Tatsuki Fujimoto's hit shonen manga, Chainsaw Man, has dazzled fans with its brutally subversive characters and unique storytelling style.
The Chainsaw Man anime, which debuted in fall 2022, skyrocketed the series to superstar status within just three months. Fans have found many highlights in the Chainsaw Man franchise, from its "monster hunter" vibe and quirky humor to its eccentric and captivating characters like Denji and his devilish partner, Power. However, it’s Makima who stands out as the most popular and memorable character in Chainsaw Man.
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Much like the Chainsaw Man franchise itself, Makima both follows and mocks conventional tropes, acting as both a typical mentor figure and a highly subversive character. Fans are eager to learn more about what Makima is capable of, what she represents to Denji and Power, and why she is so magnetic as an anime villain waifu that they can’t look away. Despite being a monster, fans still adore her, which says a lot not only about her character but also about the writing of Chainsaw Man and what anime fans find so appealing about her.
Updated on February 27, 2025, by Robbie Robinson: Makima is one of the most popular anime villains due to her charming appearance, soft voice, and absolute power. Her character is built on the fact that other characters in Chainsaw Man (and the audience) sexualize her and underestimate her capacity for true evil. Whether or not Makima is entirely evil depends on the viewer's perception, but no one can deny her heinous crimes. Despite this, anime fans have fallen under her spell. This article has been updated to include more information on Makima and Nayuta, as well as to align with CBR’s current formatting standards.
Is Makima from Chainsaw Man Evil?
Makima's Powers and Goals Are Obscured
Typically, exploring a character involves delving into their origins and backstory, and even the most mysterious characters, like My Hero Academia's All For One, eventually get a history that reveals their past. But just because All For One might have a flashback doesn’t mean Chainsaw Man will unveil Makima’s background or youth. Instead, Chainsaw Man expresses and develops Makima’s character solely through her actions and goals. This aura of mystery makes Makima even more unsettling and unpredictable in her malevolent actions. Fans of Chainsaw Man have few clues about Makima’s true nature, meaning that in their eyes, she is capable of anything at any moment.
Chainsaw Man focuses less on the “who” of Makima and more on the “what” of her character, and the story is far more generous in this regard over time. Initially, even Makima’s powers and objectives were largely unclear, but later in the manga, fans learned that Makima is the Control Devil, one of the most formidable devils in existence, alongside the terrifying Gun Devil and the nightmarish Darkness Devil. Makima uses her devilish powers and sinister charisma to manipulate the thoughts and actions of others to such an extent that entire nations, like the United States, have given up on fighting her. Makima is almost a puppet master, guiding individuals and nations to think and act according to her desires with surprisingly little effort.
Like most devils, Makima can form contracts with humans, including one with the Japanese Prime Minister: any physical damage inflicted on Makima is transferred to a random Japanese citizen, as the Prime Minister is linked to all Japanese citizens. Makima also possesses incredible physical strength and martial arts prowess, though she typically forces others to fight on her behalf. One of her ultimate abilities is control, fitting her nature as the Control Devil. She can summon anyone to fight on her behalf.
Makima can take control of anyone she deems inferior, brainwashing them—even former enemies like Katana Man, Quanxi, and others. When attacking, Makima wields deadly strength, capable of crushing anyone from a distance. She can even perform this remotely by using a human sacrifice who utters the target’s name. With just a wave of her hand, Makima can pulverize her opponent.
Makima’s true goal is selfish: to face her eternal rival, the powerful Chainsaw Devil, and make peace with him, her beloved partner. She doesn’t have grand ambitions like conquering the world or imposing a new philosophy on humanity; instead, Makima desires eternal happiness and will make anyone pay the price to achieve it. This aligns with Chainsaw Man's intimate themes, where characters like Denji, Himeno, and even the tsundere Aki Hayakawa are driven by relatable personal desires. However, while the heroes of Chainsaw Man are sympathetic in their pursuit of these goals, Makima is entirely different.
Makima subverts more than one type of shonen mentor
Makima and Denji have a very complicated relationship
From the start of Chainsaw Man, it's clear that Makima is meant to subvert the role of the shonen mentor, and she does so in several ways. Like many shonen mentors, Makima protects the vulnerable protagonist (in this case, Denji) and sets him on the path to greatness. It's Makima who recruits a lost and disoriented Denji into the Public Safety Commission, offering the new Chainsaw Man a job and a sense of purpose. She also becomes someone worth fighting for in Denji's eyes—not just to impress her and repay her kindness, but possibly to earn her love.
Many shonen heroes fight fiercely to reward their mentor's kindness, but in Chainsaw Man, all of this is tragically, even heartbreakingly, flipped. For starters, Makima doesn't truly care about Denji as a person. She is self-centered in her goals and desires, only seeking happiness with the Chainsaw Devil/Pochita.
Shonen mentors often forge a personal bond with their students, like the deep friendship between Yuji Itadori and Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen, or Jiraiya's transformation into Naruto Uzumaki’s beloved surrogate father in Naruto. This mutual respect and affection often serve as a form of "power of friendship," giving the hero added strength in battle. However, the Denji/Makima dynamic is one of unrequited affection, with Denji harboring an intense, yet futile, crush on his beautiful boss, Makima. Denji's love for Makima drives him to greater heights throughout Chainsaw Man, but Makima never reciprocates, something Denji realizes far too late.
Makima also subverts a particular type of shonen mentor: the one who benevolently uses the protagonist as a tool to achieve their own goals. Some mentors are simple, friendly coaches with no ulterior motives, while others burden their students with their own goals, using them as instruments. Fortunately, shonen mentors are usually transparent and kind about this, ensuring their students are prepared for the mission. Take Jiraiya, for example, who didn’t just teach Naruto new jutsu; he passed on his dream of world peace, which Naruto eventually realized. In My Hero Academia, All Might, the symbol of peace, asked Izuku to accomplish what he had failed to do—defeat All For One. All Might was criticized for pushing Izuku too hard and turning him into an almost superhuman tool, but at least it was for a noble cause that Izuku fully embraced.
In contrast, Makima, as portrayed in Chainsaw Man, is a true manipulator as the Control Devil, lacking the benevolence and altruistic goals of mentors like Jiraiya and All Might, making her a true villain and a complete subversion of this particular shonen mentor archetype. All Might might give the impression of being a selfish antihero who transformed Izuku's life and put the boy in danger, but that only makes All Might imperfect and nuanced, not a monster. It was a partial deconstruction of the superhero genre, while Makima, as a true villain in place of a mentor, is a total subversion. She doesn't toy with her selfish desires or manipulate others as a heroine with a dark side; Makima is entirely focused on selfish desires and is completely on the dark side, with no heroic side to balance things out. This is how Chainsaw Man turned its potential mentor into a monster without resorting to a betrayal narrative.
Makima is unsympathetic, and that makes fans love her even more.
Although she is a brutal anime villain, fans find themselves captivated by her.
Some anime villains can be partially sympathetic if they’ve suffered from things beyond their control or if they have personal goals rooted in relatable emotions like love, friendship, or loyalty. This can make villains popular with anime fans. Bleach has several examples, such as Ulquiorra Schiffer, whose sincere desire to understand Orihime Inoue’s heart made him tragically sympathetic in his final moments. Or Himiko Toga in My Hero Academia, whose first "crime" was being born with the "wrong" kind of quirk – a blood-related ability that everyone feared. In contrast, Makima, as portrayed in Chainsaw Man, is not sympathetic, even with her endearing goal of living happily ever after. She is clearly depicted as a monster with a deceptively beautiful appearance.
That said, Makima still has a legion of fans, and this doesn't necessarily go against the intentions of the author Tatsuki Fujimoto. Makima is clearly designed to be a monster from start to finish, but Chainsaw Man's narrative allows fans the freedom to love or hate whoever they want, including Makima. Fans are not meant to identify with Makima, but they can still admire her as a villain true to herself and her desires. Anime villains tend to have a great deal of confidence and strong convictions, which can be impressive, even inspiring, and fans appreciate this.
This stands in refreshing contrast to the insecurities and weaknesses of heroes like Denji and Izuku, which appeals to fans who enjoy strong characters. A strong romantic partner can be very fun, and a villainous partner like Makima is just a different, even more exciting version of the same character. Often, anime fans appreciate sweet, even shy waifus like Hinata Hyuga or Shoko Komi, because they are cuddly and kind, people fans want to protect. In other cases, like with Makima in Chainsaw Man, fans are drawn to a powerful, untamable bad girl who doesn’t need anyone's protection. It's a matter of taste, which is why bad girls like Makima, Himiko Toga, General Esdeath, and Balalaika are among the most popular anime waifus, regardless of their misdeeds.
Makima’s death in Chainsaw Man is brutal but satisfying.
After everything she has done, fans weren’t sad to witness Makima’s death.
In Chainsaw Man, a demon can never truly be killed; they reincarnate without their old memories. Makima’s powers make her a formidable enemy, almost impossible to defeat, as she can transfer her injuries to others. The relationship between Denji and Makima becomes truly traumatizing as Makima does everything she can to isolate Denji from his family—Power and Aki. It all begins with Aki’s transformation into the Gun Devil, a particularly twisted act because he becomes what he hates the most. Then comes the horrific scene where Makima and Power meet in Chainsaw Man.
There are few interactions between Power and Makima, but their last encounter is simply brutal. Although the Blood Devil is not dead, Makima kills Power when she arrives at Denji’s door. Makima disposes of Power by slicing her in half the moment Denji opens the door. Power’s death marks the final breaking point for Denji and a turning point in Makima’s plans.
Denji is ultimately forced to face Makima alone. So, how does Makima die in Chainsaw Man? The blood of Power infused in Denji’s body slices Makima into pieces. Unfortunately, even this is not enough to kill her permanently. To truly kill her and break the contract, Denji must grotesquely eat the pieces of her body.
The reincarnated Control Devil, Nayuta, embodies Makima’s inner desires.
After Makima's death, the manga introduces Nayuta, a young girl who is the new Control Devil. Kishibe entrusts Nayuta to Denji, believing that he can prevent her from becoming a replica of Makima. Kishibe does this because he’s convinced that if Nayuta receives love and a family, she won’t succumb to her darkest impulses. Makima, in contrast, was raised to be a killing machine devoid of tenderness, a stark contrast to Nayuta's upbringing.
Nayuta and Makima share some intriguing similarities. While Makima’s age is uncertain, seemingly at least in her twenties, Nayuta is a small child still figuring out her place in the world and how to behave. She is childlike, yet she embodies some of Makima’s traits, like her possessiveness over Denji and her deep love for dogs. Nayuta even mimics Makima’s signature braided hairstyle.
Nayuta suggests that Makima’s malice stemmed from never being properly raised or cared for. Nayuta highlights some of Makima's more dynamic sides, like when she tears up watching a hug in a movie with Denji. Denji and Nayuta quickly form an adorable sibling-like bond, with Denji doing everything he can to hold her and show her affection. While it’s unclear how Makima might have turned out had she been raised differently, it’s clear that her lack of emotional connection with anyone played a large role in the evil actions she committed. Nayuta reflects Makima’s deepest desires, physically expressing the inner child in Makima who only wanted a family.
A large part of Makima's story in the Chainsaw Man manga has not yet been adapted, but fans will finally be able to learn more in the movie Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, set to be released in 2025. This film will focus on Reze, the Bomb Devil, and her relationship with Denji. However, Makima remains an essential part of this arc. If fans want to support Reze and Denji, Makima is not the type to easily part with her "possessions." As for season 2 of Chainsaw Man, there isn't much information available yet. Just like Demon Slayer tends to release movies before launching a new season, it's likely that the second season of Chainsaw Man will follow a similar pattern.
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