Ниже приведены спойлеры для Бензопила человек Chapter 196, «Chainsaw Man to the Rescue!»
В Бензопила человек’s first feature film adapting the Reze arc, it’s great time to be a Reze fan. That wasn’t always the case, though, because she – like many other important characters from Бензопила человек Part 1 – has yet to make an appearance in Part 2 of the manga (aside from a brief flashback). Absence has only seemed to make fans’ feelings for Reze fonder, as many continue to theorize about her inevitable return upon each new chapter’s release. While Reze’s bombastic personality and explosively good looks have kept her at the forefront of the conversation, there’s actually another, even more important Бензопила человек character whose absence throughout Part 2 is arguably more inexplicable than Reze’s: Kishibe.
Kishibe was Denji and Power’s mentor in combat, and he was one of the strongest Devil Hunters in the world — perhaps only second to Quanxi herself. Despite playing a major role in almost every arc in Part 1, following his first introduction in the Katana Man arc, Kishibe has been completely absent from the narrative in Бензопила человек Part 2. Denji has come a long way from who he was under Kishibe’s tutelage in Part 1, but he definitely could’ve used the guidance and experience of Kishibe throughout Part 2. And things will likely only escalate beyond anyone’s control now that Nostradamus’ prediction has come true.
What Happened to Kishibe in Chainsaw Man?
Kishibe Was Last Seen in Chainsaw Man Chapter 97, «I, Love, Chainsaw»
Бензопила человек Part 2 is a direct continuation of the series after the dramatic conclusion of the Makima Saga that concluded many of the major conflicts of the series up to that point. Part 2 introduced many important new characters like Fami and Asa, while also recontextializing lesser characters from Part 1 like Yoshida and Barem Bridge. Although some characters can never really come back for obvious reasons (sorry Aki fans), there are a few beloved characters from part 1 readers have been expecting to see return at some point, with Kishibe being a constant mention among them.
That’s for good reason. The last anyone saw of him was when he brought Nayuta to Denji at the end of Part 1. In his last conversation with Denji, he asked Denji to take the reincarnation of the Control Devil, Nayuta, under his care, as Denji was the only person Kishibe trusted. One of Kishibe’s associations (potentially Quanxi) had apparently discovered her in China, and handed her over to Kishibe for safe keeping. Kishibe felt that it would be better to give her to Denji than to Public Safety to raise her, since she would only be used as a weapon, potentially causing history to repeat. Kishibe couldn’t take her himself because, according to him, he was “about to get busy”.
I’m about to get busy. Figured leaving her in your care would be the best course of action.
— Kishibe
What exactly he was getting busy doing is unclear, but he has apparently been too busy behind the scenes to appear in the manga since. Kishibe’s absence is especially strange considering the constant presence he was in Denji’s story throughout Бензопила человек Part 1. It makes sense that he’d want to break away from Public Safety after all that happened with Makima, but that doesn’t seem to be the whole story. Many fans have even concluded that Kishibe might have just retired after a difficult life of hunting Devils. After all, after the Control Devil was finally defeated, perhaps Kishibe felt his work was done, and so he quit Public Safety and left Japan.
However, the problem with this interpretation is that Kishibe was clearly shown not to have quit Hunting Devils, even if it wasn’t with Public Saftey. He was very much involved even after Makima’s defeat, which is how he got his hands on the Control Devil’s reincarnation, Nayuta, in the first place. An interesting thing to consider about that, though, is that Kishibe was actually going behind the government’s back – and, by extension, Public Safety’s – by extension In asking Denji to watch over Nayuta. Kishibe even stated that “if we leave her with the government and let them raise her, odds are she’ll turn out like Makima again.” This suggests that Kishibe was working with another group when he got his hands on Nayuta, not Public Safety.
Chainsaw Man Part 2 Already Missed Some Great Opportunities to Bring Kishibe Back
Quanxi Mentions Kishibe Again in Chainsaw Man Chapter 162, «Fearsome»
Fans are probably right in assuming Kishibe no longer works with Public Safety, but it’s highly unlikely he’s not hunting Devils from the shadows with some other organization. From the very start, Kishibe was always working from the inside to hunt Makima, and never really seemed to care specifically for Public Safety itself. He seems to have strong insiders in other countries, as he was able to get his hands on Nayuta before even the government was.
His close working relationship with Yoshida could very well mean that he’s keeping tabs on Public Safety from the background. In fact, there’s even an indication that he may have still been in contact with Quanxi, who was forced to join Public Safety after Part 1. In Бензопила человек Chapter 162, during the escape from the Tokyo Devil Detention Center arc, Quanxi states in reference to Denji that “an old friend warned me to never make an enemy out of this one.” This was clearly a reference to Kishibe, who is the only old friend Quanxi has ever been revealed to have in Бензопила человек.
Whether Kishibe actually told her this before or after the events of Part 2 began is never confirmed, but considering all that happened between Kishibe and Quanxi during the International Assassins arc, it’s not as though the pair had much time to catch up at that point in the series. Whether or not Kishibe was still in contact with Quanxi during the Devil Detention Center arc, it seemed like low-hanging fruit to have Kishibe return during this period. After all, Kishibe would’ve been the perfect person to help Denji escape from Public Safety.
Kishibe’s Devil Contracts in Chainsaw Man were revealed by Pingsti to be with the Claw Devil, the Needle Devil and the Knife Devil.
While Quanxi turning her back on the agency and allowing Yoru to escape was interesting, it could have been equally great to see Kishibe step in to convince his old friend to let them go. Along the same lines, there have been innumerable other moments throughout Part 2 that would’ve been ideal for Kishibe to make his dramatic reappearance. The initial fight against Pubkic Safety when Denji first turned into Black Chainsaw Man wouldve been another ideal place to have Kishibe show up. Kishibe was actually the person who first introduced Denji to Nayuta, so he should’ve been more aware than anyone of what it meant for him to lose her like he did. As the fight with Aging Devil reached full swing, Kishibe was actually the perfect antithesis to that arc’s main theme: the young vs the old.
Kishibe is one of the older and more experienced agents in the series, perhaps surpassed in both respects only by Quanxi, who herself has appeared multiple times in Part 2. If Kishibe wasn’t a member of Public Safety and instead appeared as a hero who helped Denji, he would’ve been a great way to highlight the right way that the older generations can use their wisdom and experience to guide the youth with a more hands-off approach. Even though Kishibe had a cold personality, he was also impressively humble and wasn’t afraid to acknowledge his younger disciples, whether that was Denji, Power or even Yoshida. As Public Safety came to prominence in Part 2, it seemed obvious that Kishibe would have to appear once again at some point, but that moment never came.
Reze Already Appeared in Part 2 More Than Kishibe
Even Power and Aki Got More Screen Time Than Kishibe – and They’re Dead (Presumably)
Devils which Pochita had swallowed during his prior take over. Namely, the Snow and Bitterness Devils. With the concept of Snow returned to the world, Denji was reminded of an important moment he shared with Aki and Power during the winter. Simarly, with Bitterness restored, Denji recalled a fond memory he shared with Reze at the coffee shop where she worked.
Don’t you die, Denji. Out of all the Devil Hunters I’ve met up to now… you’re the one most suited for the job.
— Kishibe
Reze, Aki and Power’s appearances inspired in Denji a shocking revelation: that even if he loses those he loves, he can still cherish the memories and moments they shared together. This was a big moment for Denji that was partially inspired by Reze, even if she never actually showed up directly. While it wasn’t a substantial new scene or even her actually appearing in person, Reze’s flashback moment did have an important impact on Denji, and that’s more than can be said for Kishibe in Part 2.
Even without physically appearing in Part 2, Kishibe’s role in Part 1 had a substantial enough impact on Denji to continues to influence him even today. His training with Denji turned his student into a formidable fighter, allowing him to face primal Devils like Falling without even his True Devil transformation as Black Chainsaw Man. Additionally, Nayuta (whom Kishibe introduced to Denji) was herself Denji’s greatest motivation throughout Бензопила человек Part 2, helping to make Denji a more mature and unselfish person.
Chainsaw Man’s Current Arc is the Perfect Time for Kishibe’s Return
The Death Devil is the Moment Everyone Has Been Preparing For, And That Might Go For Kishibe Too
There hasn’t even been a hint at Kishibe returning in Бензопила человек Part 2, but that doesn’t mean he won’t. In fact, if there were any time for him to come back in the manga, it would be during the Death Devil arc. The world has progressively descended into chaos in a way that makes Makima’s reign in Part 1 seem laughable in comparison, so it’s not as though Kishibe could merely stand by and ignore the state of the world at this point. As the War Devil Yoru continues to gain power and the Death Devil’s true powers are progressively revealed, there has never been a better time for Kishibe’s return.
Kishibe is a (potentially, former) Public Safety Agent and one of the greatest Devil Hunters in the world, making him the ideal ally of humanity against the Death Devil. If Kishibe did retire as a Public Safety Agent as many fans suspect, that would make his return in Бензопила человек’s current arc even better. Instead of returning as a possible antagonistic figure as could have very well been the case had he returned as a member of Public Safety during the Aging Devil arc, Kishibe could just return solely to help his old protégé, and he could leverage his knowledge of the inner workings of Public Safety to that end.
It’s possible Kishibe has spent the entirety of Бензопила человек Part 2 gathering intel and preparing a secret organization of Hunters for the impending doom brought about by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Now that Yoshida is a valued agent in Public Safety, his relationship with Kishibe could end up being vital in their developing a coordinated plan with the government to stop Death, War, Famine, and whoever the reincarnation of Control ends up being. Things have truly begun to look dire for Denji, so he could really use his old mentor’s help more than ever.
The Chainsaw Man manga is currently available to read via Viz Media.
