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The latest chapter of Chainsaw Man veers sharply and shows the return of the Chainsaw Devil's true form, "Armored Chainsaw Man," and its terrible power to wipe devils from existence. Denji changes in this chapter, #172, into the Hero of Hell confronting several hybrids and agents of Public Safety with overwhelming force. This power has far-reaching effects on the very fabric of reality as well as the devils themselves.
Denji quickly kills and consumes the Ear Devil in this chapter, a major event that causes all human ears to vanish and hearing to vanish as well. This shows Chainsaw Man's capacity to wipe the ideas the devils it eats represent. The Ear Devil represents the fear of being overheard, thus its erasure leaves people without hearing ability. This act begs problems about the nature of these devils and their relation to human anxieties.
The chapter validates what makes Chainsaw Man hated by all devils: its capacity to utterly wipe them from existence, never allowing them to resurface either Hell or Earth. This erasure removes the ideas the devils stand for, not just destroys them. The Ear Devil's disappearance removes hearing, so illustrating Chainsaw Man's ability to transform the world by eradicating basic elements of human experience. Characters like Makima, Yoru, and Fami, who sought to regulate Denji's powers for their own needs, have found this terrible power fascinating.
Chainsaw Man has removed a human sense from existence before now. Makima told Kishibe earlier that a sixth sense had disappeared most likely from Chainsaw Man's intake of its related devil. Although the nature of this sixth sense is yet unknown, the recent erasure of hearing points to a possible link and emphasizes the mysterious character of Chainsaw Man's abilities. The chapter leaves readers wanting for solutions, hoping to clarify this and other riddles around the strong Chainsaw Devil.
Although the consequences of this power are frightening, there is some hope as the chapter closes with an agent declaring Chainsaw Man is going to eat the Ear Devil. This points to a potential for undoing the consequences of the erasure, but given Pochita's sheer force and Denji's erratic nature of changes, the situation stays tense. The stakes are great, which keeps readers on the tip of their seats as they wait for the events to develop and consider the possible effects of Chainsaw Man's terrible ability.