Darkness Devil in Chainsaw Man: The Complete Character Guide

The Darkness Devil in Chainsaw Man is a Primal Fear devil that embodies the fear of darkness and rules over the darkness of Hell, where it nearly destroys Denji and his allies in a single encounter. The Darkness Devil has never died, has never been reincarnated, and has never left Hell. According to Shueisha, Tatsuki Fujimoto wrote and illustrated Chainsaw Man.

The table below records 15 core attributes of the Darkness Devil, with each attribute in the first column and the value of the attribute in the second column.

Spoiler warning: This guide covers the complete story of the Darkness Devil, including the massacre in Hell in Chapters 64–66, the death of Tolka, the permanent injuries suffered by the Angel Devil, and the empowerment of Santa Claus with the flesh of the Darkness Devil. Readers who have not finished the International Assassins Arc of Part 1 will encounter full spoilers in every section.

Who Is the Darkness Devil?

The Darkness Devil is a devil that bears the title and status of a Primal Fear, embodying the concept of darkness and, to an extent, the unknown. Primal Fear devils embody fears so ancient and universal that the devils have never experienced death.

The Darkness Devil serves as the overarching antagonist of the International Assassins Arc, the sixth arc of the Public Safety Saga. The arc runs from Chapter 53 to Chapter 70, and the arc follows the assassins who hunt Denji for the heart of the Chainsaw Devil.

The Darkness Devil resides permanently in Hell and has never appeared on Earth in the manga. The Darkness Devil reaches Earth only through a piece of its own flesh, given to Santa Claus under contract.

Devils grow stronger the more their concept is feared, and darkness has been feared by every human generation. The Darkness Devil, the Falling Devil, the Aging Devil, and the Death Devil form the known group of Primal Fears.

What Does the Darkness Devil Look Like?

The Darkness Devil looks like a towering figure assembled from many emaciated human bodies, with a head shaped like a pteranodon and curved horns. Two human bodies act as the legs of the Darkness Devil, and four other human bodies act as the torso of the Darkness Devil.

Each body in the torso carries a unique face. The face below the neck has no eyes, no nose, and a vertical mouth. The second head has open eyes and a stitched mouth, the third head has no nose, an open mouth, and stitched eyes, and the fourth head has no eyes and a somber expression.

The first human body stretches its arms outward, holding what appears to be a cape of darkness.

What Is the Darkness Devil’s Personality?

The Darkness Devil has almost no known personality beyond a single rule: the Darkness Devil attacks anything the Darkness Devil perceives as a threat. The Darkness Devil remains almost entirely silent throughout the encounter in Hell.

The Darkness Devil demonstrates intelligence and the capacity for reasoning. A human can make a contract with the Darkness Devil, and the Darkness Devil honors the terms of that contract precisely. The Darkness Devil accepts the offer made through Tolka and delivers the promised flesh to Santa Claus on Earth.

The Darkness Devil displays high animosity toward Chainsaw Man. Like other devils, the Darkness Devil treats Chainsaw Man as a threat because of the power Chainsaw Man poses. The animosity explains why the Darkness Devil singles out Denji during the battle in Hell.

What Are the Darkness Devil’s Powers and Abilities?

The Darkness Devil possesses 7 main powers: immense speed, immense strength, nigh-absolute immortality, darkness manipulation, force manipulation, regeneration nullification, and devil manifestation.

The immense speed of the Darkness Devil lets the Darkness Devil appear in the midst of several devil hunters, including Quanxi, without any of them perceiving the movement of the Darkness Devil. The Darkness Devil slices through several fighters with its multiple arms before the fighters can react.

The immense strength of the Darkness Devil lets the Darkness Devil lift targets with great ease. The Darkness Devil picks up Tolka with one motion and decapitates Tolka. The nigh-absolute immortality of the Darkness Devil comes from its status as a Primal Fear, and Primal Fear devils never undergo reincarnation.

The Falling Devil, another Primal Fear, later affirms that humanity currently has no means of attack that could kill a Primal Fear. The immense healing factor of the Darkness Devil works while the Darkness Devil remains in the dark, and the Darkness Devil heals easily from a powerful attack by Makima.

The darkness manipulation of the Darkness Devil lets the Darkness Devil transform into a mass of darkness and envelop the surrounding area in darkness. The Darkness Devil manifests the bodies of 11 bisected astronauts as the darkness spreads, and the astronauts pray in fear inside the darkness.

The Blade of Darkness is the signature weapon of the Darkness Devil. The Darkness Devil conjures a large black blade with bells attached to its hilt, and the Darkness Devil controls the blade telekinetically. Any being struck by the blade hemorrhages violently once the bells ring.

The force manipulation of the Darkness Devil works in ways similar to the force powers of the Control Devil. The Darkness Devil severs the arms of humans, fiends, and devils by pointing at them, and the Darkness Devil cuts targets into pieces through movements of its many arms.

Makima proves stronger than the Darkness Devil in force manipulation alone. Makima damages the Darkness Devil heavily by pointing a finger at the Darkness Devil, and the Darkness Devil begins to bleed and stoop over. The Darkness Devil answers by praying with two hands and completely twisting the arm of Makima.

The regeneration nullification of the Darkness Devil prevents the healing of those dismembered by the Darkness Devil. The extent of the nullification remains unclear, because Kobeni Higashiyama and Power return to normal after the encounter. The Angel Devil permanently loses his arms, and the Angel Devil states that he cannot regenerate his arms and can no longer work as a devil hunter.

The shapeshifting of the Darkness Devil transforms its limbs into scythe-like appendages that cut cleanly through opponents. The devil manifestation of the Darkness Devil forces other devils to manifest and kills them instantly, destroying the Stone Devil along with its contractor, Kusakabe.

How Does the Group Reach Hell?

The group reaches Hell because Santa Claus sacrifices a perfect doll and three adopted children to the Hell Devil in exchange for transporting everyone inside a department store to Hell. The sacrifice takes place in Chapter 63, “Trip to Hell”.

The perfect doll sacrificed is the elderly German man who posed as Santa Claus. The three children are among the children Santa Claus adopted and groomed. The department store holds Denji, Power, Aki Hayakawa, Kishibe, Kobeni Higashiyama, the Angel Devil, the Violence Fiend, Princi, Beam, Quanxi, Long, Pingtsi, Tsugihagi, Kusakabe, Tamaoki, and the assassins.

The arrival of the Darkness Devil opens Chapter 64, “Welcome to Hell”, where the Darkness Devil emerges from a door in the sky above the group.

What Happens in the Battle in Hell?

The battle in Hell begins with the Darkness Devil severing the arms of every member of the group in a single instant. No fighter sees the attack coming, and no fighter blocks the attack. The severing leaves the group almost entirely defenseless before the fight properly begins.

The Doll Devil, speaking through Tolka, offers the heart of the Chainsaw Devil to the Darkness Devil. The Doll Devil asks for the power to kill Makima in exchange for the heart. The Darkness Devil accepts the offer and fulfills its end by feeding a piece of its flesh to Santa Claus on Earth.

The Darkness Devil then picks up Tolka and decapitates Tolka. Kusakabe attempts to use the Stone Devil against the Darkness Devil, and the Darkness Devil forces the Stone Devil to manifest, seizes the Stone Devil, and destroys the Stone Devil, killing Kusakabe in the same motion.

Beam revives Denji during the battle by giving Denji his blood and pulling the chainsaw cord of Denji. The Darkness Devil slices Beam into pieces immediately after the revival of Denji. Quanxi and Tamaoki charge at the Darkness Devil simultaneously, and the Darkness Devil scythes through both fighters in one motion, catching Long, Pingtsi, and Power in the aftermath.

Kobeni Higashiyama removes the mask of the Violence Fiend, and the Violence Fiend leaps from above to kick the Darkness Devil. The Darkness Devil pierces the Violence Fiend multiple times and throws the Violence Fiend aside. Denji leaps in and attacks the Darkness Devil with a chainsaw arm, and the attack of Denji fails completely.

The Darkness Devil clasps its hands together, and the body of Denji contorts painfully, disabling Denji on the spot. The Violence Fiend leaps in once more in desperation, holding his severed arm in his mouth. The Darkness Devil summons the black blade, and the black blade pierces the Violence Fiend and destroys the body of the Violence Fiend completely.

The Darkness Devil kneels down over Aki Hayakawa and looks at Aki Hayakawa. The Darkness Devil then looks at the Angel Devil, and both Aki Hayakawa and the Angel Devil begin to bleed severely. Princi emerges from the ground nearby and attacks the Darkness Devil unsuccessfully, losing several of her limbs in the process.

Makima instructs Princi to summon Makima to Hell, and Makima faces the Darkness Devil directly. Makima and the Darkness Devil point at each other, and the finger of Makima breaks while the Darkness Devil begins to bleed and stoop over.

The Darkness Devil answers by praying with two hands and completely twisting the arm of Makima. Makima offers the body of Tolka to the Hell Devil in return for bringing everyone back to Earth. The Darkness Devil conjures the black blade once more and pierces Makima with the blade just as the group is transported back to the department store.

Was the Darkness Devil Defeated in Hell?

No, the Darkness Devil was not defeated in Hell, and the Darkness Devil survives the battle unwounded in any lasting sense while the group escapes through a contract with the Hell Devil. Makima wounds the Darkness Devil with force manipulation, and the Darkness Devil heals from the wounds of Makima in the darkness.

The Darkness Devil pierces Makima as the group leaves, proving that the Darkness Devil remains combat-ready at the end of the encounter. The Darkness Devil never reappears in person in the manga after Chapter 66.

What Does the Darkness Devil’s Contract Give Santa Claus?

The contract of the Darkness Devil gives Santa Claus a piece of the flesh of the Darkness Devil, which vastly amplifies the total power of Santa Claus and grants Santa Claus the ability to manipulate her body in darkness. Santa Claus swallows the flesh whole in Chapter 68, “Dark Power”.

The price of the contract is the delivery of the heart of Denji to Hell, a price Santa Claus pursues through the rest of the arc. The flesh transforms Santa Claus into a larger and more devilish form at night. Santa Claus grows horns like the horns of the Darkness Devil, grows sharp teeth, and gains several doll arms and appendages.

Denji defeats the darkness-empowered Santa Claus by exploiting the weakness of the darkness powers: light. Denji covers himself in kerosene, sets himself on fire, and fights Santa Claus with the light of the flames in Chapter 69, “Shining Power”.

The victory of Denji over Santa Claus proves that light counters the powers granted by the Darkness Devil. Light would likely prove insufficient to kill a Primal Fear itself. The Darkness Devil receives mentions in Chapters 68–70 and Chapters 71–73, because the power of the Darkness Devil lives on through Santa Claus.

Darkness Devil’s Relationships With Other Characters

Santa Claus: Santa Claus is the only contractor of the Darkness Devil and the only human to receive a piece of the flesh of the Darkness Devil. The Darkness Devil accepts the offer delivered through Tolka and feeds its flesh to Santa Claus on Earth. The flesh transforms Santa Claus into a darkness-wielding monster at night, and the power drives Santa Claus through the climax of the arc until Denji defeats Santa Claus with fire and light.

Denji: Denji is the target of the contract and the enemy the Darkness Devil singles out in Hell. The Darkness Devil contorts the body of Denji with a clasp of its hands and disables Denji without touching Denji. Denji fails to wound the Darkness Devil with a chainsaw arm, and Denji survives only because Makima removes the group from Hell.

Makima: Makima is the only character who visibly wounds the Darkness Devil. Makima arrives in Hell at the summons of Princi and duels the Darkness Devil with force manipulation. Makima breaks the composure of the Darkness Devil and makes the Darkness Devil bleed and stoop, and the Darkness Devil answers by twisting the arm of Makima and piercing Makima as the group escapes.

Tolka: Tolka is the messenger of the contract and the first victim of the Darkness Devil after the contract is complete. The Doll Devil speaks through Tolka to offer the heart of the Chainsaw Devil, and the Darkness Devil accepts the offer. The Darkness Devil decapitates Tolka immediately after fulfilling its end of the bargain, and Makima later offers the body of Tolka to the Hell Devil to buy the return of the group to Earth.

Quanxi: Quanxi is the strongest fighter the Darkness Devil defeats in Hell. Quanxi charges at the Darkness Devil alongside Tamaoki, and the Darkness Devil scythes through both fighters in a single motion. The defeat of Quanxi proves that no human fighter matches a Primal Fear. Quanxi survives the encounter, unlike several other victims of the Darkness Devil.

Angel Devil: The Angel Devil suffers the most lasting injury of any survivor of the encounter. The Darkness Devil looks at the Angel Devil and causes the Angel Devil to bleed severely, and the severing inflicted by the Darkness Devil permanently destroys the arms of the Angel Devil. The Angel Devil states that he cannot regenerate his arms, and the Angel Devil can no longer work as a devil hunter after the encounter.

Aki Hayakawa: Aki Hayakawa kneels beneath the Darkness Devil during the battle, and the Darkness Devil looks down at Aki Hayakawa before turning its gaze on the Angel Devil. The Darkness Devil causes Aki Hayakawa to bleed severely with a look, and Aki Hayakawa survives the encounter only through the escape arranged by Makima.

What Are the Most Common Questions About the

Darkness Devil?

Summary of Darkness Devil in Chainsaw Man

The Darkness Devil in Chainsaw Man is a Primal Fear devil that embodies the fear of darkness and the unknown, resides permanently in Hell, and has never died or been reincarnated. The Darkness Devil debuts in Chapter 64, “Welcome to Hell”, after Santa Claus sends Denji and his allies into Hell. The Darkness Devil severs the arms of the group in an instant, accepts the offer of the Chainsaw Devil’s heart delivered through Tolka, and feeds a piece of its flesh to Santa Claus on Earth.

The Darkness Devil decapitates Tolka, destroys the Stone Devil and kills Kusakabe, slices Beam into pieces after Beam revives Denji, and scythes through Quanxi and Tamaoki. The Darkness Devil destroys the body of the Violence Fiend with the Blade of Darkness, and causes Aki Hayakawa and the Angel Devil to bleed severely with a look. The Angel Devil permanently loses his arms, and Princi loses limbs attacking the Darkness Devil before summoning Makima.

Makima wounds the Darkness Devil with force manipulation, and the Darkness Devil answers by twisting the arm of Makima and piercing Makima as the group escapes to Earth. The Darkness Devil is never defeated, never killed, and never leaves Hell, and the Darkness Devil appears afterward only in flashback in Chapter 93. The flesh of the Darkness Devil empowers Santa Claus at night until Denji defeats Santa Claus with fire and light in Chapter 69.