Chainsaw Man's New Plot Twist Shocked Everyone, But It Was Set Up Years Ago

Warning: Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man chapter #198When it comes to unpredictability, there may not be another manga series that rivals Chainsaw Man. From its opening chapter, the series deceives readers with the death of its own main character, and then builds up a final antagonist which is eventually killed in the background before Makima reveals herself to be the villain. The series employs constant twists and turns while holding its biggest secrets close to the chest, leaving its audience in a constant state of intrigue or even confusion.

This writing style is even more apparent in Chainsaw Man's meticulously crafted Part Two. In a world that treats violence and tragedy like everyday scenery, the series' dual protagonists are consistently thrown into chaos while never knowing exactly what's going on, and the reader isn't aware of much more than they are. What was established early in the narrative is that the Death Devil will arrive, plunging humanity into darkness. However, in another shocking twist, chapter #198, "It's Fami!", reveals the final Horseman was closer than anyone thought, and the series was dropping hints all along.

Chainsaw Man Reveals Its Biggest Plot Twist Yet

The Death Devil Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight

The Famine Devil with Makima and Asa in Chainsaw Man.

When a new Horseman Devil appeared in chapter #195, the entire Chainsaw Man fandom believed they had just been introduced to the Death Devil, but her subsequent time in the spotlight didn't quite paint her as a terrifying final villain. Instead, she cried endlessly while repeating she had come to save everyone. Facing off with the mysterious fake Chainsaw Man, the latest Horseman Devil didn't fare very well, being sawed to pieces on more than one occasion.

Everyone, including the fake Chainsaw Man, was confused by just how weak the supposed Death Devil was. Throughout the entirety of Part Two, she loomed over the narrative, quietly pulling strings while the main cast suffered tragedy after tragedy. Finally, Fakesaw Man prompted the devil to reveal her identity, and to the surprise of everyone, she claimed her name was Fami, the Famine Devil.

The real Famine Devil stating her name with tears in her eyes in Chainsaw Man chapter #198.

The focus then shifted to who everyone believed was Fami, standing on the ledge of the school, summoning the Falling Devil. Most readers were struck with immediate confusion. The Famine Devil was introduced into the series years ago and has long since been an established member of the cast. Yet, there she was, revealing that she had stolen her sister's name, and alerting readers she had been the Death Devil all along.

There Were Signs the Death Devil Was Closer Than Anyone Thought

Chainsaw Man Was Dropping Hints at Its Latest Twist All Along

Chainsaw Man has an incredibly active fan base, pumping out theories and speculating on the events of the series with each passing chapter. However, despite all the thousands of prediction and analysis posts, just about nobody expected the original Fami to be the Death Devil. The reveal was a shock, recontextualizing the entirety of Part Two, but it didn't come from absolutely nowhere. In fact, there were hints all along that something wasn't quite right with the Fami fans had come to know.

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On her first appearance, she asked Asa if she wanted to save Yuko, and then proceeded to bring the girl back to life even stronger than she was before. That should have been an early sign that her powers didn't exactly align with the concept of famine, but given how vague the series' devil abilities are, most fans didn't think much of it. The strongest hint, however, came when Death-Fami summoned high-ranking Primal Devils to do her bidding like it was nothing, and refused to elaborate on why she had that ability.

A Famine Devil, despite being a Horseman, would not have the power to command primal fear devils, as most would be far more powerful than she is. There's also a panel that's come into question following the recent twist, which shows Yoru beginning to tell Asa that something isn't right with Death-Fami during the aquarium arc, before she's taken away by the final Horseman.

Yoru warning Asa not to listen to Sami before being teleported away in Chainsaw Man.

Chainsaw Man has never been a stranger to shocking twists and turns, but none have rivaled the reveal of Fami being the Death Devil. Throughout the entirety of the series, the final villain was hiding in plain sight among the main cast of characters, unbeknownst to both the cast and the readers. The revelation changes everything about the series' Part Two, and is sure to usher in Chainsaw Man's final act. However, it seems Death-Fami might not be the evil villain she's been built up to be, and there's a Denji's final fight will be with someone else entirely.