The Chainsaw Man story, while rather short, moves incredibly quickly. There are certain details and tidbits about the characters, the story, and the world that can be easily glossed over during the first read of the manga or watch of the upcoming anime.
Denji, being the protagonist of the series, naturally steals the spotlight most of the time, but even as the main star of the show, there are still little bits of information about him that fans may not have noticed the first time around. For any curious Chainsaw Man fans, here are some trivia facts about the infamous chainsaw man himself, that audiences may have missed.
Updated on January 27, 2023, by Christine Mendoza: As the first season of the Chainsaw Man animated series comes to an end, fans can't help but reach for more Chainsaw Man content all about their favorite characters. So far, Power and Aki have gotten a quick exploration into their past but as the series continues, audiences began to realize that they don't know as much as they thought they did about the trio's main character, Denji. A great deal of Denji's past is a bit of a mystery, so it's only natural that fans are eager to find out more about their elusive (and pervy) protagonist. To keep up with both the anime and the currently ongoing manga series, a few new entries about Denji have been added to keep fans up-to-date with the famous Chainsaw Man himself.
Disclaimer: Major series spoilers ahead!
13 He Is Not A Picky Eater
A great deal of Denji's knack for "swallowing anything with nutritional value" can be accredited to his tragic past of living on the streets with his pal Pochita. It's a sad reality but at the end of the day, Denji needed to eat whatever he could find in order to survive.
While many fans would think that this quirk of his would change after getting a taste of the good life with Makima and her assortment of breakfast jams, it seems as if Denji didn't change a bit. Power is a bit of a glutton yet still refuses to touch her veggies. Luckily for her, Denji (surprisingly) respects all food, even leafy greens, and happily finishes them for her. Even after the horrible first kiss incident with Himeno, he decided to stay over for breakfast because, in his mind, only a complete fool would turn down free food!
12 He Finally Found A New Family
As of the moment (in the manga), Makima has reincarnated as a young girl by the name of Nayuta. All devils are sent to hell and straight back to earth after death, and the new Control Devil is now taking the role of Denji's baby sister. In order to prevent Nayuta from essentially reliving the past and becoming the evil Makima once again, Kishibe has tasked Denji with keeping an eye on the young girl, giving her a responsible older brother to look up to; even taking drastic measures in order to earn enough money for Nayuta's college fund in the future.
Along with taking in the Control Devil herself, Denji is also now the caretaker of all of Makima's pet dogs as well. Custard, Tiramisu, along with Makima's other unnamed dogs are all in Denji's care and seem to get along well with Nayuta as well. Hopefully, Denji didn't leave Meowy behind and adopted Power's best bud too; the bigger the family, the more love!
11 He Has No Official Last Name
Denji goes by his first name and nothing else. Considering his rough upbringing, it's no wonder Denji didn't have time to keep track of "trivial" things like his surname or any other identification; it was a miracle he remembered his age after all!
It could very well be a stylistic choice to keep Denji's name mononymous or maybe more simply, Denji forgot his family name (perhaps to create a big reveal for later in the series). However, Denji isn't alone when it comes to going by a single name as most of the main characters in the series go by a singular first name, with the exception of fellow topknot devil hunter, Aki Hayakawa.
10 He Didn't Know How To Swim Before Meeting Reze
There are quite a few experiences Denji missed out on as a child due to his rough upbringing. One of the many things young Denji missed out on was ever getting the chance to learn how to swim.
When a day-to-day routine consists of rummaging through garbage for any edible food and hunting devils to keep the dangerous Yakuza away, there's just no time to visit the local water park, nearby beach, or pool.
Either Denji was a natural at swimming or Reze was an amazing teacher because Denji seemed to have gotten the hang of it by the end of the night. Ironically enough, it was Denji's newfound ability to swim that led to Reze's demise.
9 His Name Is Likely An Homage To Abara
Creator, Tatsuki Fujimoto, has mentioned that the 2005 seinen series Abara served as a source of inspiration when creating the Chainsaw Man series. It's likely that Denji's name was spawned from Abara's protagonist that shares the same name. Abara's futuristic protagonist is named Denji Kudou; and aside from their names, the pair has another rather big thing in common.
Chainsaw Man's Denji experiences a scarring transformation, turning into a hybrid devil following his fusion with Pochita. Meanwhile, Abara's Denji undergoes a similar transformation, except in his case, he is experimented on for the sake of humanity, turning him into a Black Guana, a creature similar to the White Guana, the dangerous creatures that have taken over Abara's dystopian world.
8 He Has Never Received Any Formal Education
Poor Denji has lived a life of poverty, neglect, and loneliness ever since the day he was born. Due to the tremendous debt his father had left to him and his mother's death, Denji had no real family or friends and spent all his time finding ways to pay off his father's debt to the Yakuza.
All things considered, it's not much of a surprise when Denji mentions that he's never attended a school throughout his life. Luckily he got to live out a bit of his banal dream of school life with Reze, even if it were just for a second.
7 He Is A Hybrid Devil
Denji was, of course, a human before he had fused with Pochita, but not many fans may know where that actually leaves him; is he a devilman, a devil, a fiend? It is stated that Denji is not a devilman, as a devilman is specifically a human corpse that was then taken over by a devil. Aki states that the main characteristic that indicates a devilman is the shape of their head.
While Denji is seen in his human form most of the time, the most notorious version of him that fans love is when he unleashes his chainsaws, having them burst out of his forehead and arms. However, this is not his devil form but his hybrid form, as he still maintains many of his human characteristics.
Denji's full devil form is shown much later in the manga; at that point, none of his human-like characteristics are left, and not even his human consciousness is fully present.
6 He Was Born In 1980
Denji does mention being around sixteen (or at least that's what he thinks) during the first part of the series, but he's actually much older than that now. There is only one real indication of what era or timeframe the series takes place in, and it can be rather easy to miss.
During one scene where the gun devil appears, the date and time appear, revealing that the Chainsaw Man series takes place all the way back in 1997. Denji doesn't have an official birthdate, but his birth year is listed as 1980, making him around seventeen years old (depending on his birthday month).
5 He Got All His Missing Organs Back, Thanks To Pochita
A small detail that many may have overlooked the first time around for the early chapters/episodes is the fact that Denji no longer wears an eyepatch simply because he no longer needs one. After his near-death experience and fusing with little Pochita, Denji gained back all the organs he had once sold to pay off his father's debt.
Not only that, but he is also seemingly cured of the heart issue he had inherited from his mother, as he's never seen coughing up blood (outside of when in battle) again. This is likely due to Pochita's regenerative abilities he had as a devil, passing them down to Denji.
4 He Also Has A Contract With The Blood Devil
After the big reveal about Makima's true intentions and her hidden identity, Power tries to defend her friend in battle and decides to sacrifice herself to let Denji live.
As Power realizes she is about to die, she gives Denji a big hug before forming a contract with him. Power gives Denji her blood in order to refuel him, making him promise her that she would come to find the blood devil once again after reincarnation, and befriend them, no matter how seemingly difficult it is.
Denji currently has a contract with not just the chainsaw devil but also the blood devil. Thanks to this contract formed with Power, Denji was then given the blood chainsaw ability, allowing him to summon a chainsaw made of Power's blood. Devils take contracts very seriously and Power's last wish may just be a hint for her reappearance later in the series!
3 He Has Trouble Reading
The Japanese writing system is rather difficult already, as it is with hiragana, katakana, and kanji, but for poor Denji, it's even harder! Lots of everyday writing often uses a mixture of the different kinds of lettering systems, so it's no wonder Denji sometimes struggles with simple things like restaurant menus.
There are a few instances where it's clear that Denji struggles with reading from time to time. While he still had Aki and the others to help him order during their get-together at the restaurant, Reze also took a shot at trying to teach him how to read as well and managed to pass her test.
2 He Had A Cameo Appearance In My Hero Academia
It's a rather common thing to have other popular anime characters be featured in another series; whether it be as a shout-out to another great series or a way of showing one creator's love for another. In chapter 259 of My Hero Academia, there is a wide shot of Fat Gum and a crowd of other heroes. While it looks like a bit of a frenzy, keen fans were quick to point out one hero that looked rather familiar. In the crowd of heroes, Denji (in his hybrid form), sporting his signature chainsaw devil look, is seen in the crowd!
Hopefully, Deku can help Denji study so everyday reading won't be an issue any longer!
1 He Is Tatsuki Fujimoto's Favorite Character
While Denji may not place particularly high in character popularity polls (placing 5th in the first poll and 4th in the second poll), there is still one special fan that holds Denji on a pedestal. Chainsaw Man creator and artist Tatsuki Fujimoto has stated before that protagonist Denji is his absolute favorite character of the series!
Even as Fujimoto's favorite, Denji has suffered terribly throughout the first part of the manga so far. Denji may be Fujimoto's number one, but he's definitely not playing favorites when it comes to plot progression.