Warning: the following article contains spoilers for episodes eight and nine of Chainsaw Man.
Chainsaw Man draws ever closer to the end of its first season, and the tension is high. The series has been praised by fans for its animation style, the faithful portrayal of the source material, and the nicely paced episodes hitting streaming platforms weekly.
The Public Safety‘s Fourth Division also continues expanding as new characters are introduced to the story. One of the most prominent figures in the Division is Himeno, known for her easygoing attitude and jovial personality. The character was first introduced in episode four, but only lately has been getting more screen time. As it turns out, there is a reason behind that.
Warning: spoilers to follow.
Episode eight is one of the most shocking thus far, with several characters acquiring serious and possibly fatal injuries. One of these characters is Himeno, who unfortunately dies during a battle against the Katana Man. In shonen manga and anime, it’s not uncommon for characters to pull off miraculous recoveries, or for them to simply brush off severe injuries. This is not the case for Himeno, though. After her demise, the Devil Hunter is never brought back to life in the Chainsaw Man manga — so far, at least. The manga is still ongoing, so it’s impossible to know what Tatsuki Fujimoto has in store for readers. That said, it’s very unlikely that Himeno will make a comeback, since she was merely human, and not a Devil or hybrid like some other characters in the series.
How does Himeno die in Chainsaw Man?
During the Katana Man arc, a man approaches Power, Denji, Aki, and Himeno at a restaurant, intent on killing Denji. He is the grandson of one of the men Denji killed at the beginning of the story when the Yakuza attempted to get rid of him by making a pact with a Devil. The man promptly starts firing his gun, and a bullet hits Himeno right in the chest, taking her out of the fight that breaks out immediately after.
As Aki takes on this new enemy, the man transforms into his hybrid form, known as the Katana Man. Because the hybrid is such a fast opponent and has Akane’s help, Aki struggles to defeat him, which leaves Himeno extremely worried. Despite having just been shot, she is still conscious and fears for Aki’s life. Due to her romantic feelings for her partner, Himeno takes drastic measures to help Aki win the battle — she offers her whole body to the Ghost Devil.
It has been established that Himeno has a contract with this Devil, having exchanged her right eye for the power to control one of the ghost’s hands. When the hunter attempts to use it, however, the Ghost Devil refuses, intimidated by Akane. Thus, with no other alternative and desperation mounting, Himeno gives the Devil her body in exchange for letting her use all of its power. The Ghost Devil accepts the deal with an eerie smile and steps forward to face the Katana Man.
As the two fight, Himeno thinks about Aki, as her limbs slowly disappear one by one. The hunter reflects on how nice it must feel to have someone care about them and mourn their death through tears. She then addresses Aki, telling him not to die, and hopes that he can cry for her after she passes away. In Himeno’s mind, this would mean that Aki truly cares for her, and in truth, that is all that seems to matter to her, even if Aki does not reciprocate her romantic feelings.
Even using the Ghost Devil’s full power is not enough for Himeno to defeat Akane and the Katana Man. In her last moments, the hunter focuses her remaining strength and uses the ghost’s hand to pull the cord in Denji’s chest, awakening the Chainsaw Man. In the end, all that’s left of Himeno are her clothes on the floor — she has completely disappeared, her body taken by the Ghost Devil.
After Himeno’s sacrifice, Aki and Denji better be able to defeat the Katana Man once and for all. To find out, stay tuned for the next episode. Chainsaw Man is available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.
