The latest ‘Chainsaw Man’ outing ends with an exhilarating tease at the Future devil and in order to take on the perilous enmity ahead and exact his vengeance upon his greatest adversary, Aki must strike a new deal.
Warning: This article contains spoilers
‘Chainsaw Man’ is a gory, action-packed affair of blood, guts, and fear. There are philosophical quandaries, a slate of eccentric characters, their fears, and the embodiments of some of those universal fears.
These embodiments are Devils, spawned from hell and materialized on Earth, wreaking all kinds of havoc on the mortals as they can. Some of them do exhibit exceptions, however, even striking deals with those who professionally hunt other devils.
The main characters of this hype-hogging anime are surrounded by numerous devils, ranging from zany, and goofy, to downright hideous. Most of the devils they contend with are highly perilous by nature, with Aki Hayakawa wielding some really impressive contracts with two formidable devils.
However, when a coup by the enemy leaves the fabric of reality around Aki shredded with holes and tears, and his loved ones and friends dead, he must strike a new deal with a new devil. For the dangers that lie ahead, he would need all the horrors he can have in his arsenal.
Defeat & a devil deficit
The Gun Devil has been the singular entity that Aki Hayakawa must kill. He was, after all, the devil that killed the hunter’s entire family before his childhood self could fully savour the scenery of his house for the last time.
The Gun Devil massacred over a million that day, wreaking absolute destruction upon Aki’s world, and the world at large. This would go on to become the reason Aki becomes a Devil Hunter, but it would not be the last time the devil would deprive Aki of his loved ones.
In the recent coup by the Gun Devil’s henchmen, Aki’s group gets horribly ravaged by the enemies. Denji gets decapitated in half, Power flees the battle, Aki gets horribly injured himself, and Himeno sacrifices her life to protect Aki.
While Makima takes care of the enemies before Aki suffers any other loss, great damage has already been inflicted on him as well as the whole of division 4. Aki’s physical body recovers later on, but the wounds of the psyche and heart are way harder to heal.
There are other losses he has to recuperate, meanwhile, like Fox Devil’s absence. Aki is reminded by Tendo and Kurose of the devil’s unavailability. He tries to summon him but he never materializes.
The toll of the battle was too much even for the devil and he didn’t find the taste of Katana Man particularly stimulating. So the contract between Aki and the Fox devil is now over and a new contender in the form of the Future Devil is in.
Deal with the devil part II
The war with the Devils is not over, though. With the Gun Devil’s henchmen still at large, the Public Safety Devil Hunter divisions must expect another battle, only this time it’s their turn to launch an onslaught.
Aki’s ever-burning desire for vengeance against the Gun Devil is still intact, if not even more vigorous than before, given the fresh wounds and losses of loved ones.
All of the aforementioned facts entail a future that’s grim and bloody, and also one that Aki must face with all the might he can muster. To do that, he must sign a new deal with a new devil.
Thankfully for him, Tendo and Kurose have some options for him. Taking himself on the tour of a super secret facility belonging to the Devil Hunters, they show Aki the way to the cell wherein resides a particularly terrifying entity — the Future Devil.
Tomorrow someone dies
The Future Devil is the embodiment of humanity’s collective fear of the future. It’s an understandable fear and also why it’s such a big fear; the future is anything but certain, or predictable.
That’s what makes the Future Devil so manacing and a subject surrounding deep existential horrors. It’s no surprise then, how Aki’s contract with him might yield great results in the battles ahead.
Then there’s this poignant and painful connection that Aki shares with the concept of the future. All that lies in Aki’s future is death, whether it’s of the Gun Devil, or his.
And while the Gun Devil’s death is laced with uncertainty, given his formidable powers, Aki’s death is anything but uncertain. His days are numbered, as he confirms himself at the hospital, asking the Curse Devil who tells him that he has only two more years of his life remaining.
Aki’s limited future ends up getting him the deal with the titular devil, who joins in on the contract just for the sake of fun. He wishes to see how Aki goes out and when the fatal moment arrives, how exactly it plays out.
In terms of appearance, the Future Devil is a creepy design; a tree-like humanoid body with a trunk, horns on his head, a gaping hole in his chest inside which is a perpetually glaring eye, and little branches and vines protruding from all places.
In terms of personality, the Future Devil is one cheerful lad, with characteristically sadist tendencies that viewers might find entertaining.
Also Read: What is a Fiend in Chainsaw Man?