Kobeni is one of the Devil Hunters in ‘Chainsaw Man’ who is most known for constantly wearing a meek and mopey expression on her person. However, as the latest anime outing proves, the character’s portfolio entails more than the overtly dramatic quirks of her personality.
‘Chainsaw Man’ is an anime with a slate of brilliant characters and their most painful backstories that weave into and impacts their current actions and developments as they contend with the literal Devils.
With a world rife with surreal violence and the ramifications it has on the traumatised victims, it’s no wonder that many end up taking the perilous road of Devil Hunting, most of the time in spite of knowing full well, that the road ahead might present a dead end for their lives.
It’s no wonder then, too, that many professional Devil Hunters exhibit a certain Daredevil-like attitude to whatever perils may come their way.
Every now and then, though, there are Devils too diabolical, too horrible, and too existentially terrifying for even the toughest and most seasoned of Devil Hunters.
During such moments, it’s only natural and human to flinch and shudder in the face of impending doom. But no other Devil Hunter is as plagued by the frights as Kobeni Higashiyama.
Flight or flight response
Kobeni has a severe case of frights and spooks, with her heart trying to leave her body at any perilous instance, mild or serious. She instantly comes across as one of those stereotypical anime characters that are perennially scared and are usually the first ones to die.
While the latter part doesn’t come true, there’s plenty of the getting scared part that Kobeni revels in throughout her screen time. It’s eventually revealed why she’s always scared, and it’s because she really doesn’t want to be a Devil Hunter.
She is naturally a meek person and had wished to go to college instead of doing a job but due to the not-so-great financial condition of her family, Kobeni had two career options — be a sex worker or become a Devil Hunter.
So Kobeni chose the latter, and despite her meek attitude, became a Devil Hunter, a choice she comes to dread every time she’s on a mission. However, had it only been for her scaredy-cat demeanour, she’d never had qualified to become a hunter.
A beast behind the facade
For all her nervous quivering and constant trembling, Kobeni is a rather competent and fierce fighter. She moves like a blur and makes quick work of the enemies with her speed.
During her battle with the Katana Man and Akane Sawatari, the Devil Hunter performed an incredible series of Parkour, jumping and dodging through the attacks and overwhelming the enemies within moments.
The stark contrast between her crippling hesitancy and formidable fighting IQ is vast, taking the anime viewers by surprise when she first put her skills to the front in episode 9.
Kobeni has superhuman agility and reflexes. She’s an artist with guns as well. While not much of her skillset has been shown thus far, Kobeni is a powerful foe to reckon with in the manga.
What’s her deal?
Kobeni, like many other Devil Hunters, has a deal with a devil. However, the identity of the devil and the nature of her deal with the said devil has not been shown in the anime so far.
Furthermore, the case is true in the manga as well, with any detail on the aforementioned aspects of her arsenal not having been elucidated on just yet.
Many theories and speculations exist, connecting her fear and anxiety to a possible manifestation representing said feelings. However, none have borne any fruits thus far as Kobeni continues to keep her Devil and the deal an elusive secret.
Also Read: What is a Fiend in Chainsaw Man?