Summary

• Nayuta's fate remains uncertain after her severed head appeared on a sushi platter, sparking Denji's violent transformation.
• Tatsuki Fujimoto's tradition of featuring deceased characters on volume covers signals possible demise for Nayuta in Chainsaw Man.
• Denji, with no one left to save him, may face a tragic fate if Nayuta's death is confirmed as teased in volume #18 cover art.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man

Since her introduction to the story, Chainsaw Man's Nayuta has been a little sister to Denji, despite her being the reincarnated Control Devil. But in chapter #170, among platters of sushi, her severed head made its way down the restaurant conveyor belt toward where Denji and his newly-formed posse were eating.

In response, Denji pulled his ripcord and "Armored Chainsaw Man" appeared for the first time since Part One's conclusion. Nayuta's fate, however, despite her disembodied head being neatly garnished and ready for serving, was not certain.

It's still largely unknown what sort of physical damage Horsemen Devils like Control, War, and Famine are capable of withstanding. And when readers took notice of Nayuta's missing birthmark, all signs pointed to the possibility that the head was a fake, purposefully planted to anger Denji. However, the recent reveal of volume #18's official cover art seems to have already confirmed Nayuta's fate.

Chainsaw Man's Cover-Curse

Many Characters Featured on Chainsaw Man Volume Covers are Dead

Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of Chainsaw Man, has proven throughout his catalog that no matter how beloved a character may be, he will not hesitate to get rid of them. Many characters who have met unfortunate deaths throughout the series have then gone on to become the focus of a volume's cover artwork. Examples include Himeno on the cover of volume #3, Katana Man on volume #5, Reze on volume #6, and more.

Nayuta being front and center in the volume #18 does not bode well for her, especially given that her last appearance was without a body. It was speculated that Fujimoto might've broken the tradition of featuring dead characters when shifting into Part Two of Chainsaw Man, but Yuko's appearance on volume #13 quickly proved otherwise. Interestingly, all volume covers in Part Two have featured characters in confined spaces, while Nayuta is drawn in an open field with the city far in the distance.

Chainsaw Man Has No One Left to Save Him

Upon seeing Nayuta's head on a sushi platter, Denji lost all control and transformed into "Armored Chainsaw Man", bringing forth carnage upon anyone daring enough to oppose him. The last time this all-powerful "Hero of Hell" appeared, he was uncontainable, and it wasn't until Power convinced Denji to keep living that he returned to normal. However, throughout all of Part Two of Chainsaw Man, Nayuta and the pets have been his only family. If volume #18's cover art confirms Nayuta's death, then Denji truly has no one left to save him.

Tatsuki Fujimoto has always been an unconventional writer, straddling the line between weird and genius. This was not the first time the Control Devil suffered a major head injury, though she was nearly immortal in her past iteration. Given her current form, it's all but been confirmed that Nayuta has made her last appearance in Chainsaw Man.