Why Did Makima Kill Aki in Chainsaw Man? What Happened?

The tragic death of Aki was a pivotal moment for the entire Chainsaw Man storyline, having a huge impact on the main characters as well as anime fans worldwide. However, the scenario that led up to his death left plenty of room for questions and speculation, with many Chainsaw Man fans still wondering what really happened and why Makima killed Aki.

Makima did not kill Aki in Chainsaw Man, but she did orchestrate his death beforehand. Aki was killed by the Gun Devil after being forced into a contract with Makima, after which Makima ordered the Gun Devil to turn Aki into a fiend. Aki began attacking Denji and Power, forcing Denji to kill him in self-defense. It was later revealed that Makima’s plan was to hurt Denji as much as possible by taking his loved ones away from him.

Although Aki was not killed by Makima, she played a crucial role in his death. Stick around to find out everything you need to know about how Makima affected Aki’s fate in Chainsaw Man, including what happened to Aki as well as Makima’s true role in Aki’s death.

What Happened to Aki in Chainsaw Man?

Considering that Makima technically killed Power in Chainsaw Man, many fans were quick to assume she was the cause of Aki’s unfortunate demise as well. Aki died as the devil hunters were getting ready to finally take on the Gun Devil – confronting this devil for all its senseless acts of violence.

Aki becomes increasingly concerned for the well-being of Denji and Power, as these three devil hunters had become very close following the sad death of Himeno, who was Aki’s potential love interest and former partner in devil hunting. This level of concern was only heightened after Aki’s encounter with the Future Devil in Chainsaw Man, as he learned that both he and Power would be killed at the hands of Denji.

He decides to meet with Makima in order to make a deal, hoping to ensure that this new arrangement can provide a safe, happy, and long life for Denji and Power. Makima then uses this point of concern as a huge area of manipulation, essentially forcing Aki to form a contract with her while revealing that she is the Control Devil. Makima confronts the Gun Devil on her own and eventually subdues it – enabling her to command the Gun Devil and use it as she pleases.

In an attempt to protect Makima, Aki is killed by the Gun Devil. Makima then orders the Gun Devil to possess Aki’s body, after which Aki becomes a Gun Devil Fiend. Makima then commands Aki to attack Denji and Power, which forces Denji to attack in self-defense.

The entire battle scene is far more gut-wrenching than one might expect, as we are given flashes of what’s going on in Aki’s mind while he attacks Denji. It is revealed that Aki thinks he is having a simple snowball fight with Denji (similar to Aki’s childhood flashbacks), hinting at Aki and Denji’s new sibling-like relationship.

However, he stops when he sees Denji crying – understandable considering the situation in the real world. This gives Denji an opportunity to land a final blow on Aki, and Denji ends up killing Aki as a result.

Denji explains that the only reason he killed Aki was in order to protect others, as he felt many people would die unless Aki’s new Gun Devil Fiend form was destroyed. After the final blow, we are given a glimpse into Aki’s mind once again, where it shows his little brother returning with the gloves he meant to fetch from the house prior to the incident. Aki and his brother then continue to play catch, seemingly in the afterlife as seen below thanks to the Chainsaw Man Wiki.

This was an extremely unforeseen turn of events that many fans were not expecting – even though the Future Devil had predicted the event to a degree. It’s made even worse by the fact that Aki, Denji, and Power had almost become a small family unit of their own in the time leading up to this event. In fact, Aki actually left half of his wealth to Denji and Power, and the other half to Himeno’s family.

Why Did Makima Kill Aki in Chainsaw Man?

Despite the fact that Makima was not technically the one who landed the final blow on Aki, it’s pretty clear that she knew exactly what she was doing from the very beginning. She knew that Denji would be forced to attack Aki, and knew that he would ultimately kill Aki while trying to defend himself and Power. But, the question still remains – why?

Makima had control over Aki, along with many others in the Chainsaw Man universe. Aki even began developing feelings for Makima, most probably due to her powers of control. Due to her twisted motives, world views, and methods, many Chainsaw Man fans have seen Makima as the game-changer – often turning this brutal and violent title into a psychological horror in the worst possible ways.

It may seem as if Makima had some crazy plan tucked up her sleeve, and that Aki may have been in the way or something similar – but, the truth is so much darker than that. Makima reveals the motives behind the death of Aki in chapter 82 of the Chainsaw Man manga, immediately after Power is blown to bits when visiting Denji unannounced.

Denji, shocked and bewildered, asks Makima if he is dreaming after seeing the sudden and gruesome demise of Power right before his eyes, after which Makima begins laughing hysterically. She simply states that she had planned Aki’s death as well as Power’s death – all in order to destroy Denji.

Makima unveiled her master plan – giving Denji everything he ever wanted, including love, friends, a home, happiness, and more, all with the intention of ripping it all away from him. She made the following statement while explaining her plan, thanks to Comic Book.

“How could I make you so hurt that you’d no longer be capable of living a normal life? So damaged that you’d never be able to bounce back for as long as you live. I’d make that level of happiness your new normal and then destroy the whole thing. Any happiness or normality you experience from this point on? I’ll be the one to create it and destroy it all.”

The death of Aki was really hard for fans to accept, especially considering how sudden and fateful it was when combined with his Gun Devil-related trauma. However, most fans didn’t actually suspect Makima’s involvement up until her true level of lunacy was revealed following Power’s death.

Aki saw some major character growth prior to his death, even becoming close with the Angel Devil (who he initially loathed simply for being a devil) and reigniting the inner child that he had lost on the day of his family’s death. Although Aki’s death was undeniably heartbreaking, it appeared that the devil hunter finally found peace in his final moments, as he died with a slight smile across his face.

The loss of Aki really changed things for the remaining Chainsaw Man protagonists, giving Denji an added level of bravery and strength for his eventual confrontation with Makima in the Public Safety arc. Along with the loss of Denji’s other allies and friends, Aki’s death helped Denji finally destroy Makima – although, he would still end up caring for Makima’s reincarnation, Nayuta.

While Aki was not technically killed by Makima in Chainsaw Man, she was the main cause of his death. Aki was always focused on seeking revenge on the Gun Devil for killing his family, but his death was ultimately due to Makima’s manipulative and evil tendencies.