Chainsaw Man's power system is second only to Jujutsu Kaisen's in creativity (& the Death Devil shows why)
Chainsaw Man is a series that is usually highlighted by its character writing and even the sheer insane moments that happen in its story, but its battle system doesn't get enough credit. This is further emphasized in the most recent chapters since several fans have theorized that the Death Devil not being that strong could be connected to the lack of fear of dying, which is something that not even the Jujutsu Kaisen battle system can display.
Some Chainsaw Man fans have theorized that the Death Devil is not that strong because the world has gone so bleak that people are no longer scared of dying. This fits with the fact that Devils get stronger when their respective concept is feared more, thus making any potential entity of theirs quite a powerful being.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author.
Explaining why the Chainsaw Man battle system is only second to Jujutsu Kaisen's in terms of creativity
While the Jujutsu Kaisen battle system is rightfully praised for its creativity and clear rules that make the fights more varied, there is no denying that author Tatsuki Fujimoto came up with a unique concept for his own system. This is exemplified by the Death Devil, who could have potentially gotten weaker because people in the world of that manga are no longer so scared of dying.
The recent events of the manga, led by Fami and Barem's fake Church as well as the mayhem caused by other players in the story, have led to a rather bleak setting for the vast majority of the civilians, and perhaps dying doesn't scare them anymore. Therefore, when Death fought against the Fakesaw Man and lost so easily, her powers got a lot weaker due to the current state of the world.
Whether that proves to be the case with the Death Devil or not, the Chainsaw Man manga makes it quite interesting for these creatures to get stronger. It is not just a matter of training or even being born with power, but rather the mental state of humanity regarding certain concepts, making it a lot more flexible.
What could this mean for the Death Devil?
As of this writing, everything surrounding the Death Devil in Chainsaw Man is a big mystery, and she seems poised to be a major player in the series' climax. Her initial introduction seems to be the Fujimoto writing approach when it comes to throwing curve balls at his audience, but, as per Fami and Nayuta, she has the power to destroy this world.
The world of the series has been put in constant disarray since the first part, and the second one has doubled down heavily on that department, so it wouldn't be exaggerated to claim that the world coming to an end is something that could happen. After all, Fujimoto did something similar with Fire Punch, and the lore of Chainsaw Man has enough evidence to suggest something quite similar.
Final thoughts
The Jujutsu Kaisen seems to have become quite celebrated because of its rules and clear structure, but when it comes to creativity, there is no denying that the Chainsaw Man manga has a very unique concept. While the concept of being feared, having affected the Death Devil or not, is up for debate, it is also true that a piece of lore makes the strength of these creatures a lot more variable.
Related articles:
- Angel's Cursed Technique is one of Jujutsu Kaisen's biggest plotholes (& it's obvious why)
- Megumi's Potential Man allegations return after viral Jujutsu Kaisen x Invincible War fanart
- Is Yuta still alive in Jujutsu Kaisen? His fate at the series' end, explained
- Yuji's iconic Shibuya moment has major issues, and most Jujutsu Kaisen fans don't realize