The Chainsaw Man anime is revving up as one of the most hyped series of 2022, but some of you might not be too familiar with the story of Denji and the Public Safety department.

To get you acquainted with the big names in the series, here’s a quick introduction to Aki Hayakawa in Chainsaw Man, including details on his background story, personality, and first appearance in the manga.

Warning: Spoilers if you haven’t read the first 13 chapters of the Chainsaw Man manga.

Who is Aki in Chainsaw Man?

Aki Hayakawa is a supporting character in Chainsaw Man, a horror-comedy manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series is set in a world where devils manifest from human fears.

Makima introduces Aki as Denji’s first teammate at the Public Safety department. While initially going on patrol as a duo, Aki decides to beat Denji up in an alley to dissuade him from the job.

The experienced devil hunter has his reasons though. He mentions that people who don’t take the job seriously get killed, and talked about his previous partners. Aki continues to berate Denji for taking the job to get closer to Makima.

Denji retaliates by kicking Aki in the crotch and talks about how he’s now living a new and comfortable life as a devil hunter. After trading blows, the two end up back in Makima’s office to explain that they can’t work together.

Despite the lack of chemistry, Makima puts Denji in Aki’s squad and reveals that the newcomer is a devil-hybrid, a human who can turn into a devil. She trusts that Aki will eliminate Denji just like any other devil if he doesn’t obey orders.

On their first mission, Denji decapitates the targeted fiend, a corpse taken over by a devil, with a hatchet rather than his chainsaws because it seems less painful. Aki scolds him and says that fiends are still devils and that they should never sympathize with a devil.

Aki also mentions that the Gun Devil killed his family right in front of him. The newbie weasels his way out of the conversation and quietly reveals that his real reason was that he didn’t want to get blood on a stack of dirty magazines in the room.

Despite his disdain for all devilkind, he puts up with Denji and their new fiend member Power because he owes Makima for saving his life.

Personality and powers of Aki Hayakawa in Chainsaw Man

Aki is a mature person who sticks to a strict moral code as a devil hunter. His socially detached attitude stems from his experience of losing partners on the job.

While he initially gets annoyed with having to live and work with Denji and Power, he soon warms up to his roommates once he gets to know them beyond their devil attributes.

Aki is a proficient swordsman that has a contract with the Fox Devil. In exchange for feeding the devil part of his body, Aki can summon a giant fox with multiple eyes to consume another devil.

First appearance of Aki Hayakawa in Chainsaw Man

Aki Hayakawa appears in chapter three and episode two of the manga and anime respectively.

Where to read and watch Chainsaw Man

All 97 chapters of the Chainsaw Man’s first part, the Public Safety saga, are officially available on the VIZ Media website.

The anime adaptation started airing on October 12, and will release new episodes every Wednesday. The series is available on Crunchyroll and Prime Video.

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READ MORE: Who is Denji in Chainsaw Man? Story, personality, and first appearance