The Japanese manga series Chainsaw Man features an extensive cast of characters created by Tatsuki Fujimoto.
Main characters
A blond, sharp-toothed student at Fourth East High School, Denji inherited his father's debt to the yakuza. After bonding with the Chainsaw Devil, Pochita, he becomes a Devil Hunter to repay it. When the yakuza send the Zombie Devil to kill him, Pochita fuses with his corpse, reviving him as a hybrid with the ability to transform into Chainsaw Man. Initially joining Public Safety Devil Hunting under Makima's influence, his motivations shift from romantic obsession to seeking fame and women, while caring for his adoptive family.
A socially isolated high school student at Fourth East High, Asa Mitaka is consumed by guilt over past deaths and harbors deep resentment toward devils after the Typhoon Devil killed her mother. After being murdered by the class president (a Justice Devil contractor), she is revived by Yoru, the War Devil, becoming her vessel and gaining hybrid abilities. Forced to aid Yoru's quest to kill Chainsaw Man and reclaim the Nuclear Weapons Devil, she unknowingly grows close to Denji—unaware of his true identity. Prone to self-sabotage in relationships due to loneliness and fear of abandonment, she misinterprets Nayuta's interference as rejection, reinforcing her cynical worldview."
Devils and Fiends
The Chainsaw Devil, who merges with Denji and was the original Chainsaw Man prior to meeting him. He has the ability to eat a devil and erase their existence, making him "the Devil that Devils fear most". He first appears in his dog form, sporting an orange hue and large eyes, with a chainsaw-like appendage protruding from his face, which is actually his weakened state following a fight with unknown opponents. His true devil form is a darker version of Denji's hybrid form with four arms and one of his intestines wrapped around his neck, which resembles a scarf.
One of the most powerful and feared Devils in the world. Thirteen years before the series' events, it manifested after a terrorist attack and attacked the world, killing 1.2 million people before disappearing. After an unknown entity defeated it, it was scattered into pieces, which the governments of several countries have gathered to form contracts with it. The president of the United States summons 20% of the Gun Devil to kill Makima, and while she is able to defeat it, it possesses Aki's body, turning into the Gun Fiend. Denji later kills it, though the other 80% of it survives. The other 28% kept by the Soviets would later be summoned by Yoru, which turns into a right arm gauntlet in order to battle Pochita.
A devil embodying the fear of zombies who formed a contract with the yakuza to have Denji killed. After Denji is revived, he cuts the Zombie Devil in half, effectively killing it. However, its zombie creations continue to exist, which Samurai Sword and Akane use to attack the Public Safety Division. Makima later summons the Zombie Devil to turn Devil Hunters into zombies.
A devil embodying the fear of bats. He takes Power's pet cat Meowy hostage in exchange for her bringing him humans to eat, but Denji later kills him. His next incarnation appears in a more wild state when pursuing Asa and Yuko, with Denji killing him again while fighting the Cockroach Devil.
A devil embodying the fear of foxes. The Fox Devil is friendly with humans, allowing numerous Devil Hunters to make contracts with it to summon parts of her body. However, it only grants attractive people the ability to summon its head, showing a rather superficial side.
A devil embodying the fear of eternity. He takes over Morin Hotel, trapping anyone who tries to enter in an endless eighth floor. Tokyo Special Division 4 is sent to retrieve a piece of the Gun Devil, which he had taken. After Denji attacks and mortally wounds him, he kills him after he offers up his core to him. His next incarnation takes over Tanashi Aquarium, trapping Denji during his date with Asa as part of the Death Devil's scheme to turn Denji into a weapon, but fails when Asa turns the aquarium into a spear and Yoru uses it to kill him.
A devil embodying the fear of curses. A person contracting the Curse Devil, upon stabbing their victim with a sword three times, can manifest the Curse Devil, which will mortally crush its victim. However, using its abilities comes at the cost of several years of the contractor's lifespan. It had previously contracted with Aki and Santa Claus.
A devil embodying the fear of ghosts. It had a contract with Himeno, allowing her to grab objects with invisible arms, and manifests to fight Samurai Sword after Himeno offers her body as payment, but Aki kills it.
A devil embodying the fear of the future who can see the future of those he comes into contact with. He makes a contract with Aki after the Tokyo Public Safety Division captures him and later reappears to gloat to Denji, having seen beforehand that he would kill Aki. Sometime later, he is recaptured to investigate the Nostradamus Prophecy by predicting the fate of the thirty convicts.
A devil embodying the fear of typhoons. Its first incarnation killed Asa's parents and destroyed her home. The second incarnation appears to battle Denji with Reze, but he kills it with Beam's help.
A devil embodying the fear of Hell. It can grab people with a giant six-fingered hand that emerges from the sky to carry them into Hell.
A devil embodying the fear of chickens. An extremely weak devil, he was Asa's class pet devil, who the class bonded with as they learned to value life. He died after Asa tripped and fell on him while trying to carry him to join in at recess.
A devil embodying the fear of justice. A number of students, including Yuko, make contracts with an entity they believe is the Justice Devil. These contracts enable them to turn their innate sense of justice into power.
A Devil embodying the fear of fire, who assumes the alias of "Justice Devil" to make contracts with members of Fourth East High School and the Chainsaw Man Church. It can turn contractors into Devils in the likeness of Chainsaw Man.
A Devil embodying the fear of locusts, who attacked Denji and Yoru after the former brought the two to Hell.
Allies of the Public Safety Organization
A Blood Fiend serving as a Public Safety Devil Hunter under Makima. Distinguished by her red horns, Power exhibits violent tendencies but forms genuine attachments to her cat and teammates Denji and Aki. After Makima executes her to psychologically break Denji, she is temporarily revived as the Blood Devil to save him. In her final moments, Power contracts with Denji—offering her blood in exchange for his promise to find and befriend her future reincarnation.
A humanoid embodiment of angelic fear, appears as an androgynous youth capable of draining lifespans through touch. Despite his dangerous ability, he harbors no ill will toward humans and maintains isolation to protect them. Formerly living peacefully in a village, Makima manipulated him into destroying it to test his powers. As a Public Safety Devil Hunter, he partners with Aki after Himeno's death, becoming the division's second-strongest agent. Their bond strengthens when Aki willingly touches him to save his life. After losing both arms against the Darkness Devil and recovering his memories, he attempts to oppose Makima but falls under her control, becoming her weapon to hunt Pochita.
The Shark Fiend, who has the ability to "swim" through solid objects and transform into a more monstrous shark-like form. He is partnered with Denji, whom he worships, and sacrifices himself to revive him during the battle with the Darkness Devil in Hell.
The Violence Fiend, who ironically is friendly and polite and loves peace. He wears a plague doctor-like mask that dispenses poisonous gas to keep his immense strength under control. Unlike most Fiends, he retains most of his human brain and remembers several details of his past life. He befriends Kobeni, but is killed during the battle with the Darkness Devil.
The Spider Devil and the embodiment of the fear of spiders, who takes the form of a half-human, half-spider woman. She mostly takes orders from Makima.
Four Horsemen A group of powerful devils based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse who can remember the existence of devils eaten by the Chainsaw Devil, who they battled long ago. They seek to kill or use the Chainsaw Man to fulfill their goals. According to the Death Devil, the horsemen may be related to each other, as she treats Yoru like a younger sibling. The horsemen take forms of young women/girls on their human forms.
A powerful devil that represents the fear of domination, conquest and control, and one of the Four Horsemen. They can control devils and humans, including their contracts and abilities.
The enigmatic head of Public Safety Division 4, Makima initially appears compassionate but manipulates Denji through affection to ensure his loyalty, threatening to treat him as a Devil if he disobeys. Later revealed as the Control Devil, she seeks to reshape the world using Chainsaw Man's power, though her deeper desire is to form genuine familial bonds—a need suppressed by her upbringing as a government weapon. After Denji defeats the Gun Devil, she grants his wish but severs his contract upon realizing his submissive devotion conflicts with her ideals. She escalates her plans by killing Power and psychologically breaking Denji, only to recognize her error when fighting Pochita (disguised as Denji). Denji ultimately kills her, bypassing her contract with the prime minister by cutting her with a chainsaw made from Power's blood; he then eats her body as an act of love, declaring that he will always love her despite her actions.
The reincarnated Control Devil following Makima's death, Nayuta is a young girl with the distinctive ringed eyes of the Horsemen. Kishibe retrieves her from China and entrusts her to Denji's care to prevent government exploitation. As a Devil, she matures faster than humans, showing significant physical and intellectual growth within months. While sharing Makima's protective nature toward Denji, she displays more childish tendencies, using her powers for petty acts like brainwashing Asa into behaving like a dog. Unlike her predecessor, Nayuta openly expresses possessiveness over Denji, manipulating his relationships and decisions, yet maintains a genuine familial bond with him. Nayuta's name and initial appearance are seemingly based on the titular character of Fujimoto's previous work .
The weakened War Devil and one of the Four Horsemen, Yoru inhabits half of Asa Mitaka's brain after resurrecting her body. Capable of transforming objects into weapons (the strength and fragility of which depends on guilt), she seeks revenge against Chainsaw Man for her near-destruction. Unlike the detached Makima, Yoru displays more human vulnerability, possibly influenced by Asa's personality. Initially appearing in an owl-like form, she later adopts the name "Yoru" ('night') to complement Asa ('day'). Though developing romantic feelings for Denji through Asa, she maintains her lethal intentions—eventually striking a deal where she will kill the Death Devil in exchange for a relationship with him, while threatening to weaponize him if he refuses.