Chainsaw Man May Have Set Up the Manga's Nuclear Winter With Its Most Recent Cliffhanger

Warning: Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man Chapter #187Chainsaw Man has always excelled at subverting its readers' expectations. Part One's main villain reveal came with only 20 or so chapters remaining, following several arcs in which the Gun Devil was staged as being the series' final antagonist. Part Two, in similar fashion, turned readers' attention toward the Death Devil, only to then insert the primal fear, Aging, as the saga's most threatening villain yet. With Denji back on track and Pochita receiving some help from his best buddy, the War on Aging seems just about ready to commence.

Though he is unimaginably strong, even Pochita, the devil that devils fear most, doesn't quite have what it takes to match up with a primal fear like Aging. The most recent Chapter #187, titled, "Barf!", showcases these shortcomings, but thanks to some quick thinking on Denji's part, reinforcements are on their way. Closing the chapter on a cliffhanger with the series' protagonist ready to be sick, one of the devils Pochita has eaten and erased will be making a return, and there's a possibility it will be of a nuclear threat level.

The titular Chainsaw Man has eaten countless devils throughout history, some of which were revealed by Makima during Part One, but even she admitted to remembering only a fraction of them. There are several possibilities for which concept might be restored, but in order for one to be helpful in a fight with the Aging Devil, it will need to be extraordinarily powerful. And due to some foreshadowing and Yoru's general presence in the story, the Nuclear Weapons Devil might be just what Pochita needs.

Chainsaw Man Might Need Help From the Nuclear Weapons Devil

A Devil Powerful Enough to Defeat Aging Is Necessary

From the little that's been shown of Pochita and the Aging Devil duking it out, it seems that Aging is practically impervious to any physical damage, much like Makima was. Pochita could very well just eat the Primal Devil. In fact, Aging would love nothing more, but as Denji reiterated, Chainsaw Man is a superhero and would never sacrifice the lives of children. If a devil that Pochita's been confirmed to have erased is capable of taking down a regenerating opponent, it would need to have the power of something like a nuclear weapon.

And raw strength isn't the only reason for a potential return of the nuclear devil, it would also work thematically given a certain War Devil's presence in the series. Yoru's entire beef with Chainsaw Man stems from his eating her comrades, including Nuclear Weapons. Attentive fans will remember that since the very first chapter of Part Two, War Devil's goal was to make Pochita throw that exact devil back up. She might not be the exact reason it happens, but if Pochita returns Nuclear Weapons now, Yoru's original goal is achieved.

The consequences of returning an evil like the Nuclear Weapons Devil back to the world are largely unknown. It might be helpful in a fight against the Aging Devil, or it might cause unthinkable destruction to Tokyo. If it eviscerates Aging, there's no telling what might happen to Denji and Asa in the alternate world. Returning the devil might just cause Yoru to become grateful and ally herself with Denji and Pochita, and that could potentially be even more dangerous than her acting as a villain.

It wouldn't be a Tatsuki Fujimoto manga if Chainsaw Man was predictable in any way, and there are an innumerable number of possibilities for where the story will go next. Nuclear Weapons may be inbound, and the massive levels of destruction the devil is capable of dishing out might just call upon the Death Devil to finally show her face, fulfilling the prophecy looming over Part Two.

There Is Still Another Devil Pochita Has Yet to Return

Yoshida and Octopus Have Yet to Return to the Story

In previous chapters leading up to #187, Pochita went on a bit of a devil eating spree. Erasing Ear, Mouth, Snow, Bitterness, and Octopus, all have been thrown back up but one. Yoshida has been a prominent character throughout Part Two of Chainsaw Man, but since his Octopus Devil was erased, the mysterious Devil Hunter and schoolmate has yet to be seen. It may be an underwhelming development considering the possibilities at hand, but there is a chance that Pochita will call in Octopus for back-up, returning Yoshida to the plot.

Whether Yoshida or his beloved Octopus can be helpful remains to be seen, but compared to something like a Nuclear Weapons Devil, neither he nor his pet seem like the right choice. Chainsaw Man is in the midst of Part Two's most high-stakes battle yet, and the fight with the primal Aging Devil will come to a climax very shortly in upcoming chapters. News for the upcoming Chainsaw Man: The Movie - Reze Arc film is speculated to be just around the corner, so fans will want to keep a close eye on the series in the coming weeks.