Chainsaw Man: The Death Devil reveal is new-gen's greatest plot twist

Recent issues of mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man series have been some of the most exciting in its publication history. Unsurprisingly, this is primarily due to the recent reveal of the Death Devil’s true identity, who fans were once told was Famine Devil Fami. In reality, this apparent supporting character was the Part 2 antagonist all along.

A major part of why this plot twist was so exciting is its similarity to Part 1’s reveal of Makima’s true identity as the Control Devil. Like the Makima twist, it was incredibly simple, yet still effective and enthralling for how obvious it was in hindsight. In fact, there’s a very strong argument to make for it being the single-greatest plot twist amongst current new-gen manga.

One key argument for why the Death Devil twist deserves such praise is for how unexpected it was, despite the clues Fujimoto laid out for fans. Other major twists like Sukuna taking over Megumi Fushiguro’s body in Jujutsu Kaisen and Dabi being Toya Todoroki in My Hero Academia were obvious.

The former was heavily foreshadowed, while the latter was already theorized by fans. These detractions likewise highlight what makes Fujimoto’s latest twist so impressive. Despite all the clues fans are finding in hindsight, almost no one in the community had theorized it prior. This execution and what it preserves likewise are why Chainsaw Man’s twist is the new-gen’s best.

Chainsaw Man’s Death Devil plot twist succeeds due to having clear foreshadowing which went unnoticed

In other words, Chainsaw Man’s Death Devil plot twist is new-gen’s best for having been clearly foreshadowed, yet still wasn’t anticipated by the fanbase. This preserved readers’ experience and made it feel like a genuine twist rather than finally arriving at a predetermined point. Likewise, it makes for a much more memorable and impactful moment with this shock value.

As mentioned above, Jujutsu Kaisen’s Sukuna and Megumi twist had been foreshadowed from some of the earliest chapters of the manga. Likewise, fans always knew it would happen eventually, and it was just a matter of time. While still satisfying, this easy predictability somewhat limits how shocking a plot twist it can be for readers.

My Hero Academia’s Toya Todoroki reveals suffers from similar circumstances, having been theorized by fans from nearly the first time Dabi appeared. Although the actual execution of the reveal was incredibly satisfying, thanks to the iconic “Dabi’s Dance” sequence, fans’ anticipation of it kneecaps its value as a plot twist.

While My Hero Academia also has the Yuga Aoyama traitor twist, which is certainly shocking, it suffers from being nowhere near as impactful as Chainsaw Man’s. The Death Devil’s reveal fundamentally changes the second part’s narrative, whereas Aoyama’s reveal is the resolution of a longstanding plotline.

In summation

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What makes the Death Devil plot twist so great is that mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto is able to check all of the necessary boxes with it. The twist was both unexpected by fans, yet it has clear foreshadowing and is narratively logical and compliant. It’s also a twist that is not only shocking but fundamentally impactful to the story’s plot.

Other notable new-gen twists, such as those from My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, fail in unifying these key elements. Some twists lack impact, while others were heavily foreshadowed or even outright predicted by fans. Likewise, Chainsaw Man’s Death Devil plot twist is clearly a step above its contemporary competition.

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