Makima appears to be hiding something dark and terrible after putting herself in grave danger during Public Safety’s encounter with the Gun Devil’s accomplices.
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Secrets may be a strong weapon, and depending on who handles them, they can be an ace in the hole for good forces or a lethal instrument for bad operatives. Such straight forward logic may not be appropriate in a complex series like Chainsaw Man, but one thing is certain. Not everyone among Public Safety’s Devil Hunters is what they appear to be. The most recent episode of the series, in particular, indicates that Makima, who was able to avert her brush with death in a frightening manner, has far more to her than meets the eye. But as the war with the Gun Devil and its allies heats up, her cause, loyalties, and even her true character are called into question.
“FROM KYOTO,” Episode 9, picks up in the thick of the ongoing assault against the Public Safety’s Special Division Devil Hunters. A terrorist cell led by the human-Devil hybrid Samurai Sword and his partner, Sawatari, carried out the attack. While Sawatari dispatched the late Himeno’s Ghost Devil by having her contracted Snake Devil swallow it whole, Samurai Sword faced up against the resurrected Denji. But, just when it appeared that they would get away with claiming Denji as the Gun Devil, they were interrupted by Makima, who, although being presumed dead, dispatched the majority of the aggressors from afar with a terrifyingly hidden power.
How did Makima manage to survive?
Makima has been Chainsaw Man’s most enigmatic character since her initial debut. With her cool manner and stone-cold gaze, she gives the sense that she has far more power than she first appears. Nonetheless, recent developments appear to indicate that she is more than just a savvy boss. Perhaps the most unsettling indicator of this is her apparent capacity to defy death, possibly even returning on her own.
Makima and her escorts are murdered by a group of terrorists on her train travel to Kyoto. A number of other Devil Hunters were attacked and killed in a similar manner as part of their coordinated assault. However, while every other spy was killed on the spot, She managed to live, turning the tables on her attackers and killing them all.
What Are Makima's Abilities?
One might think Makima did this through a contracted Devil. It’s still unclear what Devils are capable of, but given their diverse set of talents, it’s not a stretch to believe that there are Devils who can lend such regeneration to their contractors. The problem is that, aside from never visually summoning a Devil, Makima never appeared to incur any form of price for using this talent. The episode went to great pains to demonstrate the transactional nature of contracts, with Sawatari’s fingernail loss and Himeno’s sacrifice, making it strange that Makima was able to exploit such a powerful asset for free.
This also applies to what she is capable of later, when she remotely destroys the terrorist gang through a secret ceremony. She eviscerated her targets by using inmates as conduits, squashing them under some invisible force. The criminals involved appeared to collapse or lose their own lives in the process, showing that they paid a price for the power, but the lack of a visible Devil is intriguing to say the least.
Though it may create further questions, Makima is not the only one seen overcoming a supposedly deadly outcome. Both Denji and Samurai Sword resurrected after being killed, with Samurai Sword succumbing to Aki’s Curse Devil and Denji being shot in the head. As the only other two reborn in the pandemonium, this could imply that Makima, like them, is not wholly human. However, there is one distinction: Makima did not morph in any way during her revival, but both Denji and Samurai Sword did in their Devil phases.
What exactly is Makima's secret?
Makima’s skills are perplexing, but she takes pains to keep them hidden from her allies. She lies to local Devil Hunters Michiko Tendo and Yutaro Kurose after arriving in Kyoto and meeting them. She claims that she was not shot during the train attack. She kept them in the dark by blindfolding them while launching her godlike counter-offensive involving the inmates. Later, one of the few survivors, Madoka, approached Makima about her apparent knowledge of the attack, which she avoided by citing his resignation.
Though it is evident that her’s subordinates lack the authority to observe her full strengths, one has to wonder if even her bosses are aware of all. Following the incident, all survivors were gathered into a single unit under Makima’s direct leadership. With Madoka’s suspicions hanging in the balance, her quick consolidation of power within the organisation is scary. If Makima was truly complicit in the disaster that transpired, it would imply that she intended to seize authority while smoking out her personal enemies in order to eliminate them all at once.
Makima is still a mystery at this juncture, with her abilities, alliances, and ambitions all unknown. Regardless, her capacity to manipulate situations and emerge victorious appears unquestionable at this time. Even yet, one must question if she is acting for the greater good or for her own advantage. Worst case scenario, she could be positioning herself as a larger menace than the Gun Devil himself. If this is the case, Denji may find himself with a new and dangerous adversary in the lady he thought was his first ally and genuine love.