Welcome to the Recap and Ending Explained for Chainsaw Man Season 1 Finale. The series has become a true phenomenon thanks to its amazing characters, unorthodox storyline, and incredible production values. Chainsaw Man just rings differently when it comes to anime/manga in general. Denji is just a different kind of protagonist, one whose ambitions are so simple that they are easily understood by the majority of the audience. We could say that he is one of the most relatable anime protagonists in recent memory.
Also, the show has been a true showpiece in terms of animation. Mappa Studio continues to impress with every single one of their shows, but Chainsaw Man just went the extra mile. The visuals are a combination of very detailed 2D animation that sometimes feels more like flex from the animation department than anything else. And also makes excellent use of CGI techniques that enhance the already amazing 2D visuals, especially when it comes to the action sequences.
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Chainsaw Man Season 1 Finale. Read at your own risk.
Who Wins Between Chainsaw Man And Katana Man?
Episode 12 of Chainsaw Man concludes the Katana Man arc in spectacular fashion. The episode begins right where the previous one left off. Aki is being strangled by the Ghost Devil, who knows is apparently has a contract with Sawatari, the young woman who killed Himeno. At this moment, Aki remembers a conversation he had with Himeno back in the day. In this conversation, Himeno tried to make Aki smoke, only to find out that Aki was a minor at that point. However, she saves the cigarette she offered him. She tells him she will give it back when he is older and will need to relax a bit.
Aki uses his sword to cut the limbs off the Ghost Devil, and at that moment, one of the arms gives him the cigarette in question. The cigarette is inscribed with the phrase “Easy Revenge”. This means that Himeno planned for this to occur in the case she died before Aki. Aki remembers that the Ghost Devil has no eyes and only sees those who fear it. Showing no fear, Aki decapitates the Ghost Devil and then sees that Kobeni has managed to ambush a scared Sawatari. Kobeni is still in Special Division 4 because she knew the bonuses were coming soon.
Meanwhile, Denji and Power go inside the building and take the elevator. The pair is quite confident after having been training with Kishibe for a while. They arrive at one floor that is completely plagued with zombies. Power marches on and begins to kill the zombies, while Denji continues to the upper floor. There he finds Katana Man, who tries to convince Denji to step down. He explains that they only want revenge because Denji killed their friends and his grandpa. Denji explains that he killed them because they were already zombies. Katana Man doesn’t believe it.
Katana Man explains that Sawatari did something to him and replaced his heart with the Katana Devil, so he is similar to Denji. However, he retains his humanity. He feels bad when he kills zombies by accident. Denji on the other hand feels nothing about killing zombies. Denji rejects Katana Man’s pledge to surrender, and they ignite their powers. The battle is violent and flashy as they jump around the city, killing each other. In the end, Katana Man cuts Denji’s arms, and the chainsaw on Denji’s head, but he is defeated when Denji uses chainsaws from his legs, cutting Katana Man in half.
What Is Behind The Door In Denji’s Mind?
After the battle is over, we see Katana Man waking up. Denji explains how they really are alike, as Katana Man is very hard to kill. Denji explains how they will wait for the police to come and get him. However, before that happens, there is something that has him furious: Himeno’s death. Denji explains that he will make a tournament. Aki arrives, and Denji offers him a place in the tournament. In it, they will kick Katana Man’s balls, and the person who makes him scream the most will win. Aki is unsure, but while looking at the Easy Revenge cigarette, he understands that Himeno would have loved to be part of a tournament like this.
Both Denji and Aki kick Katana Man’s balls over and over again, and we listen to his pain screams as they reach the sky. Meanwhile, the rest of the operation is over, and Makima offers her report to her superiors. She explains how the girl, Sawatari, was a former devil hunter, who made a contract with the Gun Devil and was looking for Denji’s heart for unknown reasons. She reveals that the Sawatari’s Snake Devil killed her and that they managed to collect 1.5 kilograms of the Gun Devil. Now they have enough of the Gun Devil material that it has started to point towards the devil’s main body.
We don’t hear where the pieces of the Gun Devil are pointing, but the revelation that will come in the second season of the show will be dramatic, for sure. We see Aki, Denji and Power go home, have dinner and just have a good time. Denji falls asleep and dreams of a closed door and Pochita telling him that he should never open it. The door contains Denji’s biggest secret, one that could hurt him in ways that are still unfathomable to the audience.
The episode ends as we see a girl with dark hair entering a coffee shop and asking Denji a question. This is the lead into one of the most important arcs in Chainsaw Man, and one that will definitely be told in season two. We cannot wait for a release date.
