Chainsaw Man Story Arcs Overview: From Bat Devil to Public Enemy
Chainsaw Man's Part 1 (Public Safety arc) spans eight major story arcs packed with action, loss, and shocking twists. Here is a full breakdown of every arc, its key events, and why it matters for understanding the characters you will encounter in CSM games.
Introduction Arc — Bat Devil
The story begins with Denji, a young devil hunter in debt to the Yakuza who works alongside his Devil dog Pochita. After being betrayed and killed, Denji merges with Pochita and is reborn as a Hybrid with chainsaws growing from his body.
Recruited into Public Safety by Makima, Denji teams up with Aki Hayakawa and the Blood Fiend Power. The trio faces the Bat Devil and Leech Devil in their first real mission, establishing the core dynamic of the group.
Eternity Devil Arc
Division 4 is trapped inside a hotel by the Eternity Devil, a creature that loops the building infinitely to consume the devil hunters inside. Denji ultimately defeats it through sheer endurance — literally fighting and drinking blood for three straight days until the Devil begs for death.
This arc introduces the series' recurring theme: Denji wins not through intelligence or power but through a refusal to give up, no matter how absurd the situation.
Katana Man Arc
A Yakuza group seeks revenge against Denji using a Katana Man hybrid. The arc delivers the series' first major loss — several named characters die in a coordinated ambush on Public Safety, and Aki gains his Future Devil contract.
The villain Sawatari works as an agent of the Gun Devil, setting up the larger threat that looms over the entire first half of the manga.
Bomb Girl Arc
Denji falls for Reze, a girl who turns out to be the Bomb Devil hybrid working for the Soviet Union. The arc is the series' most romantic — and most brutally ironic — sequence, as every emotional beat is undercut by violence and betrayal.
Despite defeating Reze, Denji genuinely grieves for her. This arc more than any other demonstrates Fujimoto's skill at making readers care about characters who exist to be antagonists.
International Assassins Arc
International teams are dispatched to kill Denji and claim the Chainsaw Devil's power. The arc introduces Quanxi (Chinese devil hunter and hybrid), the Santa Claus assassin, and culminates in a trip to Hell — where the Darkness Devil makes its terrifying debut.
Power's sacrifice and resurrection in Hell forms the emotional core of this arc, deepening her bond with Denji and Aki.
Gun Devil Arc & Chainsaw Man Arc
The Gun Devil, the most feared entity on Earth, is finally confronted. The revelation of what the Gun Devil truly is — and who controls it — recontextualises everything that came before.
The final Chainsaw Man arc strips away every relationship Denji built and forces a confrontation with Makima, who reveals her true nature as the Control Devil. The resolution is as unexpected as everything else in the series.