This article contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man. Chainsaw Man was one of the most anticipated anime of 2022 when it first premiered this past October. Produced by the famed studio MAPPA, this shonen anime has outstanding voiceovers, aesthetically pleasing scenes, and stellar fight sequences. Since its Season One finale, fans have been at the edge of their seats waiting for the newest season to drop.

Updated April 14th, 2023: If you're a fan of all things Chainsaw Man, you'll be glad to know this article has been updated with additional content by Amanda Minchin.

Based on a manga of the same name (written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto), this series is set in an alternative universe where devils are born from human fears. The show follows Denji, a poor young man working tirelessly to pay off his father's considerable debt. He befriends and makes a deal with Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil, who gives him the ability to transform certain parts of his body into chainsaws. What makes this devilish Chainsaw Man unique is that he's essentially a vacuum for all things evil and those he consumes can not be reincarnated into the world.

The character of Makima arrives shortly after. Seeing him for the invaluable asset he is, this mysterious woman invites him to join a government agency known as the Public Safety Devil Hunters. Their job is to eradicate the malicious devils of the world. But, as it turns out, Makima might just be the one he should be on the lookout for.

So, who exactly is Makima? What powers does she hold? And what is her true motive?

Who Exactly is Makima?

Makima’s first appearance in Chainsaw Man is quite misleading. At first, she appears as a beautiful red-headed woman in her mid-twenties. Through her first interaction with Denji, it seems that she’s gentle, caring, and friendly. From Denji’s perspective, she’s the first person to treat him like he’s human. She leaves so much of an impact on Denji that he immediately develops romantic feelings for her not long after their first encounter.

However, as the saying goes: “looks can be deceiving.” Makima is actually the main antagonist in the Public Safety Saga. Not only is she one of very few Devils to look, well, human, but soon it's revealed that Makima’s kindness is only surface level. Behind the facade, she’s Machiavellian, cunning, and calculating. In truth, she holds a lot of authority as a senior member of the Public Safety Devil Hunters (and the leader of the experimental Tokyo Special Division Four Unit).

Job duties aside, she’s a Control Devil, which makes her the literal embodiment of control and conquest. She wields a lot of power, and she knows exactly how to use it. She thinks of the people around her as “dogs”, entities she can manipulate and use to her advantage. In addition, Makima has deemed herself as a “necessary evil” to justify her actions. Rarely does she fret over the consequences of her actions.

Related: What Makes Chainsaw Man Stand Out Against Other Shonen Anime?

What is Makima’s True Goal?

Not long after she’s introduced, it is revealed that Makima is also an extreme fan, not of Denji, but of Chainsaw Man, a.k.a the “Hero of Hell”. This may come as a surprise to some, although it shouldn't. Even her name is reminiscent of Makita, a Japanese manufacturer of power tools, including, you guessed it, chainsaws.

In the anime, she is fascinated by his ability to consume the embodied concept of a devil, wiping out the evil it represents in the process. The Control Devil aims to manipulate Chainsaw Man into creating an ideal world without fear and death. Throughout the initial arc, she’s seen trying to manipulate Denji through promises of romance and even goes as far as threatening him with extermination for his disobedience. However, it’s not Denji that she’s interested in. It’s Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil and the original Chainsaw Man, that she's after.

Chainsaw Man was known as “The Devil that Devils fear the Most'' due to his ability to erase devils by consuming them. In doing so, he essentially has the power to erase all concepts of evil from the world. Prior to becoming Denji’s heart, Pochita was a truly terrifying and powerful being, and Makima believes that Denji isn’t worthy of the power he’s been granted by Pochita.

She, on the other hand, simply wishes to use him to her advantage. Furthermore, she may be the only one able (and unwilling) to tell Denji why his heart is so coveted by other Devils (herself included). In the end, her ultimate goal is to lead a happy life, not with Denji, but with Pochita... which is even more interesting considering that she’s the Control Devil and is therefore incapable of forming meaningful relationships.

What Abilities Does Makima Possess?

In this world, the power of a Demon is directly proportional to the fear they incite. As a result, most, though not all of them, are dangerous. Much like the other devils, Makima herself possesses common abilities such as regeneration, super strength, and the ability to form contracts with humans.

Makima, however, is no ordinary devil.

In addition to the common abilities, Makima has some abilities that are unique to her alone. Perhaps the most iconic of her powers is her ability to control, command, and manipulate, which is very much in tune with her character, being the Control Devil and all. Her ability, which extends to both animals and humans, allows her to manipulate others into forming devil contracts with her. She is also able to force former enemies into being more friendly towards her. Her ability to control even extends to those no longer living. She can also steal the powers of other devils and attack others using an invisible force. While there are many dangerous a devil throughout the course of the series, Makima is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Is Makima Part of the Four Horsemen?

Aside from her individual power, Makima is also powerful by association. Throughout the course of the series, Denji comes across a group known as The Four Horsemen. Much like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Christian mythology, the Four Horsemen in Chainsaw Men are a group of dangerous devils. They’re the only devils in existence that remember the names of the devils that have been erased by Pochita.

The group consists of the Control Devil, War Devil, Hunger Devil, and Death Devil. Makima is already revealed as the Control Devil and the main antagonist in the first arc. Yoru is introduced as the War Devil and is the main villain that Denji faces in the second arc. So far, it seems that the Four Horsemen are the ultimate baddies that Denji must face. Makima being part of the group just goes to show how truly powerful and dangerous she is.

What is Makima’s Weakness?

What makes Makima truly frightening in the series is that she’s practically undefeatable. Her contract with the Prime Minister of Japan makes it almost impossible to kill her. As per the contract, Makima works for the government and in return, any fatal damage done to her body is transmitted to random Japanese citizens. In one particular scene, she's shown to have been hit by a bullet in the head but instantly stands up with no visible wounds. It turns out she’s been killed 26 times and still managed to survive each attempt.

One caveat to her power is that in order to control someone, she must believe she can defeat them. This sometimes means she needs to get up close and personal with those she wants to control. This was the case with Denji in the manga.

Related: Chainsaw Man Season 2: What We Hope to See

Does Makima Die in the Manga?

In short, yes... mostly. In Chapter 97 of the manga, Pochita and Denji are able to defeat and kill Makima.

In the manga, Denji discovered that Makima recognizes people by their scents. Her only flaw is that Makima only bothered to memorize the scents of people she was interested in. Since she did not remember Denji’s scent pre-Pochita, he was able to ambush and eventually consume her. Denji’s act of cannibalism was more of a consumption than an attack. Because of this, he becomes “one with her” in a way that is more of an act of love than war. This bypasses the conditions of the contract she had made with the Prime Minister.

Many believed that this would be the last of the Control Devil. However, that’s not the case. Only devils that are consumed by Pochita are erased and prevented from reincarnation. The Control Devil is saved from this fate because it is Denji who consumes her and not Pochita.

She is later reincarnated as a young Chinese girl named Nayuta. Unlike Makima, Nayuta seems to have no apparent bad intentions, which saves her from being a threat to Denji and Pochita.

Both as a Control Devil with near-unlimited power and as a part of the Four Horsemen, Makima has proven herself to be an incredibly powerful entity. To be fair though, Season One has only managed to reach Chapter 38 so far. With even more plot points to contemplate before the next season premieres, she will definitely be one to keep an eye on.