Chainsaw Man's Strongest Power Has A Surprisingly Simple Explanation
In Chainsaw Man chapter #170, Barem explained to Denji that he needed him to return to the same state he was in during the Control Devil arc, which led to Denji finally learning that Chainsaw Man has the power to erase any Devils he consumes from existence. While fans and many characters in the story already knew that, it's the first time Denji hears about it, so he points out that chainsaws have nothing to do with something like that.
Barem then explains what is, according to him the logic behind Chainsaw Man's power: chainsaws did once have a use related to erasing Devils, but Chainsaw Man erased so many Devils that people eventually forgot about it. The explanation for Chainsaw Man's power is very simple in retrospect, and it’s also very realistic. In real life, countless tools and practices have uses far removed from whatever they were originally conceived for.
The Explanation For Chainsaw Man's Power Makes Devils Even More Terrifying
Obviously, this is just Barem's hypothesis, and it could turn out to not be true, but it would be weird if the author inserted it in the story without an actual reason. It's also interesting to note that Chainsaw Man's power to erase Devils persisted even after this use of chainsaws was forgotten, meaning that Chainsaw Man's power is not as connected to the human world as that of other Devils. This was already confirmed with the explanation that Chainsaw Man draws power from the fear of Devils, besides humans.
Regardless of what the truth will turn out to be, it's clear that Tatsuki Fujimoto is saving the explanation of the mystery of the Chainsaw Devil's power for a key point in the series' future, as Chainsaw Man now is focusing a lot more on Denji's emotional struggles, which is part of what makes the series so interesting.
Chainsaw Man: An Overview
Chainsaw Man is an adaptation of the popular Manga written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, airing on Crunchyroll in the west. Denji, a young man working tirelessly for the Yakuza to pay off the debt, his late father saddled him with hunts devils with the assistance of his little friend Pochita, also known as the Chainsaw Devil. When the Yakuza kill him to gain a contract with another devil, Pochita saves Denji, and the two forge a contract, allowing Denji to gain revenge against the Yakuza.
Now sought after by an agency known as the Public Safety Division, Denji joins a team led by the mysterious Makima. Denji now relentlessly hunts Devils in service of his newfound crush, Makima, slowly reaching their ultimate goal of facing the ultimate Devil.
