Chainsaw Man’s Special Division 4 saw its fair share of losses in Season 1 of the anime – but this theory suggests one member is still in the group.
The following contains spoilers for the Chainsaw Man manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, available now in English through Viz Media’s Shonen Jump imprint, as well as Season 1 of the anime, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Hirokazu Arai is one of many interesting members of Public Safety Special Division 4, but his time in Chainsaw Man was unfortunately short-lived. He first appeared with Himeno and Hayakawa after being called into the field to save Denji from the Leech Devil and was sent to protect survivors of the attack with his partner Kobeni. However, Arai was far more noticeable in the “Eternity Devil” arc when he and Kobeni lost their heads while the others figured out how to face the devil.
Arai’s cowardice was short-lived, as soon after they escaped the Eternity Devil, many hunters were targeted by the Gun Devil. Arai was shot in this attack — but in his final moments he saved Kobeni from the same fate, jumping in front of a bullet for her. This was the last viewers saw of Arai, but one theory suggests the valiant hunter lives on as a fiend.
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The Violence Fiend Is Strangely Close to Kobeni
Fiends are devils that have taken over human corpses, so it’s possible that following his death, Arai’s body was recovered by Public Safety and made into a strong fiend. This would strengthen the Public Safety department, as many divisions lost a lot of members following the Gun Devil’s attack. The Violence fiend is so strong that he wears a mask to keep his power under control, so he is undoubtedly a good protective measure. However, after his introduction, many Chainsaw Man fans noticed how the fiend immediately bonded with Kobeni — Arai’s old partner.The pair first appear together when Hayakawa calls for backup during the Bomb Devil’s attack, and from this point onward a friendship blossoms. Violence often treats Kobeni to food, while she shares stories about her childhood with her new partner — much like she did with Arai. The Violence fiend even makes a point of saying he has more of his human memories than most fiends do, which would explain why the two clicked so quickly. Arai and Kobeni had a strong friendship, so Violence may have reignited that bond through Arai’s memories.
The Violence Fiend Took Arai’s Place in Episode 11’s Ending
This theory has not been confirmed, but Chainsaw Man Episode 11’s ending sequence did provide some solid evidence. Public Safety begins its counterattack on the Gun Devil’s allies, including Samurai Sword and Akane Sawatari. Three new fiends make their debut here: the Shark Fiend Beam, Angel and Violence. In the episode’s ending sequence, memories of all members of Public Safety Division 4 are played in a montage.Both living and dead members are shown, but Arai never gets a feature. Instead, the Violence Fiend is shown between flashes of Kobeni and Himeno. MAPPA, the animation studio behind the Chainsaw Man’s adaptation, is renowned for using anime introductions and endings to foreshadow future plot points or insert subtle implications. Thus, it wouldn’t be out of character for the studio to use this ending to imply Arai was turned into the Violence Fiend.
Arai and the Violence Fiend Look Similar
Finally, Arai and the Violence fiend share a striking resemblance. They are both young men of a similar height and build, and share the same facial structure and signature black, pointy hair. While Arai does have a signature scar on his cheek that the fiend is missing, fiends are able to heal themselves quickly. This is why Denji was able to grow an eye back — on top of many other boy parts and organs — after merging with Pochita.
If a fiend can regrow body parts, there is no reason they’d be unable to heal a simple scar. Outside of Violence’s obviously more devil-like appearance, the scar is the only discrepancy between the two, and its disappearance can be explained. There’s no denying Arai and the Violence fiend look similar.There’s no confirmation to this Chainsaw Man theory, but the evidence certainly does point to Arai being made into the Violence fiend. Their similar appearance and bond with Kobeni, on top of MAPPA’s subtle implications, all suggest this theory is true. In many ways, Arai’s body being taken by a devil meant he could continue to protect Kobeni, which is a wholesome ending the devil hunter deserved.
