How Denji and Makima Are the Guts and Griffith of Chainsaw Man (2024)

Chainsaw Man is a bloody, exciting new shonen anime that gleefully breaks the rules with its humble antihero Denji and its abrasive characters, like the horned fiend Power and the tsundere Aki Hayakawa. However, this is more than a punkish take on Demon Slayer's formula or an excuse for gory action scenes. Chainsaw Man is actually about its relationships, much like the seinen series Berserk.

These series are much deeper and more emotionally resonant than their famously graphic action scenes might suggest. Guts and Griffith are friends, enemies, temporary allies and almost like lovers, and the same is true of the Denji/Makima pair in Chainsaw Man's story. Makima has become the new Griffith, but this time, there's a resolution to the story.

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The Secret Yearning of Makima & Griffith

Makima and Griffith share many traits, including their surprisingly sympathetic personal goals. Both have committed unforgivable acts, such as Griffith betraying the Band of the Hawk and Makima killing Power in cold blood. That said, these brutal villains have a heart, albeit a twisted one, and they are lonely. Makima and Griffith both yearn for a partner who can complete them, and they both chose lost souls to adopt into their deceptive found families. Guts was a lone wanderer in Midland when Griffith pressured him to join the Band, and similarly, Makima found Denji at his most vulnerable and gave him a second chance. Makima and Griffith presented themselves as saviors giving stray heroes another chance at happiness and a new purpose, but they demanded far more in return.

Makima and Griffith helped Guts and Denji respectively so that they could help themselves. Griffith didn't recruit Casca and Guts to be a saint -- he did it so that he'd have more useful pawns, and he also wanted the satisfaction of having a true equal. This is why Griffith loved Guts so dearly, viewing him as the only person who could properly rival him and push Griffith to new heights. Griffith needed a rival to motivate him to achieve his dreams, and through that rivalry, he came to appreciate who Guts was and what he did for Griffith. Guts made him stronger and happier, being an unwitting tool in Griffith's quest to remake the world with his own kingdom.

Makima has a similar plan with Denji. She longed for a partner who could help her remake the world, molding it into a wonderful place that lacked fear, death or even bad movies. Denji and his power are the key, and for that, Makima treasures him. She genuinely enjoys having Denji as her partner and friend, but he had better do his part to support her plan. In short, these are highly conditional relationships, with Griffith and Makima loving their partners not just as people but as vital tools for success. Guts and Denji were being used the entire time, only realizing it too late.

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When Denji & Guts Strike Back

Guts and Denji depended heavily on Griffith and Makima at first as leaders and friends, but that didn't last. They learned the true nature of their bosses too late and suffered the loss of many friends and allies as a consequence. Denji lost Power, while Guts watched the entire Band get sacrificed to the God Hand. These underdog heroes shifted their priorities and attitudes, viewing themselves no longer as Makima's or Griffith's allies but rather as victims seeking retribution, at least to an extent. Guts and Denji both long for the good old days with their false found families, and it's with a heavy heart they must strike down Griffith and Makima. After all, Griffith and Makima aren't just monsters -- they're the ones who gave Guts and Denji food, safety, companionship and purpose.

Denji had thoroughly mixed feelings when he fought back against Makima and finally destroyed her. He was free, but this also meant starting over from zero, with both Makima and Power absent from his life. Now, in the current Chainsaw Man manga arc, Denji compensates for his loneliness by trying to spread his name everywhere and be idolized as both Chainsaw Man and himself. If Makima can no longer love the boy named Denji, then perhaps the public will -- a new Griffith with fewer strings attached.

Meanwhile, Guts is fiercely determined to slay Griffith without any regrets, but he's also nostalgic. Griffith gave him a wonderful found family, and Guts will never forget that. He therefore has mixed feelings, being ready to slay Griffith while also cherishing and honoring what Griffith provided him. This means that even with Makima now gone in Chainsaw Man and Griffith's potential demise in Berserk's future, these villains live on in the heroes' hearts. That's how deeply Griffith and Makima wormed their way into Guts' and Denji's minds, and they'll never let go, even after death. These villainous saviors did too much for Guts and Denji to be forgotten so easily.