Warning: Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man chapter #196.One of Chainsaw Man part 2’s earliest plot points was the existence of a fake Chainsaw Man, yet the series has done very little with him. An imposter Chainsaw Man existing at all is big, and his saving Denji and Asa in the Falling Devil arc, in addition to killing Asa’s friend, Yuko, should have made him a major character, so it’s surprising how little presence he’s had, overall.

The fake Chainsaw Man has been surprisingly underutilized in Chainsaw Man, but that’s finally changed with Chainsaw Man chapter #196. Chapter #196 continued with the introduction of a mysterious girl promising to save Denji’s classmates, with it now all but confirmed that Chainsaw Man’s new character is the Death Devil, and at the chapter’s climax, Chainsaw Man chapter #196 finally brought back the fake Chainsaw Man in as big a way as possible. It’s the perfect setup for what to expect from Chainsaw Man’s next arc, and it will be great to see how it all plays out.

Chainsaw Man’s Imposter Is The Perfect Foil To Denji’s Character

The Fake Chainsaw Man Is One Of The Manga's Best-Looking Characters To Date

Chainsaw Man chapter #196 was the first full look at the fake Chainsaw Man, and it perfectly sold him as a foil to Denji’s character. For starters, not only does the bone-like armor and the cape made of intestines make for a strikingly grotesque design, but the largely all-white design is a clear contrast to the all-black design Pochita sports as the Hero of Hell, as well. The fake Chainsaw Man provides a perfect visual contrast to Pochita’s design, in addition to generally looking great, and it was great to see after having him be largely obscured for so long.

Selling things even further is the fake Chainsaw Man’s personality. With his dramatic speeches about justice and saving people, the fake Chainsaw Man is painted as someone trying to be a stock superhero, something that greatly contrasts how Denji, despite his heroic actions, has always acted largely out of self-interest. That likely stems from the fake Chainsaw Man getting his powers from the Fire Devil while it pretended to be the Justice Devil, but regardless, when his design is added into the mix, the fake Chainsaw Man works as a perfect foil to Denji on every level.

Chainsaw Man Sets Up Denji’s Biggest Battle To Date

Does Denji Already Have His Next Big Opponent?

The fake Chainsaw Man has already been shown to be powerful through his killing of Yuko and other Devils, not to mention how confident he is about fighting the Death Devil, so he’ll undoubtedly be a physical challenge for Denji, but more than that, the fake Chainsaw Man being the exact opposite of Denji means that he can challenge Denji’s character and possibly force him to grow in some respect. Denji is in desperate need of someone to challenge him and have it stick, and the fake Chainsaw Man is the perfect character to fit the bill.

That idea also works with the ever-looming threat of the Death Devil. The fake Chainsaw Man likely won’t defeat the Death Devil before Denji, and if Denji does fight him, then in addition to pushing him ideologically, Denji’s hypothetical fight with the fake Chainsaw Man could serve as a perfect precursor to the final fight with the Death Devil with how challenging it would ultimately be. All of that is hypothetical, but the full reveal of the fake Chainsaw Man still promises numerous exciting developments for Chainsaw Man, and it will be great to see what comes of it all.