How I Would've Ended Chainsaw Man Part 2

Honestly?

I still think Chainsaw Man Part 1 had the best ending.

I would've been completely fine if Fujimoto just ended the whole manga there.

Makima is gone.

Denji finally understands what she was doing to him.

He doesn't become some perfect hero.

He gets Nayuta.

He gets a chance to do something better with the Control Devil.

And after everything that happened with Aki, Power and Makima, the ending still manages to be hopeful without pretending everything is okay.

That's basically perfect Chainsaw Man to me.

Then Part 2 happened.

And I don't hate Part 2.

Actually, I really like Asa.

I find Asa really cute.

Not because she's some perfect anime girl.

Quite literally because she's the opposite 😭

She's awkward.

She overthinks.

She's insecure.

She's jealous.

She says the wrong thing.

She wants people to like her and then somehow makes the conversation worse.

She has her own opinions.

She's flawed.

She feels like an actual person.

And I think Asa + Denji had the potential to be the emotional center of Part 2.

Two incredibly socially damaged people trying to figure out what the hell love even is.

That's what I wanted more of.

I wanted Part 2 to be much more about Denji and Asa

Denji's entire life is basically people wanting something from him.

Makima didn't really want Denji.

She wanted Chainsaw Man.

The world doesn't care about Denji.

They care about Chainsaw Man.

People cheer for Chainsaw Man.

People hate Chainsaw Man.

People want to use Chainsaw Man.

Meanwhile Denji himself is sitting there thinking:

does literally anyone just like ME?

That's why Asa could've been perfect for him.

Not because she's some magically compatible soulmate.

Because she's just as fucked up in a completely different way.

Denji barely understands affection.

Asa barely understands social interaction.

Both desperately want connection.

Both make terrible decisions.

Both are lonely.

Both are weird.

That's a much more interesting relationship than turning either of them into some generic romance character.

I wanted them to slowly get closer while constantly getting in their own way.

I also wanted a much better Power return

This is another thing.

The Blood Devil contract felt way too important to just leave hanging forever.

Power literally tells Denji to find the Blood Devil and turn it back into Power.

That's not some random dialogue.

That's a giant fucking promise.

But I also wouldn't want Power to just respawn exactly the same.

That would completely ruin her death.

The new Blood Devil should be a different person.

Maybe hostile.

Maybe terrifying.

Maybe nothing like Power.

And Denji keeps trying to force this new Blood Devil into being Power again.

Same jokes.

Same habits.

Same relationship.

And eventually he realizes:

Power is dead.

This isn't her.

That would've been brutal.

But then maybe the new Blood Devil starts developing some weird connection with Denji anyway.

Not because she remembers him properly.

Just little fragments.

Some instinct.

Some strange familiarity.

Maybe she says something Power would've said without understanding why.

And Denji just freezes.

That would've hit HARD.

Not Power coming back.

Something of Power surviving.

Big difference.

The little sister stuff felt unnecessary to me

I understand why Fujimoto likes this dynamic.

He has this thing with younger sister / sibling / family relationships in his other manga too.

And I understand why Nayuta matters thematically.

Pochita wanted Denji to give the Control Devil the kind of relationship Makima could never have.

That's actually beautiful.

But for Part 2, I would've moved away from making that another giant emotional center.

For me, that story had already done its job.

I wanted Denji's next stage to be different.

Not:

learn how to take care of a little sister.

More:

learn how to actually build an adult relationship with another person.

That would've been Asa.

But the BIG thing I would've changed is Pochita

This is the part I think would've made Part 2 way more interesting.

I would NOT reveal that Pochita was secretly the Devil Devil all along.

That feels too easy.

Instead:

Pochita really is the Chainsaw Devil.

But at some point, long before the story began, something happened in Hell.

Pochita fought the actual Devil Devil.

A devil born from humanity's fear of devils themselves.

And somehow Pochita killed it.

Then took over its corpse.

Or merged with it.

Or consumed its heart.

Whatever exact mechanism Fujimoto wanted.

The important thing is:

Pochita became fused with the Devil Devil like fiend.

Now suddenly his weird powers make way more sense.

Because why the fuck can a Chainsaw Devil erase concepts?

This has always been the weirdest thing about Chainsaw Man.

Okay.

Chainsaw Devil.

Makes sense.

Chainsaws are scary.

He cuts things.

Rips things apart.

Fine.

But then he eats another devil and suddenly humanity forgets the concept that devil represented?

Bro what does that have to do with chainsaws 😭

Chainsaw eats Nuclear Weapons Devil.

Nuclear weapons disappear from reality.

Chainsaw eats some other devil.

Its name disappears.

History changes.

Everyone forgets it.

That's not a chainsaw power.

That feels like something much more fundamental.

And that's where the Devil Devil comes in.

The Devil Devil's power is not simply killing devils.

It's erasing them from the system.

Name.

Existence.

Memory.

Everything.

Then Pochita takes that power into himself.

Now Chainsaw Man becomes this weird hybrid:

Chainsaw Devil body + Devil Devil erasure ability.

That is way cooler to me.

And nobody remembers the Devil Devil

This is the part I really like.

Pochita didn't just kill the Devil Devil.

By merging with it or consuming it, he triggered part of its own ability.

The Devil Devil itself became forgotten.

Not necessarily fully erased from existence.

But erased from memory.

Nobody remembers what it was.

Nobody remembers why Chainsaw Man has this impossible power.

Everyone just knows:

If Chainsaw Man eats you, you're FUCKED.

The oldest devils might remember fragments.

Death might know.

Darkness might know.

Maybe Makima figured out pieces of the truth.

But nobody has the whole picture.

And maybe that explains why Chainsaw Man is feared so deeply in Hell.

Not because chainsaws are somehow the scariest thing in existence.

Because some part of every devil instinctively recognizes:

this thing carries the corpse of the one being that could erase us all.

That is much more terrifying.

Then Part 2 becomes about discovering this

Instead of just continuously escalating into stronger devils, the mystery becomes:

What actually is Chainsaw Man?

Why does Pochita have this power?

Why are some devils more afraid of him than others?

Why does his existence break the normal rules?

And slowly Denji and Asa start uncovering it.

Maybe the War Devil knows a little.

Maybe Death knows the truth.

Maybe the Primal Fears know what Pochita did in Hell.

And eventually they discover:

The Devil Devil never truly disappeared.

Its power is still fused inside Pochita.

And that means there is one final option.

The endgame should've been ending devils entirely

This is where I'd take the story.

Not:

kill the Death Devil and everything is fine.

Not:

control devils forever.

Not:

build a better Devil Hunter organization.

Actually solve the root problem.

Humans fear things.

Fear creates devils.

Devils die on Earth.

They go to Hell.

They die in Hell.

They come back to Earth.

Again.

Again.

Again.

It's an endless cycle.

You can never "win."

You can only keep fighting.

Unless you remove the actual system that turns fear into devils.

And the only being capable of doing that is the thing carrying the Devil Devil's power.

Pochita.

The final realization should be horrible

Eventually they figure it out.

If the Devil Devil's ability is:

eat devil → erase devil

then there is one final thing left for it to consume.

itself.

The Devil Devil has to erase the Devil Devil.

And because the Devil Devil is the source of the supernatural devil system, every devil disappears with it.

Not death.

Not war.

Not darkness.

Those concepts still exist.

Humans still fear them.

People still die.

Wars still happen.

Darkness is still scary.

But fear no longer creates supernatural beings.

That's important.

I would NOT have Death itself disappear.

That would break reality way too much.

Instead:

devils stop existing.

Humanity keeps all its normal fears.

The monsters created by those fears are gone.

Forever.

And Pochita has to sacrifice himself too

This is where the ending should actually hurt.

Pochita tells Denji what has to happen.

If they do this:

No more devils.

No more Devil Hunters.

No more apocalypse.

No more endless cycle.

But also...

No more Chainsaw Devil.

Because if the concept of devils disappears, then the Chainsaw Devil can't continue existing either.

And now Denji has to lose the first person who ever genuinely loved him.

Again.

At the beginning of the series, Pochita gives Denji his heart so Denji can live.

At the end, Denji has to let Pochita go so everyone else can live.

That's the symmetry I wanted.

I wouldn't give Pochita some giant speech either

Please.

Keep it simple.

Denji realizes what's happening.

He's angry.

He says no.

He refuses.

Maybe he starts crying.

Maybe he tells Pochita they already lost too many people.

Aki.

Power.

Nayuta.

Everyone.

And now Pochita too?

Fuck that.

But Pochita doesn't argue like some wise anime god.

He just reminds Denji of the thing he always wanted.

A normal life.

Not fame.

Not Chainsaw Man.

Not thousands of people screaming his name.

Just food.

A home.

Love.

Someone to sleep next to.

Someone who actually wants Denji.

And Pochita's final gift is:

You can have it now.

Then Pochita consumes the Devil Devil inside himself

I don't even want some giant flashy transformation.

Actually, I think it'd be creepier if it were quiet.

Pochita separates the Devil Devil part from himself somehow.

Maybe it's this disgusting ancient corpse inside him.

Something nobody has seen before.

The thing responsible for the erasure power all along.

And Pochita eats it.

Then reality just...

changes.

No giant beam.

No narration screaming:

ALL DEVILS HAVE NOW BEEN ERASED

Just silence.

Cut to normal life

Tokyo.

People walking around.

Traffic.

School.

Work.

Convenience stores.

Someone complaining about rent.

Someone arguing with their girlfriend.

Kids being annoying.

Normal shit.

And slowly the reader notices what's missing.

No Devil Hunters.

No Public Safety devil division.

No warning systems.

No random monster attacks.

No contracts.

Nobody talks about devils.

Because nobody remembers devils.

They don't remember there was ever a world where human fears could become monsters.

History has rewritten itself around that absence.

Humanity is free.

And nobody even realizes they were saved.

But Denji remembers

This is crucial.

I wouldn't erase Denji's memory.

Maybe because Pochita literally became his heart.

Maybe because Denji was directly connected to the Devil Devil power for so long.

Whatever explanation.

Denji remembers everything.

Pochita.

Power.

Aki.

Makima.

All of it.

And that becomes its own kind of pain.

The entire world forgets.

He doesn't.

Nobody knows what he sacrificed.

Nobody knows what Pochita did.

Nobody knows how many people died.

And for once...

Denji doesn't need them to.

That's character growth.

Old Denji desperately wanted people to know Chainsaw Man.

Love Chainsaw Man.

Cheer for Chainsaw Man.

Now?

He saved everyone and nobody knows.

And he's okay with that.

Because he finally understands that being loved by everyone isn't the same as being loved by someone.

Asa should remember too

At least partially.

This is where I bring the romance back.

Maybe Asa doesn't remember everything immediately.

But she knows something is wrong.

She sees Denji and gets this strange feeling.

Like she's known him forever.

Some memories are blurry.

Some are gone.

But Denji remembers her completely.

And this is important:

this time he does not lose the memory.

No manipulation.

No devil erasing it.

No someone altering their relationship.

He remembers every awkward date.

Every fight.

Every stupid moment.

Everything.

And when they reconnect, it isn't because fate forces them together.

It's because Denji actively chooses her again.

And eventually Asa's memories return enough for her to choose him too.

Their relationship still shouldn't become perfect

Please don't make Asa suddenly normal.

Keep her weird.

Keep Denji stupid.

Asa still overthinks everything.

Denji still says wildly inappropriate shit.

They still argue.

They still misunderstand each other.

But now there is no apocalypse hanging over them.

No War Devil.

No Chainsaw Man worship.

No Makima.

No one controlling their memories.

It's just two people.

Which honestly might be harder for them than fighting devils 😭

And I wanted Denji to finally understand intimacy

Denji spends basically the entire story chasing physical milestones.

Touch boobs.

Kiss someone.

Get girlfriend.

Have sex.

And every time he gets something he thought would magically fix him...

it doesn't.

That's one of the smartest things about his character.

He doesn't actually want boobs.

He wants connection.

He doesn't actually want sex in some abstract way.

He wants someone to want him.

So by the end, I would've finally let him get that.

Not as some:

CONGRATULATIONS DENJI SEX UNLOCKED 🎉

thing.

The point would be that he now understands the difference between:

wanting sex

and

wanting Asa.

That matters.

The final chapter would be boring on purpose

Years later.

No devils.

No giant threat.

No twist villain.

Denji has some normal job.

Asa has whatever life she eventually built for herself.

But someone Denji still cares about.

Life isn't perfect.

They have money problems.

They argue.

Denji is still Denji.

Asa is still Asa.

But it's normal.

And that's the point.

And yes, I would've ended with Asa and Denji together

Completely.

No ambiguous anime bullshit.

No:

maybe they like each other 👀

No.

They're together.

They've been together for a while.

They've grown up.

And I'd have their final romantic moment make it clear that they finally have the kind of intimacy Denji spent the entire manga misunderstanding.

Private.

Mutual.

Consensual.

Not manipulated by anyone.

Not controlled by a devil.

Not something Denji is doing because he thinks it will finally make him happy.

It's just two people who actually love each other.

Then cut away.

And the VERY last panel?

Morning.

Denji wakes up.

Asa is next to him.

Nothing happens.

That's the ending.

Because normally this is where Chainsaw Man would ruin his life again.

Someone knocks.

Devil attack.

Someone gets murdered.

New apocalypse.

Some insane woman appears and manipulates him.

But not this time.

Denji waits.

Nothing.

Asa wakes up.

Looks at him.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Denji:

"I'm not."

"You literally are."

"Shut up."

Something stupid like that.

Then final panel outside the window.

Normal city.

Normal humans.

No devils.

No Chainsaw Man.

Nobody remembers the Devil Devil.

Nobody remembers the creature that carried its corpse.

Nobody remembers that the world used to be full of monsters.

Except a few people.

And somewhere in Denji's memory...

Pochita.

That little fucking chainsaw dog who started everything.

The END

That's the Part 2 ending I would've wanted.

Not another bigger devil.

Not another infinite cycle.

Not another:

Denji suffers because Fujimoto woke up angry today.

Actually end his story.

Part 1 was Denji learning that getting what you want doesn't automatically make you happy.

Part 2 should've been him finally figuring out what he actually wanted.

Not fame.

Not being Chainsaw Man.

Not thousands of people loving the idea of him.

A home.

People.

Power.

Aki.

Pochita.

Asa.

A life where he gets to be Denji.

And Pochita's final act wouldn't be turning him into Chainsaw Man one more time.

It would be making sure he never has to become Chainsaw Man again.