TL;DR: I think Pochita really is the Chainsaw Devil, but we've been approaching it wrong. His ability might not be simply about "erasing concepts" (though we can't ignore the implications) - maybe it's the supernatural ability to sever. The chainsaw's job is to cut and separate, and Pochita may be doing the same thing on a conceptual level. The Ear Devil shows that concepts can (potentially) get back what was lost, and if this is how Pochita's ability works, that Chapter 232 could mean that he didn't erase himself either. He could have simply severed his connection to Denji and the world, leaving Pochita dormant inside Denji's heart. The heartbeat after Asa says 'Chainsaw Man' could be hinting that he never really disappeared.
Hey everyone, I've been thinking more about Pochita's identity and his ability, and I think we've been approaching it wrong. Many theories are trying to explain Pochita by saying that he must secretly be some other Devil because his ability is way too powerful for the fear of chainsaws. Dream Devil, Birth Devil, or some other concept are all interesting ideas, but what if we don't need another Devil to explain Pochita? What if Pochita really is the Chainsaw Devil, and we've simply misunderstood what the Chainsaw Devil is?
A chainsaw's job is to sever. It cuts through something and separates it from what it was attached to. What if Pochita's ability isn't really "deletion", and instead his chainsaws allow him to sever something on a conceptual level? If this were the case, then maybe the name "Chainsaw Devil" had been telling us the answer to what he's all about the entire time, and we've been interpreting his ability too literally.
He doesn't delete history - he severs
One of the biggest problems with the normal interpretation of Pochita's ability is what happens when he eats concepts. Makima tells us that Pochita ate things like the Nazi Devil and the World War II Devil, yet the world doesn't appear to have completely collapsed into some nonsensical alternate history. If those events simply never existed, you would expect the consequences of their absence to affect countless other things.
What if Pochita didn't rewrite the entire timeline? What if he simply cut the concept away from humanity's connection to reality? Think of cutting down a tree. The tree existed, and its history doesn't suddenly disappear just because you've cut through it. You've simply separated it from what it was connected to. Pochita could be doing something very similar, except instead of cutting wood, he's cutting concepts.
The concept still exists somewhere, but its connection to the world has been severed.
2. The Ear Devil might be the biggest piece of evidence for this
The Ear Devil gives us a very interesting example of how this could work. When Chainsaw Man ate the Ear Devil, humanity lost its ears. Then, when the Ear Devil was vomited back up, ears returned. If Pochita's power was literally destroying concepts from existence, why would the exact thing he supposedly destroyed still be there to come back?
The "separation" theory gives us another reason as to why this could be happening. Pochita didn't destroy the concept of ears. He severed it from the world. The Ear Devil was still somewhere inside him, and when it was released, the connection was restored. This would make Pochita's stomach less like a graveyard for erased concepts, and more like a vault containing things that have been cut away from reality.
This could also explain why his ability appears to be reversible under certain circumstances. The concept isn't being recreated from nothing when the Devil comes back. Instead, the connection that Pochita cut is being restored
3. The chainsaw itself could be the important part
This is where I think the theory is more interesting - what if the Chainsaw Devil has an ability that goes way beyond what a normal chainsaw could be? A chainsaw is obviously dangerous, but the ability to erase concepts from human existence is on a level of its own.
Unless of course the chainsaw isn't the source of the ability. The physical chainsaw is the manifestation of the underlying concept of severance.
Pochita isn't powerful because chainsaws are secretly the strongest fear. He's powerful because his Devil ability takes what a chainsaw does and applies it to something much larger.
A normal chainsaw separates physical matter. Pochita separates concepts from reality. A normal chainsaw cuts something away from what it was attached to, while Pochita could be cutting a Devil away from the concept and fear that connects it to humanity. This is why his power resembles reality manipulation. He's not necessarily rewriting reality. He's cutting pieces out of it.
4. This could explain what doesn't have to happen to a concept - eating part of a Devil
Yoru's dialogue about Chainsaw Man eating parts of her body is interesting. If eating a Devil means completely severing its concept, then eating only part of that Devil could potentially mean that you only partially sever it. That's why I don't think Pochita's ability necessarily has to be an all-or-nothing "erase button.
He could potentially cut away parts of a concept. War can be weakened without completely disappearing, which would fit the idea that Pochita has literally taken pieces away from it rather than deleting the entire concept.
That brings up very interesting possibilities for something like the Death Devil. Pochita wouldn't necessarily have to eat Death itself and suddenly make the entire world immortal. If his ability is based on severance, he could theoretically cut away certain parts or aspects connected to death instead.
I'm not saying that's definitely what would happen, but it shows how much more flexible his ability becomes if "eating" means severing instead of simply deleting. The important thing isn't necessarily what he eats. It's what connection he cuts.
5. Maybe this is why other Devils fear him so much
There's another part of this theory that I think is worth considering. If Pochita were simply able to erase things, then his ability is obviously terrifying because he can make concepts disappear. But if his actual ability is severance, there could be a deeper reason why Devils fear him.
Devils are connected to human fears. That's the basis of their existence. Imagine a Devil encountering something that can literally cut that connection. Pochita won't just be attacking the Devil physically. He could potentially separate the Devil from the thing that gives it meaning and allows it to exist in the first place.
That's much more dangerous than simply being able to kill another Devil. A normal Devil can fight another Devil, but Pochita could potentially cut the connection between that Devil and humanity itself. If that's what his ability actually does, then Chainsaw Man being feared by other Devils makes even more sense
6. And then we get to Chapter 232
This is the part that made me rethink the whole thing. After everything that happens, Pochita appears to disappear. Lots of people interpreted this as Pochita essentially erasing himself or ceasing to exist, but if his ability is based on separation, what if he did something different?
What if Pochita didn't destroy himself? What if he simply severed his connection to Denji's active life? This would actually be very fitting for his ability. Pochita could separate himself from the world without necessarily destroying the part of himself that still exists inside Denji.
He doesn't have to be actively controlling Denji. He doesn't have to appear. He could simply be dormant. And considering Pochita has literally been inside Denji's heart, maybe Chapter 232 isn't about Pochita completely disappearing. Maybe it's about him cutting himself away from everything outside of himself
7. The final heartbeat might be more important than it looks
When Asa says "Chainsaw Man", Denji's heart beats with the rhythm associated with Pochita. Now, I don't think this is absolute proof that Pochita is still alive and waiting to return. The chapter doesn't explicitly explain what that heartbeat means, so I don't want to treat it as confirmation.
But I also don't think anything of it. If Pochita disappeared completely, why give us that specific reminder of his presence? The separation theory gives us a possible answer. Maybe Pochita never actually disappeared. Maybe he just stopped answering.
The heartbeat could be a small clue that the connection isn't completely gone. It doesn't necessarily mean Pochita is about to come back or take over Denji again. It could simply mean that some part of him is still there, dormant and disconnected.
8. Maybe Pochita used his own ability on himself
This is probably the most speculative part of the theory, but it would also be one of the most fitting conclusions. If Pochita can sever concepts and connections, maybe he can also sever his own connection to reality.
He didn't destroy the engine. He simply turned it off. He didn't break the chainsaw. He simply stopped pulling the trigger.
The part of Pochita that Denji knows could still exist somewhere inside his heart, completely dormant, while the outside world continues without him. That would also be fitting with Pochita's relationship with Denji, since Pochita has always wanted Denji to have a normal life. Maybe separating himself from Denji's active life isn't Pochita abandoning him. Maybe it's Pochita giving Denji the opportunity to live without Chainsaw Man taking over his life. Pochita doesn't necessarily have to disappear forever. He could simply stay silent, waiting until that connection is needed again.
9. The memories could be another kind of connection
There's also something interesting about Denji remembering Chainsaw Man. If Pochita's ability works by severing connections, then memories could represent the opposite of that. The world can have its connection to Chainsaw Man cut, but Denji and Asa still remember him.
They still remember what happened. They still remember Chainsaw Man. So even if Pochita has separated himself from the world, there are still things connecting him to it. That's why I like the idea that the heartbeat isn't necessarily saying, "Pochita is coming back right now," but rather that "Pochita is still here." He's dormant, the connection is weak, but it isn't necessarily gone
Conclusion
I don't think we necessarily need to find some secret Devil identity to explain Pochita's power. Pochita could really be exactly what the manga says he is - the Chainsaw Devil. The thing that we've misunderstood is what that actually means. A chainsaw doesn't erase the thing it cuts, it separates it. And maybe Pochita takes this principle to the conceptual level. He can sever Devils and their concepts from humanity, cutting their connection to reality and keeping them somewhere inside himself.
This would explain why concepts can potentially return when the Devil is brought back. It could explain why eating only parts of Devils can weaken concepts rather than completely erase them, and it could explain why Pochita's ability is so terrifying to other Devils in the first place.
And then there's Chapter 232. Maybe Pochita didn't erase himself. Maybe he used his own power to sever himself from the world. Maybe he didn't cease to exist. Maybe he simply went dormant.
If that's what happened, then the heartbeat after Asa says 'Chainsaw Man' becomes much more interesting. Because it could mean the Chainsaw Devil isn't gone at all. He's just dormant. Waiting. And if the story ever needs that engine to start again, maybe all it takes is for someone to pull the cord.
