Chainsaw Man is a brutal but exciting shonen manga series by author Tatsuki Fujimoto that's now a major anime series streaming on Crunchyroll. Anime fans are welcome to dive into the gory, violent world of Chainsaw Man to see what all the fuss is about. But first, new fans ought to brush up on who's who and what's what, including the characters like Denji and Power.
Denji is the titular Chainsaw Man, the hilariously relatable antihero of this story, and his new partner is the horned fiend girl known only as Power. From the very start, anime fans will have a strong impression of Power's wild personality and her brash ways, but there is more to this anime sidekick than meets the eye, and she can be surprisingly complex or vulnerable at times, too.
10. Power Is A Devil With A Human Body or a Fiend ?
The Chainsaw Man anime can be considered a "monster hunter" anime alongside Fire Force, Bleach, and Demon Slayer, meaning the series' combat system is all about supernatural monsters, how they operate, and how to fight them. This includes the very nature of Power, a monster herself.
Power is a fiend, a devil that possessed a human body in a desperate bid for survival. Devils lose a part of their power in the process, but at least they avoid death, and they retain their original personality and memories, too. So, Power's devil horns aren't for show.
9. South Park's Eric Cartman Inspired Power's Personality
Anime fans may sometimes be surprised to learn which legendary pop culture characters inspired their favorite anime characters, and Power is no different. Among other characters, Power's design draws inspiration from the notorious Eric Cartman of South Park infamy, as Mr. Fujimoto once stated in an interview.
Chainsaw Man fans shouldn't expect Power to quote "screw you guys, I'm going home," but even so, Power just might remind them of their favorite animated foul-mouthed kid. Sure enough, Power is egomaniacal, self-centered, crude, obnoxious, and prone to mocking and teasing others, including Denji himself.
8. Power Thinks Poorly Of Humans Overall
Power sometimes puts Denji down for being just some human, but it's not personal. Power thinks poorly of the entire human race, viewing humanity as a weak race of fools and cowards. To most devils, humans are just prey or cattle, an attitude shared by Demon Slayer's demons and the Hollows in Bleach.
Power isn't about to chomp down on Denji's arm for a snack, but even so, she views humans as livestock or mice, and no one is about to change her mind, either. This attitude will sometimes influence Power's dialogue and actions around human characters, friend and foe alike.
7. Power Loves Animals, Mainly Cats
Some anime characters like animals more than they do people, often having a few dogs or cats as their best friends. Power is one such character, rejecting all potential human friends in favor of her special pet cat, simply named Meowy. This feline is the only thing Power has a soft spot for.
Power once meant to eat Meowy, but she grew fond of that cat, and now Meowy is the only thing besides herself that Power will fight to defend. As anime fans will soon see, Power will go to rather extreme lengths to look after Meowy, even where other devils are concerned.
6. Power Tends To Lie
Power has many qualities that make her a rough antihero, as opposed to inspiring, upstanding protagonists like Tanjiro Kamado, Izuku Midoriya, and Tohru Honda. Power often inverts classic shonen traits such as loyalty, integrity, compassion and even honesty, and she's often grittier than Denji himself is.
For example, Power will gladly lie about nearly anything to avoid getting yelled at, and she might even lie just for fun or to avoid looking bad. If Power does something wrong, such as kill a devil without permission, she'll blame Denji, even if it's obvious that Power's the one at fault.
5. Power Has Bad Hygiene
Some anime characters make a serious effort to look and smell wonderful, such as taking luxurious baths, combing their hair, trimming their fingernails, and more. A character might do all this right before an exciting romantic date, for example. But Power would show up to that date smelling like a dumpster.
As a crude and selfish fiend, Power sees no need to be very clean or tidy for the benefit of other people. She might forgo baths, neglect to wash her hands, or even use the toilet improperly, all since she can't be bothered with human niceties like that. And Power finds it strange that humans do care so much.
4. Power Is Not At All Squeamish
Plenty of anime heroes and antiheroes are ready and willing to get themselves dirty in a fight, and that is certainly true of Chainsaw Man's main duo of Denji and Power. Heroes often end up coated in blood, guts, and dirt while fighting, and Power almost seems to enjoy it.
Just the way Denji gets soaked in his victims' blood during a fight, Power will gladly smash a devil apart with her hammer, no matter the mess. Power reveled in the gory violence during Episode 2 of the anime, and she probably won't take a shower afterward.
3. Power Doesn't Believe In Friendship
As an extension of her arrogant, human-hating ways, Power also rejects the power of friendship. Power will grudgingly accept Denji as her official devil-hunting partner, but they are hardly BFFs or even stable coworkers.
As anime fans will see, Power doesn't feel sentimental about anything except Meowy, and if it suited her needs, she would even betray or sell out Denji out of convenience. In Power's mind, she can always just replace whatever sucker got stuck working with her.
2. Power Has A Deeply Hidden Vulnerable Side
Chainsaw Man manga readers know this fact already, and new anime fans will eventually see it for themselves, too. Outwardly, Power is headstrong, reckless, crude, and confident person, and for the most part, that is indeed the case. But even fiends can feel insecure or frightened.
Very gradually, fans will see Power's calmer, more vulnerable side, and she will start acting more like a true friend than ever. She might even make some kind gestures toward Denji, all rage and arrogance forgotten. But it'll take time to get there.
1. Power Can Make A Variety Of Weapons
Some anime characters are limited to just one weapon or fighting style, such as Ichigo Kurosaki only using Zangetsu or Reiner Braun only having the Armored Titan. For her part, Power can create a few different weapon types with her blood, making her more flexible than most devils.
Power's default weapon is a giant hammer made of her blood, useful for smashing or crushing foes with a single swing. She can also form spears either up close or from a distance to stab her enemies, and when pushed, Power can even conjure thousands of swords and spears to overwhelm her opponent.