Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man season one, episode two, “Arrival in Tokyo.”
Chainsaw Man follows the down-on-his-luck Denji who’s trying to survive and his devilish transformation. In episode two, viewers are introduced to the Devil Hunter Aki Hayakawa and he makes a substantial impact on the story.
Denji has been spared from death by Makima of the Public Safety Devil Hunters and enlisted into its ranks. At first, he’s excited about getting to work with his crush, but he quickly finds out that he’s partnered with Aki, and his joy turns to disappointment. Aki started three years before Denji got there and is the leader of the Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division 4. This is an experimental unit that now uses the likes of Denji, a human with devil abilities, and a Fiend named Power, to hunt devils. If they fail, there will be severe consequences, and Aki’s not exactly thrilled about this new addition either.
Aki’s personality and backstory
Aki reveals how he really feels about Denji and his job when he pulls him into an alley and tells him. He knows that the new recruit isn’t there for the right reasons. Denji only wants to be close to Makima, but he’s informed that those who aren’t committed to the Public Safety Devil Hunters will not make it. Aki is a dedicated man who takes their task seriously and he worries that Denji is endangering what he’s building. Despite his grievances, he doesn’t push back too hard against Denji’s involvement, which shows he can put his own opinions aside for the greater good.
We get more of Aki’s backstory when they go out on a mission to hunt a Fiend. Denji mercifully chops off the Fiend’s head without turning into a devil to spare the tortured creature any pain, and Aki takes issue with this. Aki’s parents were killed right in front of him and he still carries that trauma with him. He wants these monsters to hurt and doesn’t believe they deserve any mercy at all. He has great respect for the police officers who risk their jobs every day and doesn’t see the job as gray. To Aki, this work is black-and-white and he wants Denji to get with the program.
Aki’s powers
Although we don’t get to see much of them in “Arrival in Tokyo,” Aki has quite the repertoire of powers and he’s a force to be reckoned with. Aki makes contracts with four devils that give him an assortment of abilities. These devils include the Curse Devil, the Fox Devil, the Future Devil, and the Control Devil. His contract with the Curse Devil provides him with a sword he summons by touching his adversary with his nail and saying the word “fire.” He summons the Fox Devil with an offering of a devil’s body, and the Fox Devil viciously attacks or consumes Aki’s opponent. In Aki’s right eye lives the Future Devil, which allows him to see a few seconds in the future and decide the best way to attack, although he makes contracts with the Control Devil, a devil that embodies the fear of control or conquest.