Chainsaw Man has been hitting viewers hard with some devastating episodes lately, racking up a body count of its characters so far. But one survivor of the events so far in season 1 is Aki Hayakawa, the fierce yet burdened Public Safety devil hunter. Aki survived his encounters so far, but not without the loss of comrades and friends in the process, leaving a heavy toll on his heart and body. Brought to the hospital after the events of episodes 8 and 9, Aki has several visitors, each with different messages to him in Chainsaw Man episode 10.
Who is the Devil Who Visited Aki in Chainsaw Man Episode 10?
The devil Aki speaks to in the hospital is the Curse Devil, or simply Curse, after Denji leaves him alone at the beginning of Chainsaw Man episode 10. Curse was instrumental in protecting Aki, essentially killing Katana Man, the assailant who would eventually take Himeno’s life with the help of Akane Sawatari. Curse allows Aki to wield his sword as a means to fatally curse even powerful opponents, leaving them trapped to be consumed by the devil after marking them with stab wounds.
Aki, after visible hesitation and dread, summons Curse to find out his remaining lifespan, a dismal 2 years to live on and fight devils. His position as a devil hunter is further brought into question by 2 other visitors…
Who Are the Devil Hunters Who Visit Aki?
The two devil hunters to visit Aki in the hospital in Chainsaw Man are Michiko Tendo and Yutaro Kurose as seen in episode 9. They come in after Aki speaks to Curse and has a breakdown, traumatized by the loss of Himeno after he attempts to smoke his cigarette, encountering a flood of memories from working with her. The 2 hunters offer coaching for the consolidated Public Safety Special Division 4, and brief Aki on his status and whether he is fit to continue hunting devils. The Fox Devil has seemingly abandoned him, and his lifespan is drastically shorter, so they offer him a contract with other powerful devils so he can continue to contribute.
But before they meet the powerful Future Devil with whom Aki can forge a contract, there’s one more visitor for Aki, the sister of his late partner, Himeno.
Why Does Himeno’s Sister Visit Aki in Chainsaw Man Episode 10?
Aside from helping him grieve his loss, Himeno’s sister (unnamed) shows him letters exchanged by Himeno to her family. In it are reminders of her caring heart, and desire to get Aki out of Public Safety into the private sector, seemingly as a means to protect him. She never wanted him to sacrifice as much as he did, knowing the grim toll of his usage of the Curse Devil contract.
Himeno had tried to convince Aki to go private before, but the idea was quickly brushed off each time. Before he could realize how important this was to her, she had died protecting him in battle. This made his choice sadly all the easier, and so he went to commune with the Future Devil.
Chainsaw Man released on Crunchyroll on October 11, 2022, with the English dub released later that month.
