For as much Shonen as I watch, I rarely enjoy the protagonist more than I do the villain. Look, I’m just a sucker for a well-rounded antagonist in anime. Like, yeah, world domination is one reason you could be an obsessive prick but give me more substance than that. Like when Makima was revealed to be a villain in Chainsaw Man and we realized that the reason she was trying to control everything was for world peace and ‘no bad movies. Oh, and also because Makima was weirdly obsessed with Pochita.
So, why was Makima so unhinged over Pochita again? Well, it may have something to do with the fact that he is the infamous Chainsaw Devil, who she was a huge fan of. But there’s way more to this than just simple idol worship. After all, the Chainsaw Devil is the only thing that can decimate other Devils like herself and render them incapable of reincarnating. He is something that makes the Devils actually vulnerable. Of course, that would have someone like Makima more than a little intrigued.
And like, for a creature so used to having her way, the Chainsaw Devil is the only unreliable element in all of her plans. If she wants to take over the world and achieve her idea of utopia, she can’t something like that stand in her way. But more importantly, she can’t have it be rogue either. This is exactly why she engineered the entire events of the Public Safety saga so that she could manipulate Denji to be completely dependent on her. After all, Denji is the new host for the Chainsaw Devil.
But to me, I feel like there is a lot more to her single-minded adoration towards Pochita than just controlling him like a tool. I think somewhere, she has this warped sense of affection for the Chainsaw Devil, and it stems from a strange place. But that’s just how complex Makima is. Let’s break her character and motivations down in today’s segment of Character Analysis!
Makima: On Top Of The Kill List?
First things first, it’s important to remember that Makima isn’t just some run-of-the-mill terror. She is the Control Devil, and she is nearly as old as humanity itself. That means she’s extremely powerful, with little to no one that can match her prowess.
So, it’s not strange to see her vying for control even now. It’s in her very nature to dominate and demand power. But that’s also why she is so attracted to the Chainsaw Devil. In a way, HE is the only one that comes near to actually threatening her existence. Pochita and her are on top of the food chain, so to speak. They have no peers and that’s where they’ll remain. But Makima wants absolute control, and with a being like the Chainsaw Devil by her side, who can come in her way?
So, she sets about trying to break the contract between Denji and Pochita by seducing Denji. She gaslights him at every chance, making him believe that the two shared an honest bond when the truth is the opposite. She ruins Denji’s relationships, and kills his friends, so he’s left so isolated and broken he has to give up control to Pochita. And who would refuse an offer to take over the world, right?
Why Makima Pursued The Chainsaw Devil Pochita So Hard:
Pochita is as close as an equal gets to her so maybe, in a way, Makima wants that. When she sees how close he and Denji are, escaping her net of manipulation, it angers her. Because all she truly longs for is a family, to have the happiness that she can share with someone else.
She wants her vision of a Euphoric world to become a reality, she wants more than just the lonely life of being the absolute dominant personality. And the only way she’s getting that is with someone like Chainsaw Devil. Because ultimately, she is a being made to conquer and ruin.
So, how do you find love that is based on equality if your very existence is controlling? Pochita is the sole being that can give her that. Too bad she didn’t account for the very real relationship that Denji and Pochita shared that would override anything she’d have to offer.
And so, she never gets that happy ending. Hell, Makima doesn’t even get her last wish, which was to be consumed by Pochita. That’s the end of her arc.
