Why does the Gun Devil want Denji’s heart in ‘Chainsaw Man?’

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the Chainsaw Man manga.

The final episode of Chainsaw Man‘s first animated season dropped on streaming platforms on Dec. 27. While many viewers were pleased with the conclusion, there’s no denying that some questions remain unanswered — intentionally, we presume. The finale did a great job of teasing a possible continuation of the story with post-credit scenes, giving fans high hopes for a second season.

Before the credits rolled, though, two major mysteries were teased, namely, the meaning behind “Easy revenge!” and the Gun Devil‘s pursuit of Denji’s heart. His literal heart, not in a metaphorical sense; as amusing as it would be, Chainsaw Man is not a romance anime. During the entirety of the Katana Man arc, Akane and the hybrid wreaked havoc while trying to capture Denji. As it turns out, the Gun Devil made contracts with both, providing them with guns in exchange for Denji’s heart. The question is why does such a powerful creature, capable of immense destruction, want a human’s heart? In the finale, the Public Safety Devil Hunters found no logical explanation for this, but there certainly is one.

Warning: Spoilers to follow.

The Gun Devil’s motivations

At the beginning of the series, Denji is killed by a bunch of zombie Yakuza members, and in order to save him, Pochita makes a contract with him. The Chainsaw Devil, who until then lived as Denji’s pet, fused itself with the human, becoming his heart. In doing so, Pochita turned Denji into the Chainsaw Man hybrid and granted him its powers. With this in mind, it’s easier to understand that the Gun Devil is actually after Pochita, not a mere human heart.

Still, what makes Pochita so valuable? What viewers don’t yet know, is that the Chainsaw Devil has an incredible power, that makes all other Devils fearful. Traditionally, when a Devil dies on Earth, it’s reincarnated in Hell, and vice-versa, but there is a way to stop this loop. If the Chainsaw Devil consumes another being, it can erase them from existence, which is why Makima believes that Denji is the only one capable of defeating the Gun Devil. To prevent this, the Gun Devil intends to consume Pochita first, killing both the Devil and its host, Denji. While the death wouldn’t be permanent, forcing the Chainsaw Devil to reincarnate would buy the Gun Devil precious time to live unthreatened.

Another reason is the Gun Devil’s fear of Makima. By herself, this character’s Devil powers make her one of the most powerful in the series, and therefore a threat to the Gun Devil. If she manages to take control of the Chainsaw Devil, Makima’s power would increase exponentially, making it nearly impossible for the Gun Devil to defeat her.