Akane Sawatari is the latest in a series of diabolical villains in ‘Chainsaw Man’, having forayed into the world of the anime in a brutal, harrowing, and intimidating manner.
Warning: This article contains light spoilers
The latest arc in ‘Chainsaw Man’ has already exacted a heavy toll on the Public Safety Devil Hunter divisions as well as the anime’s lead characters.
In a swift whiplash of a coordinated attack, the civilians working for the Gun Devil carried out an onslaught damaging enough that it shrunk the number of devil hunters by a horrifyingly large margin.
One of the biggest losses comes in the departures of Himeno, and Arai, as well as in the near-fatal injuries/states of Denji and Aki.
When the attack reached Denji and company, the dire situation was made only worse by the arrival of some formidable enemies, giving the seemingly unstoppable Denji a run for his money, and even more shockingly, defeating the experienced Aki Hayakawa.
The key figure that led to the two hunters tasting dust in the battle was a villain who stood mostly on the sidelines and directed the course of the battle, reviving and ordering the Katana Man around — Akane Sawatari.
More than a simple hunter
Aki has made quick work of the initially imposing Katana Man, and the villain has been defeated. However, the story resumes and takes a turn for the worse after that.
A nonchalant, petite girl appears on the rooftop where the battle between Aki and the hybrid just took place. Having an evident dismissive air about her, Akane confuses and sort of intimidates Aki.
She then proceeds to stoop down to where the Katana Man’s presumed-to-be dead body lies dormant. She revives the diabolical being, and the villain springs up, alive and kicking.
The second round between Katana Man and Aki is the opposite of the first one; Katana Man ends this bout as soon as it starts. Akane, meanwhile, would go on to perform another remarkable feat when summoning a huge devil.
The aforementioned actions of this seemingly short and nonchalant girl put her a bit apart from the rest of the crop of devil hunters. If only for the casual way she carries herself amid the raging battle, Akane Sawatari can be considered a powerful foe to contend with.
Sawatari’s slithering devil
Akane has a contract with the Snake Devil who she uses in the battle against Aki, Denji, and Himeno. It’s a powerful devil that can devour the target within an eye-blink, even biting off most of the Ghost Devil’s huge materialised body.
She can summon the Snake Devil by sacrificing her fingernails, a painful part of the contract that doesn’t seem to faze her much at all, probably because of the numerous times she’s had to summon the devil.
She can also summon parts of the devil, depending on the proximity, logistics, and need of the situation. In the manga, Akane Sawatari’w contract also entails the devoured subjects getting assimilated into her arsenal, which she can, later on, summon if need be.
What’s next?
Akane Sawatari is working for the Gun Devil, as part of a contract, and has made strides as the recent massacre of the devil hunters proves.
While she and Katana Man fail to retrieve Denji’s decapitated body, they would be preparing for the next strike when they finally get their hands on the hearts of the anime’s titular protagonist.
If the latest hit to the Public Safety Devil Hunters is any indication, Akane and her henchmen are no joke and must be contended with, with all the seriousness and preparation Makima and the company can muster right now.
Also Read: What is a Fiend in Chainsaw Man?