Who is Denji’s father in ‘Chainsaw Man?’

Warning: The following article includes spoilers for the Chainsaw Man anime, as well as the manga chapter 82.

Chainsaw Man is easily one of the most anticipated anime releases of the year, quickly gathering a following of expectant fans ahead of its premiere. The anime adaptation will start airing on Oct. 11 and is expected to treat viewers with the unapologetic gorefest its teasers promised.

Adapted from a 2019 manga of the same name, Chainsaw Man follows Denji, a teenager turned Devil Hunter who now works for the feared Yakuza. Upon meeting a Chainsaw Devil and merging with it, the protagonist is reborn as a hybrid creature, half-human, half-devil, becoming known as the Chainsaw Man. At first glance, Denji’s story seems pretty clear-cut, but that isn’t to say there aren’t some secrets lying beneath the surface. Similarly, some characters in the series are cause for speculation, but none more than Denji’s mysterious father.

If you want to know more about this character, keep reading, but beware — spoilers ahead.

What do we know about Denji’s father?

Overall, very little is known about Denji’s father, so much so that his name has not even been revealed in the manga. It doesn’t help matters that this character is already deceased at the beginning of the series. The audience is let in on the fact that Denji’s father owed money to the Yakuza, and for a long time, we’re led to believe that the man died by his own hand. Because of this, the debt is passed on to Denji, who must now pay it while barely managing to survive.

It isn’t until chapter 82 that the truth about this character is finally revealed, to the audience and Denji alike. Having looked into Denji’s repressed memories, Makima knows he is responsible for his father’s death and decides to tell him all about it. As it turns out, Denji’s father was an alcoholic with violent tendencies, which led to Denji murdering him in self-defense. To live a normal life — or something similar to normal — Denji blocked that memory out, and continued on with his life blissfully unaware of what truly happened that day.

This chapter is the last time we see Denji’s father, and it’s unclear whether new details about him will be brought to light in the future. As of now, though, that is all the information we have on the character.

Anyone interested in taking a deeper dive into Denji’s story will be able to stream Chainsaw Man every Tuesday, on Crunchyroll.