Hirofumi Yoshida is one of Chainsaw Man's most enigmatic characters, amongst the few who survived the Public Safety arc. So, who is Yoshida in Chainsaw Man?
In the Public Safety arc, the mysterious Devil Hunter wasn't heavily involved in the main plot — at least not in ways we can easily pin down.
In Part 2, however, he appears with increasing frequency, so we can no longer forget about him!
His mischievous but ruthless demeanor, his unknown motives, and his obscure organization all add to the mystery surrounding him.
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Here's What We Know About Yoshida So Far
Yoshida first makes an appearance in the International Assassins arc, when Makima hires him to protect Denji from a larger number of international assassins who want Denji's heart.
In Part 2 of the manga, Yoshida shows up again and tries to convince Denji to keep his Chainsaw Man identity a secret.
Yoshida is still a student. He's also a member of the Devil Hunters' Club, but he also belongs to a secret organization.
He's in a contract with the Octopus Devil for an unknown price.
Who Is Yoshida? Here Are the Best Theories
Little is known about Yoshida's past and motivations, but we know that he's part of an unnamed organization that seems to have an interest in Chainsaw Man.
However, given his secrecy, we can't know if he operates for their benefit or acts on his own.
Is Yoshida the Death Devil?
Many fans have theorized a possible connection between Yoshida and the Four Horsemen. Since the other three are currently all accounted for, some have suggested Yoshida could be the Death Devil.
However, recent manga developments make this increasingly unlikely. Fans first came up with this theory in the early days of Denji and Yoshida's acquaintance.
The scene that sparked the theory is one where Yoshida asks Denji if he could eat the Death Devil and stop death.
Of course, it's possible that Yoshida's question was genuine, as his being the Death Devil would be a stretch for several reasons.
First of all, we've seen that Devils don't make Devil contracts. As the Control Devil, Makima formed contracts with others and managed contracted Devil hunters, but she didn't form contracts with other Devils.
Yoshida is clearly in a contract with the Octopus Devil. Of course, this could be a bluff, as he doesn't have any obvious handicap from his contract.
Makima herself had some powers that seemed associated with death, physical power, or smell, more than control as such.
Defenders of this theory suggest that Yoshida's powers could be similar and not necessarily directly relevant to death.
The other reason readers support this theory is his reaction when he first saw the Famine Devil.
Even Asa/Yoru didn't seem able to recognize who Fami was before she explicitly revealed her identity.
This was likely the case because Asa Mitaka is a Fiend rather than a full incarnation of the War Devil, and Fami seems to be senior in some way as she calls Asa/Yoru "little sister."
Yoshida, on the other hand, seemed to immediately recognize Fami, which suggests they are already acquainted.
Despite that, recent Chainsaw Man chapters have all but debunked the theory.
When Nayuta explains the Nostradamus prophecy to Denji, she mentions that the King of Terror is the Death Devil.
Nayuta refers to the Death Devil as her eldest sister. Unless she's mistaken, it seems like Death in Chainsaw Man will have the form of a young woman like Yoru and Fami, not a guy like Yoshida.
Is Yoshida the Chainsaw Man Impostor?
One of the main mysteries of Chainsaw Man Part 2 was the Chainsaw Man impostor.
Further revelations about the Chainsaw Man Church prove that multiple people have been turned into Chainsaw Devils via false contracts.
However, people who enter into this particular contact are likely to permanently lose their sanity.
What we know about Yoshida's powers (so far) doesn't persuade us that he could turn into Chainsaw Man, but Yoshida is so mysterious that we wouldn't be surprised if he had more secret powers.
Some readers reference octopuses' abilities to camouflage themselves as a possible reason Yoshida might have been able to pose as Chainsaw Man.
This is still a stretch, but it's also possible that Yoshida has more devil contracts, and thus more abilities.
Impostor Yoshida used to be our favorite theory. Recent chapters, however, show him as one of the hunters who attempt to end the Chainsaw Man Church once and for all.
Since the impostor sightings were managed by the Church, Yoshida is unlikely to be a Chainsaw Man impostor, unless Fujimoto wants to confuse us a lot.
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Is Yoshida Kishibe's Son?
This one has less to do with the plot, but some readers speculate that Yoshida is Kishibe's son.
Defenders of this theory claim that their eyes and the way they seem to look down on others due to the angle they're drawn from are similar.
In one scene, Kishibe asks Yoshida about school in what some readers interpret as a father-son interaction, and their ages would make that possible, as middle-aged Kishibe could plausibly have a teenage son.
There are many reasons this doesn't add up, as the two have different surnames and we can't see how they would benefit from keeping this a secret.
Moreover, Yoshida's parentage, whatever it is, doesn't explain his motivations and real identity, but it's still a fun theory to consider.
Is Yoshida a Devil?
Yoshida would be the odd one out if he were the Death Devil, as he lacks the signature eye design, and he's male, unlike the other Horsemen. But this doesn't mean he couldn't be a different sort of Devil.
Yoshida seems far too knowledgeable and experienced for a high school student.
This, along with his lack of devil contract markings, makes some fans theorize that he could be a Devil incarnation or Hybrid, rather than a human in a contract.
Such a theory begs the question of just what Devil Yoshida would be. Given the tentacles, I'd vote for an Eldritch horror, such as a Lovecraftian monster.
Of course, the best answers are likely already foreshadowed in the Chainsaw Man manga.
Now, we have to wait for the new chapters which will hopefully reveal the truth about Yoshida very soon!
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