Chainsaw Man's Cute Dog Pochita Explained
"Chainsaw Man" was a hyper-violent manga set in a world where devils run wild, making government offices like the Public Safety Devil Hunters necessary to protect human life. The story focuses on Denji, a poor kid in debt to the Yakuza, who joins the Public Safety office after gaining the ability to transform into a chainsaw devil. Denji's desire for love and a safe place in the world pushes him to fight his hardest to take down every devil. The Public Safety office's primary goal is to find and defeat the Gun Devil, a devil that terrorizes the world and kills thousands in seconds.
Following the manga's release, "Chainsaw Man" received praise from both critics and fans. The series was one of 2021's highest-selling mangas and won the Harvey Award for Best Manga. "Chainsaw Man" fans received more exciting news when Crunchyroll announced an anime adaptation coming from MAPPA, who previously helmed "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Attack on Titan: The Final Season," and "The God of Highschool."
"Chainsaw Man" is gearing up for its anime debut, and fan excitement is at an all-time high. Information is pouring out regarding Season 1, including that each episode will have a unique ending theme song, which could easily overwhelm non-manga readers. "Chainsaw Man" has many significant characters that Season 1 will introduce, so let's break down an important one, Pochita.
Spoilers for "Chainsaw Man" below.
Pochita is a massive player in Chainsaw Man
Pochita is a small orange dog-like creature with a chainsaw protruding from in between his eyes. He's super cute and lovable but can actually become a pretty scary monster.
His story in "Chainsaw Man" begins with Denji, who uses Pochita to kill devils to pay off his debt to the Yakuza. Denji and Pochita fuse together after being betrayed and killed by their debtors. Pochita crawls inside Denji, replaces his heart, and brings him back to life, promising to keep him alive as long as he shows Pochita his dreams. Pochita allows Denji to transform into the Chainsaw Devil by pulling the string hanging from his chest. The Public Safety Devil Hunters force the duo to join them in exchange for their lives, and they spend their time using their chainsaw powers to kill devils.
Much of Pochita's history is shrouded in mystery, but the manga slowly reveals his backstory over the first few arcs. One of the first devils Denji encounters is noticeably terrified of his chainsaws and surprised they're still alive. After a televised fight, assassins travel to Tokyo to kill Denji, prompting him to question Pochita's past.
In a surprising revelation, Denji learns that Pochita is the notorious Chainsaw Devil, one of the strongest devils alive that can completely erase devils by devouring them. The Chainsaw Devil built a cult-like following in Hell, and Pochita's true form is a massive and deadlier version of Chainsaw Man. It turns out that The Chainsaw Man turned into the cute version of Pochita following a near-death experience that left him in a weakened state.
"Chainsaw Man" creator Tatsuki Fujimoto hilariously revealed at MAPPA's 10th Anniversary event what Pochita feels like, saying, "like a dry Marimo moss ball. Feels kind of like turf."