![]() Despite his horrifying first impression, Katana Man was never big bad material to begin with. Denji attempts to explain as much to Katana Man, only to be promptly dismissed. His grudge against Denji doesn’t even have any basis in reality - it was technically the Zombie Devil who killed Katana Man’s grandfather, while Denji was just the one who destroyed his undead corpse. ![]() When you look beneath the terrifying surface, Katana Man isn’t the unstoppable death machine he’s made out to be: he’s just a small, spiteful, selfish man trying to avenge the death of an equally small, spiteful, and selfish man. He even applauds the man for “only a handful of women and children” seemingly unaware of how damning his faint praise is. Katana Man speaks of his grandfather as an honorable and beloved pillar of the community, yet this couldn’t be any further from the reality of the cruel mobster who exploited Denji for years. While the monologue in his first scene is intimidating in context, it’s much less frightening when you listen to what he’s actually saying. And while this may seem at first to be a sign of tonally inconsistent writing, a closer look at Katana Man’s characterization indicates that this is exactly what Fujimoto had in mind. Katana Man receives such an undignified ending to his storyline that it’s hard not to feel his earlier menace diminish as a result. Katana Man’s screams of pain are described as a requiem played in Himeno’s honor as Denji and Aki deliver their comically irreverent punishment to the season’s main villain. And while Aki initially scoffs at Denji’s childishness, he soon joins in on the beatdown. Denji confronts the captured and helpless Katana Man, declaring his intent to get revenge for Himeno’s death in the most brutal way possible - namely, by kicking Katana Man in the balls over and over again. However, it’s what happens after the fight that completely changes what sort of character Katana Man is. It’s a high-flying, fast-paced showdown that stands out as one of the best fights in a series filled with fantastic action. Chainsaw”, their rematch is just as spectacular as one would hope. When Denji and Katana Man face off again in the Season 1 finale, “Katana vs. It’s the perfect introduction for a big bad - which makes what happens with Katana Man later on even more interesting. Everything about him practically screams that he’s going to be Denji’s archnemesis: not only does he have an even deadlier version of Denji’s powers, he also has a personal grudge against him, and is responsible for multiple character deaths. The moment he takes the stage, Katana Man cements as the main antagonist of Chainsaw Man Season 1. ![]() He brutally defeats Aki and makes even shorter work of Denji, swiftly ending their duel by cutting him in half. Katana Man’s arrival heralds a vicious massacre of Special Division 4, including the deaths of major characters like Himeno and Arai. ![]() And when Aki attempts to protect Denji, the mysterious man reveals that he has Hybrid powers just like Denji, unleashing his Devil form as Katana Man. Blaming Denji for his grandfather’s death, the man intends to get revenge by taking Denji’s life. It soon becomes clear that this man is the grandson of the Yakuza boss who forced Denji into working off his late father’s debt. An ordinary outing for Denji and company quickly takes a dark turn when a mysterious man appears, offering cryptic words about his dead grandfather. However, all of that changes in Episode 8, “Gunfire”, which introduces Katana Man to the series. For a good chunk of the season, Chainsaw Man is functionally a “Monster of the Week” type series, without an overarching antagonist to drive the plot. They serve their narrative purpose well, certainly, but they aren’t all that memorable or interesting as characters. However, none of these initial villains survive for more than one or two episodes, and don’t impact the story as anything more than plot devices. There are plenty of freakish monsters for Denji and company to fight, from the Zombie Devil to the Bat Devil to the Eternity Devil. Throughout the first half of Chainsaw Man Season 1, there doesn’t seem to be a main villain to speak of. ![]()
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