Quick answer
- Aki Hayakawa dies in the Gun Devil arc: he is killed during Makima’s fight with the Gun Devil (Ch. 75–76), his body becomes the Gun Fiend, and Denji kills it in Chapter 79 (Volume 9).
- Before that, Makima forced him into a contract for “all of himself” (Ch. 74). Earlier contracts cost him body parts (Fox), lifespan (Curse, two years left in Ch. 29) and his right eye (Future).
- The Future Devil said Aki would die “in the worst way possible,” and in Ch. 79 reveals it meant the worst way for Denji.
- The anime hasn’t reached his death: Season 1 and the Reze Arc movie stop earlier, and the announced Assassins Arc adapts the arc before the Gun Devil arc.
Aki Hayakawa dies in the Gun Devil arc of the Chainsaw Man manga. He is killed during Makima’s battle with the Gun Devil (Ch. 75–76), his corpse is taken over by the Gun Devil to become the Gun Fiend, and Denji finally kills that body with his chainsaws in Chapter 79, “Play Catch” (Volume 9).
The anime hasn’t reached this yet. Season 1 and the Reze Arc movie both stop well before it. This article contains full manga spoilers through Chapter 79, plus a short note on the final chapter (Ch. 232).
How does Aki Hayakawa die?
Aki’s death happens in three steps across Chapters 74–79.
- The contract with Makima (Ch. 74). Aki tells Makima he will make a contract with any devil if it keeps Denji and Power alive. She asks him to contract with her, offering strength in exchange for “all of himself,” and uses her power to force the deal. From that point he is under her control.
- Killed in the Gun Devil attack (Ch. 75–76). The U.S. President contracts the Gun Devil to kill Makima, who is revealed to be the Control Devil. When 20% of the Gun Devil reaches her, a now-unresponsive Aki is killed in the gunfire. Makima wins, then forces the Gun Devil to inhabit Aki’s corpse and sends it back to his apartment.
- The Gun Fiend vs. Denji (Ch. 77–79). The Gun Fiend rings the doorbell. Denji hesitates, remembering Pochita’s warning (“Don’t open it”), then opens the door and is torn apart by the first shot (Ch. 77). The fight levels the neighborhood and kills many bystanders (Ch. 78). Denji finally impales Aki with both chainsaws (Ch. 79).
So the short answer to “who killed Aki?” is Denji, though Aki as a person was already dead. What Denji killed was Aki’s body, possessed by the Gun Devil.
Aki Hayakawa death chapter and volume
| Event | Chapter | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Future Devil shows Aki that Denji will kill him and Power | Ch. 73 | 9 |
| Makima forces Aki into a contract | Ch. 74 | 9 |
| Gun Devil attacks; Aki dies in the crossfire | Ch. 75–76 | 9 |
| The Gun Fiend at the apartment door | Ch. 77 “Ring Ring Ring” | 9 |
| The fight through the city | Ch. 78 “Snowball Fight” | 9 |
| Denji kills the Gun Fiend (Aki’s death) | Ch. 79 “Play Catch” | 9 |
| Denji lives off the money Aki left in his will | Ch. 80 | 10 |
Chapter 79 was released in August 2020. The whole Gun Devil arc runs Chapters 71–79.
The snowball fight: what Aki sees as he dies
The death scene is famous because of what happens inside Aki’s head. While the Gun Fiend destroys the city, Aki imagines he and Denji are kids having a snowball fight. Every “snowball” he throws is a gun blast in the real world (Ch. 77–78).
This mirrors his childhood. The Gun Devil killed his parents and younger brother Taiyo while Aki waited for Taiyo to fetch his gloves for a snowball fight (Ch. 13).
In Chapter 78, Aki’s fantasy self says that for the first time he is having fun. In Chapter 79, Denji starts throwing back, but Aki notices he is crying and gives up the game. That pause gives Denji his opening. In Aki’s mind, Denji is replaced by Taiyo, and the last pages show Aki playing catch with his brother.
Aki Hayakawa’s contracts: what each one cost him
Aki made more devil contracts than almost anyone in the story. Each one ate into his body or his life. (For every contract price in the series, see our Chainsaw Man devil contracts guide.)
| Devil | Price | What he got | Key chapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Devil | Parts of his body (he mentions giving it skin) | Summons the fox’s head with “Kon!” to bite targets | Ch. 10–11; stops answering him in Ch. 30 |
| Curse Devil | Part of his lifespan | Nail sword: stab a target three times and the Curse Devil kills it | Used on Katana Man in Ch. 24 |
| Future Devil | Lets the devil live in his right eye | Sees a few seconds into the future | Contract in Ch. 32 |
| Control Devil (Makima) | “All of himself” | Strength he never gets to use; he becomes her puppet | Ch. 74 |
A few details worth knowing:
- The Fox Devil dumped him. Aki made it swallow Katana Man, a hybrid it found disgusting (Ch. 23). Afterward it refused to appear, and he was told he had gotten on its bad side (Ch. 30).
- The Future Devil contract was cheap on purpose. Other contractors paid half their lifespan, or their eyes and senses of taste and smell (Ch. 31). The Future Devil only asked for Aki’s right eye because it wanted to watch his future up close (Ch. 32).
- The Makima contract wasn’t a real choice. She used her control power to make him agree (Ch. 74).
Aki’s lifespan timeline
Aki’s clock was running out even before the Gun Devil arc.
| When | What happened | Lifespan left |
|---|---|---|
| Katana Man fight (Ch. 24) | Uses the Curse Devil to kill Katana Man (who is later revived) | Not stated |
| In hospital (Ch. 29) | Asks the Curse Devil how long he has left | Two years |
| Reze fight (Ch. 50) | Grabs the Angel Devil’s hand to save him; the Angel’s touch drains lifespan | Angel says it cost him two months |
| Ch. 74–79 | Contract with Makima, death, Gun Fiend | Dies long before his two years were up |
In the anime, the “two years” scene is Episode 10 and the Future Devil contract is Episode 11 (Season 1 has 12 episodes; numbers are overall).
The painful irony: Aki traded years of his life to kill the Gun Devil, but he never got to fight it as himself. The Gun Devil ended up using his body.
What was the Future Devil’s “worst possible death” prophecy?
When they made their contract, the Future Devil laughed and said Aki would die “in the worst way possible” (Ch. 32). Aki refused to hear the details.
The prophecy came back twice:
- Chapter 73: Aki sees a vision that terrifies him. The Future Devil explains the unavoidable future: Aki and Power will be killed by Denji, and then “the Devil that Devils fear most” will appear.
- Chapter 79: After Denji kills the Gun Fiend, the Future Devil reappears laughing and says Aki died in the worst way possible for the Chainsaw Boy.
That last line is the twist. The “worst death” was worst for Denji, not for Aki. Aki dies lost in a happy memory of playing with his brother. Denji is the one left with the memory of killing him. In Chapter 80, Denji thinks “I killed Aki” and throws up.
Power’s part of the vision doesn’t play out as literally. Makima kills her in Chapter 81, right after ordering Denji to open the door to her.
Is Aki’s death in the anime? (Death episode)
No. As of September 2026, Aki’s death has not been animated.
| Adaptation | Chapters covered | Reaches Aki’s death? |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 (Oct–Dec 2022, Episodes 1–12) | Ch. 1–38 | No |
| Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (Japan, Sept 19, 2025) | Reze arc, Ch. 39–52 | No |
| Chainsaw Man – Assassins Arc (announced Dec 21, 2025 at Jump Festa ’26) | International Assassins arc (Ch. 53–70) | No. The Gun Devil arc (Ch. 71–79) comes after it |
The Assassins Arc has had teasers from MAPPA but no release date or confirmed format yet. If you’re anime-only, Aki’s death will come in whatever adaptation follows it. If you just finished the Reze movie, see our Reze guide for where that arc leaves off.
To reach it in the manga, read Volume 9 (Chapters 71–79).
Is Aki alive at the end of Chainsaw Man?
The manga doesn’t show it. Aki stays dead through the rest of Part 1 and appears in Part 2 only in flashbacks and mentions.
In Chapter 231, Pochita devours himself to erase Chainsaw Man from existence, resetting the world. In the final chapter (Ch. 232, March 2026), Denji meets a Power who works with Nayuta. Aki doesn’t appear on-page. Whether he is alive in the reset world is never stated. Any claim that he survived is a fan theory, not something the manga shows.
Why Aki’s death hits so hard
Aki joined Public Safety to kill the Gun Devil. By Chapter 72 he tells Kishibe he no longer wants revenge; he just wants to spend his remaining time with Denji and Power. He ends up being used as the weapon against them, and the person who loved him most has to kill him. It’s Chainsaw Man’s cruelty at its sharpest.
FAQ
What chapter does Aki Hayakawa die in?
Aki is killed during the Gun Devil’s attack on Makima (Chapters 75–76), and his body, possessed as the Gun Fiend, is killed by Denji in Chapter 79, “Play Catch” (Volume 9).
What episode does Aki die in?
None yet. Season 1 (Episodes 1–12) and the Reze Arc movie end before it, and the announced Assassins Arc covers the arc before the Gun Devil arc. As of September 2026 his death has not been animated.
Who killed Aki Hayakawa?
Aki himself died in the Gun Devil’s attack while under Makima’s control. Denji killed his body after the Gun Devil turned it into the Gun Fiend (Chapter 79).
What devils did Aki make contracts with?
The Fox Devil (parts of his body), the Curse Devil (lifespan), the Future Devil (his right eye) and, under force, the Control Devil Makima (all of himself, Chapter 74).
Is Aki alive after the ending of Chainsaw Man?
The manga doesn’t say. Aki does not appear in the final chapter (Chapter 232) after Pochita’s reset in Chapter 231, so any claim he survived is a fan theory.
More Chainsaw Man guides
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This guide is the English edition of a BuzzBeaver article originally written in Japanese: 日本語版を読む. Facts are checked against the official manga and anime; fan theories are labeled as such.