There are different ways for an author to show a character’s backstory. They can show it by a flashback or by an extensive arc. Whichever method, readers are often left with a deeper understanding of the character. This literary device is used very often in the Shonen genre. It helps to justify the character’s actions and raises the stakes for future conflict. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man series uses the same literary device.
However, there is one character who is exempt from this rule. Makima is the only one who hasn’t received any form of backstory among the main cast. We know little of what she has done and the motivations that she carried. So, when things finally hit the fan, readers are left greatly confused. What did Makima do during the events of Chainsaw Man? What are her motivations? Why did she do the things she’s done? For this article, we will be answering those burning questions. Spoilers ahead!
Contents hide
1 What Did Makima Do?
1.1 Makima’s Activities in Hell (Pre-Chainsaw Man)
1.2 Makima’s Activities on Earth (Pre-Chainsaw Man)
1.2.1 Growing Up on Earth
1.2.2 Makima’s Activities as the Government’s Lap Dog
1.3 Makima’s Activities on Earth (Chainsaw Man)
2 What Does Makima Want?
3 What Does Makima Want from Denji?
3.1 Phase One: Honey Trapping Denji and Aki
3.2 Phase Two: Developing the Trio’s Bonds
3.3 Phase Three: Reducing External Factors
3.3.1 The Yakuza and Devils
3.3.2 The Weapon Devils
3.4 Phase Four: The Gun Devil Subjugation
3.5 Phase Five: Destroying Denji’s Psyche
4 The Ending to Makima’s Activities
4.1 Why Did Makima Do What She Did?
4.2 What was Makima’s Goal?
What Did Makima Do?
Tatsuki Fujimoto likes to make everything a mystery. Even the actions of his character are often left vague for interpretation. The titular heroine from “Goodbye, Eri” confirms this fact, and Makima does by an extension. Her feats and achievements are explained in mostly throwaway remarks. It is only during the climax of the Control Devil Arc that she goes out of her way to explain what she’s done. Even so, it is not enough.
At the very least, we can say that Makima is responsible for most events in Chainsaw Man. She was the person who made Denji’s life both uplifting and miserable. However, the specifics of how are not elaborated. So, in this article, I will be dissecting everything she’s done from the beginning to the end!
Makima’s Activities in Hell (Pre-Chainsaw Man)
It is unknown how long Makima stayed in Hell before the events of Chainsaw Man. Her activities in Hell are not explicitly shown, but there are a few things we can infer.
First, when Makima was in Hell, she was in direct conflict with the Chainsaw Devil. It is unknown if she has worked alongside other Devils. Yet it is likely that she has due to her nature. Her ability to control everything made her a key figure during the battle. The war in Hell was gruesome and many Devils perished as a result. Makima was there to witness what happened to the Devils. It is in this scene that she realized her wish and goal can be achieved.
Makima’s Activities on Earth (Pre-Chainsaw Man)
Growing Up on Earth
It is unknown when Makima made her way to Earth. However, we can confidently say that she had done so without dying. She still retained memories of the war in Hell and of the Devils that perished. Had she died, she would’ve forgotten all these like every Devil before her. However, this doesn’t mean that she possessed the same knowledge on Earth. Makima’s ascent had likely been her first time.
We can at least make a conjecture that when Makima arrived on Earth, she was in the form of a young girl. In Chapter 97, Kishibe implied that she grew up in the Japanese Government. It is from them that she developed her ideologies and learned to love humanity. When this happened is unclear. Fortunately, we can give an estimate. Makima is aware of the Gun Devil Incident and she’s been around for as long as Aki’s tenure as a Devil Hunter. The Gun Devil Incident happened in 1984, meaning that she was already around by then.
Makima’s Activities as the Government’s Lap Dog
However, living with the government had a twist. In return for being raised by them, she had to help in their endeavors. This meant safeguarding Japan’s peace and her citizens’ safety. Her situation is comparable to Ciel Phantomhive’s from Black Butler. Except, in this case, she was a lot more prepared than the boy ever was!
Makima has done many things for the sake of humanity. She was assigned to the Devil Hunting Division to oversee operations. During her tenure, she led Devil Hunter Squads and sought out Devils who can make Contracts with them. Without her help, Tokyo’s Devil Hunter Division would not be as strong as it was then. She was also given a task that would be Special Division 4’s ultimate goal: to kill the Gun Devil.
However, her stint with the Government aside, Makima also expanded her influence. With her power to control everything, she had made multiple Contracts to control Japan as she saw fit. Information from the mainstream media was limited and controlled at her discretion. She made herself immortal through a Contract with Japan’s Prime Minister. Even the Devil Hunters under her employ were all under her spell, all waiting for her orders.
Other than Japan, Makima has made connections with other nations. The President of America is one such example.
Makima’s Activities on Earth (Chainsaw Man)
The events of Chainsaw Man are when Makima’s ill intentions made themselves known. While the woman had been more or less a beacon of hope, she was by no means good. She saw the mission above all even at the cost of human lives.
What Does Makima Want?
Tasked with destroying the Gun Devil, she made a plan that guaranteed victory. However, at some point, she caught wind of Denji and Pochita. This led her to modify her plans and came up with two needs. She wanted to get Denji and Pochita and slay the Gun Devil while she was at it.
What Does Makima Want from Denji?
Makima wants Denji to feel useless and become indebted to her. This way, Pochita becomes his main consciousness. This gives her the chance to subjugate the Chainsaw Devil and finally achieve her goal.
This is where things get confusing for the fans. Makima’s planning was so intricate that it can be difficult to wrap our heads around it. So, I’ll break it down to make things easier to understand!
Phase One: Honey Trapping Denji and Aki
While it is possible Makima came across Denji by chance, the possibility it isn’t is as likely. The latter might even be the canon answer. Makima had abilities that let her receive information through animals’ hearing and sight. She also had her dealings with the Yakuza whom Denji used to work for. Makima had planned Denji’s encounter with the Zombie Devil and went there the next day to fetch him.
Similar to Money Heist’s induction of Stockholm, the way Makima put Denji into her good graces is not good! Taking advantage of his loneliness and desire for a normal life, she suckered him into loving her. By displaying kindness he never felt before, Makima made the boy fall in love.
However, it wasn’t just Denji who she suckered into loving her. With her goal to also kill the Gun Devil, she also extended her “advances” to Aki. She had likely seen the latter’s determination and used it to her advantage. She wanted the man to Contract with multiple Devils so she could use multiple powers at once.
Phase Two: Developing the Trio’s Bonds
Makima placing Denji with Power and Aki was not done by coincidence. She chose the latter two specifically because of their loyalty toward her. With Aki, she knows that the boy simply cannot refuse her. He was gullible to a fault and his determination helped greatly with her plans. Meanwhile, Power was supposed to serve as one of Chainsaw Devil’s future followers.
Then, Makima would put Denji, Aki, and Power through difficult situations so their bonds would develop. Their love and care for each other would serve as the perfect tool for Makima to break Denji’s spirits.
Phase Three: Reducing External Factors
As a government figurehead, Makima still had her responsibilities. This meant dealing with Devils, Yakuza, Weapon Devils, and the Gun Devil. Since the latter four posed a threat to Public Safety, she used them as an excuse to further her plans.
The Yakuza and Devils
With the Yakuza and Devils, she wanted to subjugate them so they stopped getting in her way. In the world of Chainsaw Man, the Yakuza acted as “bodyguards” of the populace by taking out the Devils for them. However, it often comes with a price that was too steep to pay. Denji is an example of their victims. Not wanting them to start interfering with her plans, she went out of her way to silence them. She had the Yakuza’s relatives’ eyes gouged out and presented them in front of the leaders. This was how Makima subjugated the Yakuza group into her network.
Her access to Yakuza and defeated terrorists provided her with the perfect scapegoats. She would use them to mask her plans to her superiors to capture Pochita. By presenting results, Makima was confident that the government would give her more freedom to act.
Meanwhile, Makima would also be subjugating Devils to aid her confrontation with the Gun Devil.
The Weapon Devils
While Devils are still a big problem to Japan, the Weapon Devils are the worst of the bunch. They are the agents of the Gun Devil who are after Denji. This gave Makima the chance to capture them without drawing attention to herself. Under the guise of protecting Denji, she had the members of Special Division 4 “deal” with them. After their subjugation, Makima would control them for her future confrontation with Pochita. These Weapon Devils would be hidden from the public eye until it was time to bring them out.
She also used them to have Denji grow stronger and force Aki to contract with more Devils. She banked on the Weapon Devils to force Aki to grow desperate enough to ask her for power. When he did, she controlled him and gave him what he asked for: the power of the Gun Devil.
Phase Four: The Gun Devil Subjugation
With her foundation set, it was time to start accelerating the developments. By this point, some people would eventually catch wind of Makima’s plans. And her plans spelled doom for humanity. To stop her before she gets worse, the President of America made a contract with the Gun Devil. The latter was to kill Makima in exchange for the shorter lifespan of his citizens. It agreed and immediately went into motion to try and destroy the Control Devil.
Unfortunately, this was already within Makima’s plans. She was able to foresee this event from happening as she was already waiting for the Gun Devil to arrive. After a brief battle and Makima dying for the 29th time, the Gun Devil was subjugated. Makima would force the Gun Devil’s consciousness into Aki and set her final phase into motion.
Phase Five: Destroying Denji’s Psyche
With nothing else in Makima’s way, it was finally time for her to capture Pochita. She had sent Aki to Denji in the hopes that the boy would kill his best friend. Denji succeeded, but the act sent him into depression. After giving him some time for Denji to stew in his thoughts, Makima would swoop in and offer him hope. Hope that she will destroy. She would call Power to her apartment, so she could kill the latter in front of Denji.
After telling Denji that his entire life had been a lie set up by Makima, the boy stopped resisting. Denji finally broke and Pochita took the driver’s seat. With Makima’s group of Weapon Devils, she went to subjugate him. She used her influence with the mainstream media to weaken Pochita and gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, all her attempts failed.
The Ending to Makima’s Activities
Makima’s failure is not her fault in any way. She did succeed in what she set out to do and did get her hands on Pochita. However, she failed to recognize Denji. She had been so focused on Pochita the entire time that she didn’t notice Denji sneak up on her. With one good blow on her chest, she was then chopped up and eaten by the boy.
Why Did Makima Do What She Did?
Makima did what she did because she was ordered to. Her entire life’s mission was to save humanity from the grasps of the Devils. She had done so and even succeeded. To her, what methods were needed to achieve the results simply did not matter. Additionally, she was also incredibly selfish. As a Devil, she failed to understand what it meant to sympathize. Makima’s ruthless plan was all done for the sake of realizing her own goal.
What was Makima’s Goal?
Due to Makima’s nature of controlling everything through fear, she found it difficult to establish relationships. It had been her lifelong dream to stand alongside someone or something that could accept her existence. One that did not fear her, nor would be subjected to her. Deep inside this Control Devil had the desire to have a family that she can be with.
FAQs
What did Makima do that was so bad? ›
As it was revealed that Makima had groomed him into her perfect pawn and after his companions were murdered by Makima, it was revealed that she is nothing more than an abusive person towards Denji, even mentally abusing him by gaslighting him for the past sins he had done which resulted in him living in a miserable ...
Is Makima a good or bad guy? ›Due to her actions in Chapter 81-82, Makima cemented herself as one of the most evil villains ever graced in Shonen Jump history to the point that even most of the people comparing her to the likes of Sōsuke Aizen from Bleach or Griffith from Berserk.
Was Makima actually good? ›Makima reveals that she is evil because she's a big fan of Chainsaw Man, and she wanted to see the real Chainsaw Man, not Denji. So she gave Denji all sort of happiness, then took it away to make Denji depress and let Chainsaw Man take over, since the Chainsaw Devil is binded with Denji.
What is the truth behind Makima? ›In the later chapters of the series, it was revealed that Makima is actually the Control Devil, one of the strongest known devils of the series. Aki's love for her is also possibly due to the reason that she's controlling him.
Why Makima want Denji to suffer? ›Makima, being the Control Devil, killed Power to control the Chainsaw Devil. Given how Pochita had made a contract with Denji in exchange for him to live a normal life, she first had to nullify it. This meant that Makima had to deny Denji of any normalcy.
Why did Makima betray Chainsaw Man? ›Ultimately, her goal is to mentally destroy Denji in order to make him an unsuitable host for Pochita, thus seperating him from the Chainsaw Devil. Meanwhile, Kishibe and his team are plotting to attack Makima, who is revealed to be the Control Devil.
Is Makima a good girl? ›On the surface, Makima seems to be a nice, gentle, social and friendly woman who is almost seen wearing a smile on her face the entire time and acts relaxed and confident even during a crisis, speaking in a professional tone to her workers.
Is Makima the best female villain? ›From her suave manipulation tactics and raw power, Makima is a formidable and terrifying antagonist that has easily become one of the greatest shonen villains of all time. Her beauty and subtle methods of control have captivated anime and manga fans, and will likely continue to do so long after Chainsaw Man concludes.
Who is the true villain in Chainsaw Man? ›Episode 11 of the Chainsaw Man anime reiterates the demented Makima heading up Public Safety is indeed the most terrifying villain in the series.
Does Makima really hate Denji? ›3 Makima Does Not Like Denji
Instead, Makima simply admires Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil and one of the most powerful devils ever to exist. She dislikes Denji and thinks he does not deserve to be united with the Chainsaw Man and only views him as a means to an end, which is why she decides to be nice to him.
Who is the strongest devil in Chainsaw Man? ›
1. Chainsaw Devil (Pochita) Without a doubt, Pochita, aka the Chainsaw Devil, is the most powerful devil in the Chainsaw Man franchise. Even though it might appear like many devils can overpower Chainsaw Man, none of his defeats are permanent.
Who is more powerful than Makima? ›2 Darkness Devil
As a representation of the fear of darkness, the Darkness Devil is incomparably powerful, so much so that even Makima cannot defeat it. The Darkness Devil possesses extreme speed and strength, as it is able to dismember and kill multiple people in an instant.
As revealed in the manga, Makima is the Control Devil, meaning that she does not really age. As for her physique, she seems to be in her early twenties, somewhere around 22–25 years old. But, if we were to guess the Control Devil's age, we'd have to say she's at least 79 years old.
What did Makima do to Angel? ›Suppressed memories suddenly return to the Angel Devil, who recalls that Makima discovered him in a small village, living peacefully. At the time, she forced him to kill everyone in the village, including the girl he loved, in order to test his abilities, after which he was recruited as a devil hunter.
Does Makima love Denji? ›She is only obsessed with his powers and considers him to be her pet, and the show made us witness how much Denji enjoys that. As shown in Chainsaw Man, Makima certainly does not love Denji at all, and this has to sink into the minds of all the firm believers of the rumor that she loves him.
Is power in love with Denji? ›Power and Denji don't have a very romantic relationship, instead more so an awkward sibling relationship. While he finds Power attractive, it doesn't take long for the two to butt heads.
Why is power scared of Makima? ›Power has always had a deep fear of Makima, (likely due to her prowess as the Control Devil). Even with Power's personality, Makima's unsettlingly calm commands cut through Power easily.
Why did Pochita choose Denji? ›Pochita deeply cared for Denji after his life was saved by the human, despite the Devil's general hatred toward humankind. He willingly gave up his heart to Denji so that he could fulfill his dreams which Pochita loved hearing about.
Did Denji betray Makima? ›Despite discovering her plot, her identity as the Control Devil, and the fact that he meant nothing to her, Denji would still continue to love Makima. To him, although she had betrayed him and had brutally slaughtered his closest friends, she had been one of the few people in his life to show him affection.
Who kills Makima? ›Denji in his human form was the one who consumed Makima, not Chainsaw Man, so he only ended up killing her and not erasing her existence completely. This is the reason why the Control Devil still exists and was reincarnated in the world as Nayuta.
Which girl likes Denji? ›
When introduced, Reze initially appears to be a kind and gentle girl who has a crush on Denji soon after meeting him, taking interest in him at first sight and was portrayed to be as somewhat enthusiastic, as shown when both Denji and her have a drink of coffee at the Café she had worked at.
Who is Makima love? ›Makima was Denji's first and last love, the manipulative Control Devil who only cared about Denji for Chainsaw Man.
Who has a crush on Makima? ›Aki had a crush on Makima and seemed to trust her deeply, although this could possibly be a result of Makima's powers of control. This would explain why Aki could not recall his reason for liking her. Makima had an utter disregard for Aki's feelings and was not interested in him beyond his use as a tool.
Who is most beautiful girl in Chainsaw Man? ›Power. One of the three main members of the Makima Squad alongside Denji and Aki, Power is one of the best Chainsaw Man characters. She's the most beautiful and smartest being on the planet, at least according to her.
Who is the best girl in Chainsaw Man? ›Kobeni is the best girl in Chainsaw Man because she is us. Out of every character, Kobeni is more often than not the character we would be in Tatsuki Fujimoto's story and MAPPA's anime, even if we want to take the spotlight.
What was Makima's goal? ›Makima is an antagonistic force whose main trait is control, she wishes to have humanity under her grasp so that it could create a better world without concepts of suffering, death, war and many more of humanity's greatest sins and struggles yet she misses one component, freedom.
Who is the main villain in CSM? ›For instance, the main antagonist of part 1 of the series is Makima, the Control Devil, who is incredibly strong due to her embodying such a universal concept.
Who eats Makima in Chainsaw Man? ›Why Denji Ate Makima In Chainsaw Man. Not only did Denji defeat Makima as himself, but he also eats Makima as himself. Remember, Makima stated at one point that if she was going to lose to Chainsaw Man, she wanted the honor of being eaten by him, the one she idolizes most.
Who is main antagonist in CSM? ›Makima is already revealed as the Control Devil and the main antagonist in the first arc. Yoru is introduced as the War Devil and is the main villain that Denji faces in the second arc. So far, it seems that the Four Horsemen are the ultimate baddies that Denji must face.
Why do Devils fear Pochita? ›Related: Chainsaw Man: Who Is Shark Fiend And What Are His Powers? Other devils fear Pochita because he can truly kill off devils, denying them the ability to regenerate or reincarnate after Pochita destroys them.
Who is more powerful Makima or Denji? ›
However, Makima is vastly more powerful than Denji first expected, a devil wielding fearsome abilities in battle. She can even butcher Power with a casual gesture with her devastating force-based attacks. Makima can also use her domination ability to force other beings, human or otherwise, to do her bidding.
Who is stronger Makima or Pochita? ›Makima possesses great physical strength that allows her to fight effectively in hand-to-hand combat without depending on any of her subordinates. Her force was great enough to overwhelm Pochita and break her chainsaw with her physical blows.
Who would win Gojo or Makima? ›While Satoru Gojo has several abilities, with two of his cornerstones being his Infinity and Domain Expansion - Unlimited Void, Makima's abilities as the Control Devil seem to be just enough to overpower him.
Can Makima beat the Gun Devil? ›Makima barely survives the encounter, but ultimately fails to kill the Gun Devil. The 1/5th Gun Devil is able to possess the corpse of one of her squadmates and become The Gun Fiend. He's less powerful as a fiend, but still not someone you'd like to meet in a dark alley.
Does Makima betray Denji? ›Despite discovering her plot, her identity as the Control Devil, and the fact that he meant nothing to her, Denji would still continue to love Makima. To him, although she had betrayed him and had brutally slaughtered his closest friends, she had been one of the few people in his life to show him affection.
Is Makima in love with Denji? ›She is only obsessed with his powers and considers him to be her pet, and the show made us witness how much Denji enjoys that. As shown in Chainsaw Man, Makima certainly does not love Denji at all, and this has to sink into the minds of all the firm believers of the rumor that she loves him.
Who is the main villain in one piece? ›Imu is the overarching antagonist of the anime and manga franchise One Piece. Imu is a mysterious individual who secretly occupies the Empty Throne and rules the World Government from the shadows, with the Five Elders being the public face of the organization.
Who is good Makima or power? ›Power won the first official popularity poll of the Chainsaw Man manga series in Shonen Jump as she garnered over 35,000 votes, while Makima came second and got over 27,000 votes.
Who did Denji sleep with? ›Summary. Denji agrees to have sex with Himeno, and she starts undressing him. As she begins to take off his pants, however, she finds a Chupa-Chups Lollipop in his pocket. A flashback to the restaurant shows Denji in a fugue after the vomit kiss.
Who killed Makima in chainsaw? ›Denji in his human form was the one who consumed Makima, not Chainsaw Man, so he only ended up killing her and not erasing her existence completely.
Who fell in love with Denji? ›
Denji's first love interest in the series was Makima. While she was later revealed to be the Control Devil, he still couldn't stop loving her. The only way for him to defeat her was by chopping her up and consuming her, thus becoming one with her.
Does Power have a crush on Denji? ›Power eventually develops strong affection for Denji, even going so far as to deny Makima's wishes and put her own life on the line to keep him safe.
Who will be the last villain in One Piece? ›Blackbeard is set up to be protagonist Monkey D. Luffy's final villain; the fight between these two Yonko's is sure to be an enthralling duel.
Who are the 5 elders in One Piece? ›Each of the Elders are named after planets: Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.
Who is the strongest protagonist in One Piece? ›Imu is the sovereign of the World Government and arguably the strongest character in One Piece. Imu seems to have access to some kind of ability/weapon that allowed him to destroy the Kingdom of Lulusia in an instant.
Who beats Makima? ›Why Denji Ate Makima In Chainsaw Man. Not only did Denji defeat Makima as himself, but he also eats Makima as himself. Remember, Makima stated at one point that if she was going to lose to Chainsaw Man, she wanted the honor of being eaten by him, the one she idolizes most.
What is Makima weakness? ›Chainsaw Man Makima Weakness
Makima was practically not killable due to her contract with the Prime Minister of Japan, which transmitted all fatal damage to Japanese citizens. But Denji was able to ultimately take her down by being able to game her heightened sense of smell, which she used to recognize people.