying in Hell and reappearing in the human world. And then, when they get killed in the human world, they reincarnate back in Hell. This is what makes them effectively immortal. We saw this happen with Power, who was a Blood Devil.

So, killing a devil is a useful ability. It’s probably why Denji is being hunted upon by the more insidious dwellers of Hell. They know exactly what it could mean for them if Denji and Pochita gained enough power to overwhelm them, considering the Devil Erasure ability is still there.

But what lies ahead for the Chainsaw Devil itself? Only time will tell.