One of the main characters in Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man and the Public Safety’s most diligent, reliable Devil Hunter, Aki Hayakawa rightfully holds the place as the series’ fan-favorite hero. Despite his stiff and blunt exterior, Aki earned the respect of both fans and his fellow Devil Hunters due to being professional yet genuinely caring for his comrades and friends. In contrast to his eccentric, unruly roommates, Power and Denji, Aki is much more mature and level-headed.
Yet, his stoic facade hides a deeply flawed, compassionate person who values his relationships with others and manages to keep his heart open even amid CSM’s violent, ruthless world. Both a subversion of classic shonen tropes and a tragic deconstruction of the revenge-seeking anti-hero archetype, Aki, is a multifaceted character with many hidden layers. And despite his prominent role in the story, fans might still not know some interesting things about Aki Hayakawa.
10 Aki Has the Most Devil Contracts in the Series
While most Devil Hunters have only one or two known Devil contracts, Aki made a deal with a staggering four Devils. At the start of the series, he had just two - the Fox Devil and the Curse Devil. However, after falling out of favor with the Fox Devil, Aki had to contract a new dangerous entity - the Future Devil. Out of all the deals Aki has formed through Public Safety, the Curse Devil contract stands out as the most dangerous.
While the Curse Devil deals massive damage to any target Aki strikes with its nail sword, the summoning also shortens Aki’s lifespan significantly. Yet, it was Aki’s last contract that led to his death. In exchange for his life, Aki made a deal with the Control Devil, Makima, losing all autonomy over his body and mind in the process.
9 Aki Was Born in Hokkaido
A rare CSM character with a known past, Aki was born in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands known for its scenic views, winter activities, and unique wildlife. Hokkaido is where Aki grew up with his parents and younger brother and where his family grave is now located.
The contrast between Aki’s somber, pleasant childhood and the dangerous, hectic life he chose to lead in Tokyo after his family was killed by the Gun Devil makes his character appear even more tragically self-sacrificial. In Chapter 72, Aki takes Denji and Power on a trip to his hometown. He admits that going back to Hokkaido yearly usually makes him feel miserable. Yet the obnoxious distraction provided by his friends helped Aki stop dwelling on the past too much during his final family grave visit.
8 Aki Was His Japanese Voice Actor’s First Big Role
For an anime as popular and greatly anticipated as Chainsaw Man’s 2022 adaptation, it’s common to see big-name voice actors in the roles of every main character. CSM’s cast does feature several celebrity performances, including Kenjirou Tsuda (Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, Mikoto Suou in K) as Kishibe, and Mariya Ise (Killua Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter, Levy McGarden in Fairy Tail).
However, most of the series’ protagonists are voiced by rather unknown actors. This includes the voice actor of Aki, Shogo Sakata. A rising name in the industry, Sakata got his first big breakthrough with Chainsaw Man, previously known for playing minor roles. Considering that Tatsuki Fujimoto had a say in the series’ casting, the decision to not rely on established talent might’ve been intentional.
7 Aki’s Name and Character Design Reference His Tragic Fate
A series notorious for its disquieting foreshadowing, Chainsaw Man included plenty of hidden hints about Aki’s tragic fate in his character design. Aki’s signature topknot, a distinctive hairstyle his friends often ridicule, is meant to look like the firing hammer of a handgun, referencing Aki eventually becoming the Gun Fiend, a puppet of the Devil he spent his entire life chasing.
His hairdo is not the only macabre node to Aki’s heart-breaking downfall, as his name, Aki, is also a popular Japanese nickname for the AK-47 assault rifle. Aki’s family name, Hayakawa, is a common Japanese last name, which consists of the characters for “already; now; by this time” and “river.” It can also be interpreted as symbolic of Aki’s hectic yet predetermined fate.
6 Aki Was Supposed To Have a Different Design and Backstory
While creating Aki Hayakawa, Tatsuki Fujimoto went through multiple character designs before settling on Aki’s now-iconic look. In the concept art shared by Fujimoto on one of his alternate social media accounts, one early version of Aki is depicted as a much taller, 6’2”, younger-looking man with short, side-parted hair and facial piercings.
Another early character concept for Aki gave him facial scars similar to the ones Kishibe would eventually have. In terms of Aki’s background, Fujimoto also changed plenty of things from his original vision. One of the discarded ideas for Aki included Himeno being his younger sister instead of an older partner. In the scrapped version, Himeno would’ve also survived for much longer and played a more prominent role in the story.
5 Aki’s Death Had a Lasting Effect on Denji
While Aki Hayakawa passes at the end of Chainsaw Man Part 1, his lingering impact on the narrative can be felt long after his death. Denji’s arc in the currently ongoing Academy Saga is affected significantly by his past losses, having to kill Aki being the most traumatic event the protagonist had to go through in Part 1.
However, Aki himself is seldom mentioned in Part 2, appearing in a brief flashback during the Falling Devil arc and, later, receiving a brief remark by Fumiko in relation to Denji’s fight with the Gun Fiend. It is clear that Denji hasn’t yet processed the tragic events he had to go through during the Public Safety Saga. Nevertheless, Aki’s legacy will definitely remain relevant to his character growth going forward.
4 Aki’s Age and Birthday Remain a Mystery
It is common for anime and manga series to assign ages and birthdays to the main characters, as well as include some trivia about them, like skills and hobbies. Yet, Chainsaw Man has been notoriously about revealing its heroes’ personal details. Almost no characters have a canonical age or birthday, including Aki. Yet, fans managed to piece together that the stoic Devil Hunter, despite acting very mature, is barely in his 20s.
Aki is referenced to be three years older than Denji, who is 17 at the start of the series. This makes Aki approximately 19-20 years old and places his birth year in the late 1970s. The unofficial birthday assigned to Aki by fans is November 11th.
3 Aki’s Character Has Noticeable Parallels To Asa Mitaka
Chainsaw Man Part 2 directly parallels many events from Part 1. Yet, similarities in narrative structure aren’t the only thing that unites the two parts, as correlations also exist between certain characters. Despite being almost polar opposites in terms of personality, Aki and his arc seem to correspond with Asa Mitaka, the female protagonist of Part 2. Both characters have similar backstories, orphaned in a Devil attack, and suffer identical injuries, losing an arm.
In terms of character progression, while Aki and Asa share little similarities in their objectives, their arcs revolve around learning to live for themselves and letting go of harmful perceptions. However, Asa’s resemblance to Aki also fills many fans with unease, as no one wants the heroine to repeat the deceased Devil Hunter’s fate.
2 Aki Is One of the Most Popular Characters in Chainsaw Man
It’s no secret that Aki is one of Chainsaw Man’s most popular characters. Yet, just how beloved by fans Aki really is can be seen best in the Shonen Jump’s popularity polls dedicated to CSM. In the first popularity poll held in 2020, Aki placed 3rd, only losing to Power and Makima. However, just a year later, Aki placed first in the second popularity poll, leading with 88,868 votes.
His impassive exterior paired with a gentle, caring soul clearly resonated with fans, who saw Aki for the complex, multifaceted character he is. Of all the heroes in CSM, Aki undergoes one of the most emotionally impactful developments, and even years after he died in the manga, plenty of fans consider him the series’ best character.
1 Aki Is Annoyed by Denji and Power but Sees Them as Family
The main trio of Chainsaw Man has a rather unusual yet endearing dynamic. Assigned to look after Denji and Power, Aki initially despises his unruly roommates. Annoyed by their disregard for others, lack of personal hygiene, and unpredictable, often dangerous behavior, Aki spends most of the time bickering with Denji and Power or preventing them from getting into too much trouble.
However, it would be incorrect to interpret Aki’s feelings towards the Devils as hatred. While Aki often states that he despises all Devils, he gradually comes to care for a number of them, with his familial love for Denji and Power being the most prominent. Seeing both of them as his younger siblings of sorts, Aki grows incredibly close with Denji and Power, willing to sacrifice his ambitions for the sake of their safety.
