Chainsaw Man Episode 9

Chainsaw Man Episode 9

The Gun Devil’s Hitmen

Things didn’t go so well for the Gun Devil’s hitmen in Chainsaw Man Episode 9. Most of them died. Makima killed the ones who attacked the train. And then she also killed most of the ones who attacked Denji. 2 others also died, killed by the Blade(?) Devil and Kobeni.

In the end, there were also only 2 remaining. And, it’s no surprise that these were the two with Devil powers. The first is Sawatari, the girl with a contract with the Snake Devil. She also has snake-like eyes, so there may be more going on there.

I don’t get the feeling that she’s a fiend. But, the appearance of her eyes could be the byproduct of a Devil Contract. They also might not even be snake eyes. They could be Cat Devil eyes that allow her to see better at night.

Sawatari using a walkie-talkie from the anime series Chainsaw Man Episode 9
Sawatari using a walkie-talkie

The other Gun Devil follower who survived is the guy I called the Sword Devil in Episode 8’s review. I’m now thinking that he’s supposed to be the Blade Devil, not the Sword Devil. And I think that because in the OP we see him with other types of blades.

Now, something else I mentioned in last week’s review was how Sawatari revived the Blade Devil. I said that she might have some Devil power that lets her do that. But, after thinking about it more, that seems unlikely. The Blade Devil looks like the Chainsaw Devil. So, maybe it works the same way, too.

Denji’s Chainsaw Devil form is the result of him combining with Pochita. So, it looks like the Blade Devil guy probably combined with the Blade Devil in a similar way. And what that means is that there might be a way to revive him on his chest.

Makima’s Devil Power(s)

We have to talk about Makima and her Devil power(s). It seems to me that she may have displayed as many as 4 different Devil powers in this episode. Though, some of the things we saw could come from the same Devil.

The very first thing she does in the episode is revive herself. We don’t know how she did it. But, that seems like it has to be the work of a Devil power. And since I’m still convinced Makima’s a fiend, I think this could be her natural Devil power.

In the OP, we see plants and animals associated with Makima. Specifically, carnivorous plants, insects, and a snail. This might be alluding to her having some power over life itself — and that we shouldn’t trust her. Anyone associated with venus flytraps is suspicious.

Makima using a Devil power at a temple from the anime series Chainsaw Man Episode 9
Makima using a Devil power at a temple

Now, what about her other Devil powers? The most obvious one in the episode was the one she used to squish people. When the first guy got squished, I thought it was the Gravity Devil. But, that’s not quite right. I don’t know the name of this Devil. But, Makima seems to trade one life for the ability to crush another in her hands.

This could be the power of the same Devil that revived her if it’s all about manipulating life. But, I’m not so sure. Also, she used crows to locate her enemies before crushing them. So, is this a Crow Devil power? Or was she manipulating the crows in the same way she can manipulate people?

Lastly, when she killed her attackers on the train, she left gaping holes in their bodies. That seems like the work of a Devil. And this could all be the same, very versatile Devil.

HobbyLink Japan

HobbyLink Japan

The best place to buy and ship products from Japan!

Shop Now

Kobeni the Monkey

Despite everything with Makima, the biggest surprise of the episode was Kobeni. Apparently, when she’s in danger, she turns into a monkey. And by that, I mean she suddenly becomes competent and able to fight. Did you see how easy it was for her to kill that old woman?

I’m not sure how to feel about this change in Kobeni’s personality and abilities. I didn’t get the impression that this had anything to do with her Devil power. So, does that mean she’s the Zenitsu of this series? Instead of becoming strong when sleeping, it’s when she’s scared.

Although, now that I’m thinking about it, this could be the real Kobeni. Every Devil contract requires a sacrifice. What if Kobeni sacrificed her self-confidence most of the time and that’s why she’s the way she is? If that’s the explanation, I’ll take it.

Kobeni holding Denji's body from the anime series Chainsaw Man Episode 9
Kobeni holding Denji’s body

Now, let’s take a look at who survived the attack on Division 4. We know Makima, Kobeni, and Power survived. Denji can come back to life whenever, so he’s fine, too. And Aki hasn’t bled out yet, so I’m counting him. That means we only lost Himeno and Arai.

Initially, I thought Makima would have some way of bringing everyone back to life. This could have meant reviving them or turning back time to before they died. But, now that we have the casualty count, that seems unlikely. At this point, it’s pretty clear that Himeno and Arai aren’t coming back. And, I’m okay with that.

With Arai, we didn’t lose much. He had a contract with the Fox Devil, which is the same as Aki. Losing Himeno hurts more because she had a unique Devil contract. Also, I liked her. But, I acknowledge that killing off a good character can be worth it.

Conclusion

What do you think about Chainsaw Man Episode 9? Do you think Sawatari’s eyes are the result of a Devil contract? How many Devil contracts do you think Makima has? And are you okay with losing Himeno and Arai? Would you trade anyone to get them back? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server to discuss anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 10 is available now.

Leave a Comment