Makima - Chainsaw Man
Makima is a complex and enigmatic character in the manga series "Chainsaw Man" She is one of the central antagonists and is both feared and revered in the story's universe. Her character can be analyzed from several points of view:
Authoritarian and manipulative:
Makima is introduced as an authoritarian figure in the world of the Devil Hunters, possessing considerable power and influence. She is highly manipulative and has a strong ability to control people through fear and coercion. Her charisma and charm make it easy for her to manipulate those around her, often getting them to follow her orders without questioning them. This manipulation is an important aspect of her character and contributes to her mysterious aura.
Mysterious Origins:
Throughout the series, Makima's origins and true nature remain shrouded in mystery. Her motives and goals are unclear, and her past is largely unknown. This adds an air of intrigue to her character, as readers are kept in the dark about her true intentions. Until we finally get the revelation. You see Makima is one of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Control Devil
To avoid confusion here's an explanation.
Makima is definitely the first horseman (which was originally conquest, and not the more popular now pestilence). In Japanese, she is 支配 の 悪 魔 Shihai no Akuma. And according to the Japanese wikipedia, the conquest horseman is 支配.
Her and the Conquest Horsemen share the same name in Japanese, which is
domination (支し配はい
shihai).
Moral ambiguity:
Makima's actions often blur the lines between good and evil. While she ostensibly works for the common good by hunting devils and protecting humanity, her methods are ruthless and morally questionable. She is willing to sacrifice people, including her own subordinates, to achieve her goals. This moral ambiguity makes her a compelling character and adds depth to her role in the story. While Makima is a villain, she is not just pure evil for the sake of it.
Despite some of her ruthless behavior, she does not hesitate to call out several yakuza about justifying themselves being a necessary evil as she needed their cooperation to further her own plans seemingly saving humanity. In addition, Makima also shows a bit of a glimpse of the humanity in her when she cried during her time with Denji watching the third film about a man seemingly reconciling with his lost friend.
Another look at Makima's humanity can be observed in one of her final moments. She defeats Chainsaw Man, finally achieving her goal and sits down and lights a cigarette for the first time in her life. And she coughs.
You see, this thousands of years old devil with unimaginable powers coughs like any other human when trying a cigarette for the first time. Really a great subtle detail by Fujimoto that gets overlooked often.
Loneliness and isolation: despite her power and influence, Makima is portrayed as a lonely and isolated character. She seems to lack any real human ties, and often views others as disposable tools to achieve her goals. This loneliness adds an extra layer of tragedy to her character that makes the reader wonder what has made her the person she is. The closest she had were the dogs she kept. However, it is highly likely that those dogs were the hybrid squad that fought with her at the end
Complex Motivations:
As the story progresses, Makima's motivations become more complex. She is driven by a desire to transform the world and eliminate the threat of devils, but the extent to which she is willing to go to achieve that goal is disturbing. Her character raises questions about the nature of power, the sacrifices one is willing to make, and the consequences of exercising that power.
As a villain, Makima is outstanding as well. To just briefly touch upon some things.
She makes the main character Denji get to know friendship, life, the good things in it, acquire happiness, get a family that actually cares about him
and then takes it all away.
She made Denji fight his 'big brother' Aki, while having Aki be possessed by the Gun Devil, the same Devil that viciously killed Aki's entire family, and had Denji kill Aki
and then killed his 'sister' Power in front of him while making him open the door and declaring she will kill Power when he does so, and Denji had to follow her orders and remain there standing still and seeing all of that
In summary, Makima in "Chainsaw Man" is a multifaceted character who evokes both fascination and fear. Her authoritarianism, manipulative nature, mysterious origins, moral ambiguity, and complex motivations contribute to making her a compelling and enigmatic antagonist and character in the series. As the story unfolds, readers must confront the true depths of her character and the role she plays in the overarching story.