Aki Hayakawa from Chainsaw Man is one of the most outstanding characters in the series. His story arc is arguably the backbone of the first part of the manga.

Aki may not be the main character of Chainsaw Man, but he is easily among the most impactful the series has to offer. His rough exterior as a person who doesn't want to be friends with anyone covers an incredibly sympathetic man who cares deeply about the people around him. His true self is what makes him a favorite among the fandom, but it would ultimately lead to his horribly gruesome death.

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Aki's Origins

How His Tragic Origins Shaped Who He Is

Aki was just a boy when he lost everything. He always envied his brother, Taiyo Hayakawa, because he received more attention from his parents due to him being a sickly child. Despite his envy, he also loved his brother very much.

One day, he begrudgingly went outside to play catch with his little brother. Just as he was beginning to have fun, that's when it happened. The Gun Devil tore through his house, killing both his parents and his little brother in the blink of an eye. Following the tragedy, Aki made a vow to kill the Gun Devil by any means necessary.

Himeno and Tokyo Special Division 4

Aki's Journey to Defeat the Gun Devil Begins

Fast-forward a few years into the future, and Aki joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters. Aki is assigned to be Himeno's partner. Himeno, who had already lost five partners, didn't want to see another partner die. However, she had little say in the matter, so she sought to protect Aki throughout their partnership. Over time, she develops romantic feelings for Aki, which would come to a head after she sacrifices herself for him against the Katana Devil. She also got him into cigarettes after convincing him that they weren't long for the world, considering their occupation.

Aki was put in charge of Denji and Power upon the conception of Special Division 4. He was infuriated by Denji's shallow reasons for being a devil hunter and tried to beat him into quitting on his first day. He reluctantly accepts Denji after failing to get him to quit, but he doesn't begin to gain respect for him until Denji saves Power from the Bat Devil despite Power betraying him.

Aki's relationship with Denji proceeds to grow steadily from that point forward. Their bond arrives at its apex when they take revenge on the Katana Devil by kicking him repeatedly in his private parts after he kills Himeno. The tag team beating of the Katana Devil after Himeno's death is the beginning of Aki's rise from the darkness of his past. It shows explicitly that he cherished Himeno and cared for Denji and Power as well, something that, up until that point, he never fully expressed.

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At a time when all seems lost, Denji finds strength in the only person he can still call family, as he is persecuted for crimes not of his doing.

Soon after the battle with the Katana Devil, Aki is partnered with the Angel Devil under Makima's orders. Aki loathes the Angel devil at first, but as usual, he warms up to him. What wasn't usual was how quickly he warmed up to him and how much he began to care for him. They became so close, in fact, that they willingly shared their secrets with each other. Nothing would be a greater demonstration of their bond than when Aki sacrificed years of his life to protect the Angel Devil during the Bomb Devil arc. His sacrifice for the Angel Devil was the climax of Aki's development. Sacrificing years of his life for a devil is a complete 180 from who he was at the beginning of the series.

Following this, Aki is a new man. He takes Denji and Power to his family's graves and, in the process, gets the closure he needs to move on with his life. At this point, he has let go of his desire for vengeance against the gun devil. He even goes as far as to pull Special Division 4 off the Gun Devil hunt so his squad can be safe. Aki would have stayed out of the Gun Devil hunt altogether if Makima hadn't forced Denji and Power back into it.

The Gun Fiend

Not too long after, Aki receives terrible news about the future from the Future Devil. Denji will slaughter both Power and Aki. Wanting to change this, he went to talk to the now arm-less Angel Devil. The Angel Devil offers him little consolation, telling him that the future will come to pass no matter what he does. Having nowhere left to go, he begs Makima in tears for the power to give Power and Denji a happy future. Aki tells her that he is willing to do anything, that he is willing to establish any contract with any devil. Taking her opportunity, Makima, revealed to be the Control Devil, forced Aki into a contract with her.

The horrors that take place following this are enough to make even the strongest fan's stomach churn. Aki is forced to become the very thing that set him on his path in the first place. He is forced to become the thing he swore to seek revenge against. Aki died, and he became the Gun Fiend. Denji, having no other choice, brutally kills the man he came to see as a brother. Aki died not only once but twice. He died to become the Gun Fiend, and he was gruesomely killed by Denji as the Gun Fiend.

Aki was sentenced to a horrific fate he didn't deserve. He was a hurt man who overcame his personal tragedies to become a good person, only to meet his end in the worst way possible. He was deceived and betrayed by Makima, whom he loved. Then, he was killed by Denji, whom he cared for like one of his own.

Chainsaw Man is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is an action-heavy shonen anime that follows Denji, a guy who fuses with a devil called Pochita. The show is based on a manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto.