Last Tuesday night, I was this close to tearing up, but I managed to hold it together. I felt an indescribable sense of bitterness, shock, and sheer disappointment. Was I stunned? No, it was more than that. Tatsuki Fujimoto just dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over our heads. It felt like he was mocking us, saying: “Here you go, here’s the Chainsaw Man, Asa, and Pochita you love so much!”
I’m about to dive into whatever this absolute madman is up to now, but consider this your major spoiler warning. If you haven’t read Part 2 of the manga yet, you might want to skip this post.
What Happened in the Latest Chapter?
The latest chapter of Chainsaw Man dropped last week. Chapter 231 was, once again, incredibly short. We’ve grown used to Fujimoto’s “blink-and-you-miss-it” chapters by now. Rumors are circulating that he might be going through a depressive episode, though I can’t say for sure how true they are. In this brief chapter, he gave us the shock of our lives- or rather, he played with our emotions so much that he completely threw us off balance.
As you know, in Chapter 230, Denji and Yoru finally reached an agreement. Denji reminded Yoru of her “sexual promise,” and Yoru just laughed, accepting it while noting that Asa gave her consent(?) as well. But just as they were celebrating with a hug, a swarm of devils suddenly surrounded them. Insects began multiplying at an alarming rate across the globe, invading cities. Why? Because the concept of Death no longer existed. There was no longer anything to keep the insect population in check. Consequently, the general fear of insects drastıcally ıncreased. Even though Asa insisted they should run because they didn’t have enough blood, Denji refused and prepared to fight. But just as he was about to deliver his iconic line, he suddenly couldn’t remember how the sentence ended.
The reason? Pochita had devoured the Death Devil. Death, and everything associated with it, had been erased from existence.
Chapter 231 begins in a field that looks remarkably like the place where Denji and Pochita first met. When Denji asks what’s going on, Pochita tells him—coldly and bluntly—that a devil has eaten them. Denji can’t believe it. He asks what they’re supposed to do now. Pochita tells him that his dreams are over and that it’s actually for the best. Denji struggles to make sense of this, but Pochita drops some hard truths: Denji was actually happier when he was penniless and sick. Neither the bond he formed with Asa nor the food he ate was enough to truly satisfy him. There was always a lingering void inside.
Pochita gives Denji a final goodbye hug and proceeds to eat himself. The final scene shows Denji’s shack, and the chapter ends.
Source: Chainsaw Man Wiki
Possible Theories
The release of this chapter caused absolute chaos within the fanbase. Platforms like Reddit and X were set ablaze with heated discussions, as no one saw such an abrupt turn coming. Fujimoto has always been a mangaka who thrives on subverting expectations, but this was next level. Pochita ate himself and simply vanished, leaving behind a mountain of unanswered questions. We never got to learn Pochita’s true nature. We didn’t fully decipher Hell. We still don’t know why Hybrids are never erased—and the list goes on.
Following this chapter, fans began spinning a web of theories. One popular idea was that since Pochita ate himself, every event in the manga would be rendered non-existent because Denji would never have met Pochita in the first place. Essentially, the classic “it was all a dream” ending. Personally, I’d categorize that as lazy writing.
Another theory suggested that by Pochita consuming himself, all the devils he had previously erased from existence would return, and life would simply move on. In this scenario, Denji would continue living with the heart disease he inherited from his mother.
One theory I found particularly intriguing was that the devil Denji was preparing to fight was actually the Nightmare Devil. According to this, Pochita didn’t actually eat himself; instead, the devil forced Denji to face his ultimate fear: Pochita abandoning him. This would mean Chapter 231 was just a nightmare, serving as a bridge where Part 2 ends and Part 3 begins.
What Kind of Finale is This, Fujimoto?
Right as I was about to post this, Chapter 232 dropped, and the series officially came to an end. The journey that began in 2018 has finally concluded in 2026, after an eight-year run. There was no news of a Part 3. This wasn’t an April Fool’s joke from Fujimoto. The series is officially over. While some fans claimed they saw it coming, others are still struggling to stomach this finale.
The final chapter was longer than usual. We see Denji back in that familiar shack, but this time, he’s alone. Without Pochita, Denji is once again sick and disabled. Just like in the very first chapter, the Yakuza calls him in and sets a trap. But just as Denji is about to die, Power suddenly appears and massacres everyone. She hugs him, telling him he “smells like a dog,” and makes some sort of contract(?) with him.
At that exact moment, Nayuta finds them and takes control. The duo heads off to defeat a devil at Asa’s school. And here’s the kicker: Denji asks Power for a chainsaw. An actual, electric chainsaw! In the final moments, as Asa is about to fall, Denji catches and holds her. There’s a distinct shift in the atmosphere—a moment of genuine vulnerability. Both are visibly embarrassed, and Asa shows her gratitude, saying, “Thank you, Chainsaw Man.” In this closing shot, we see Pochita residing within Denji’s heart. Unsurprisingly, this scene went completely viral online.
The Illusion of a Bittersweet Ending
The final panel shows Denji giving Asa a lingering, sorrowful look before walking away with Power. On the surface, this looks like your classic “bittersweet” ending, but let’s be real, it’s anything but. We are left with a mountain of unanswered questions. Worse, the entire universe was essentially reset, making everything we’ve witnessed feel utterly pointless. As I mentioned before, this is the “it was all a dream” trope in disguise, and in my book, that’s just a hallmark of lazy writing.
Why Did Tatsuki Fujimoto Go Down This Path?
Now, let’s talk about Tatsuki Fujimoto—the man who seemingly loves to court controversy. He’s been an outlier since his youth; I mean, “abnormal” doesn’t even begin to describe someone who ate his girlfriend’s pet goldfish. I’ve touched upon his eccentricity in my previous posts, and while his uniqueness usually shines through his work, it doesn’t justify this abrupt finale.
If this truly is the end and there’s no Part 3 on the horizon, we could perhaps attribute this decision to the influence of The Big Lebowski. Since Fujimoto is ignoring the backlash and there’s zero news regarding a sequel, it seems he’s leaning into the open-ended style he once praised in interviews years ago. He wasn’t bored; this was likely the plan all along. Everything started spiraling the moment the Death Devil was defeated. From that point on, the manga veered into a territory from which there was no return. Fujimoto simply didn’t know what to do with the story he had built.
The Sci-Fi Paradox: A Narrative Mistake?
This is where Tatsuki Fujimoto made a critical error. He isn’t directing a two-hour experimental film; he’s been writing a long-running manga with years of world-building. You can’t just “snap” a story like this shut. Readers have followed this journey for years, and you can’t just leave the finale in limbo for the sake of personal whimsy.
He seems to be treating it like a classic sci-fi novel. In sci-fi—especially the classics—open endings are common, almost inherent to the genre’s nature. Whether it’s Planet of the Apes, The Postman, Fahrenheit 451, We, 1984, or Kallocaine, many masterpieces leave their conclusions dangling. Experienced readers know why: sci-fi often provides a snapshot of a potential future, leaving what comes next to the reader’s imagination. What happens to Earth in Planet of the Apes? Are there other survivors in The Postman? What becomes of Winston in 1984? We don’t know, and we don’t need to know.But a character-driven manga is a different beast entirely.
My Personal Verdict
I’ve literally prayed for a Part 3. We were told Part 1 was the end, yet Part 2 happened, so there’s always a glimmer of hope. But will Fujimoto actually do it? I doubt it.
The ending I envisioned was much simpler: Asa and Denji living together in their shack. Denji would be powerless but healthy. The world would be in ruins, but they would have each other. One final scene of them sleeping side-by-side, and then—curtain. It’s bittersweet, sure, but it’s satisfying.
Instead, Tatsuki Fujimoto gave us a finale no one expected, seemingly bringing back Power and Nayuta just to appease the fans. But this only raised more questions. Why Nayuta and not Makima? In a universe where Pochita never existed, the Control Devil shouldn’t have been this obsessed. How did Power form a contract with Denji when Fiends aren’t supposed to make contracts? And most importantly, how do electric chainsaws still exist? This supports the theory that Pochita was never the “Chainsaw Devil” to begin with. But then, what is he? We’re left in the dark.
Tatsuki Fujimoto backed himself into a corner and used a deus ex machina to bail himself out. Let’s be honest: Chainsaw Man now has one of the worst endings in manga history. Every struggle, every death, and every bit of growth feels hollow. To try and salvage the emotional weight, Tatsuki Fujimoto leaned into a Spirited Away reference—suggesting that even if memories are wiped, emotions remain. That’s why Power bonded with Denji so quickly, and why that final scene with Asa felt so charged.
I hope we get a spin-off or a “slice-of-life” series set in this universe eventually. It’s the least he can do to answer our questions. He needs to clear his head, but then again, we’re talking about a man who eats goldfish. You tell me how “sane” that is.
