Why Did Makima Kill Power? Chainsaw Man’s Most Cruel Betrayal Explained

Power’s death is one of the most painful moments in Chainsaw Man because it happens at the exact moment Denji thinks he might finally be safe. After losing so much, he believes Makima is giving him comfort, control, and a place where he no longer has to think for himself.

So, why did Makima kill Power? Makima killed Power to break Denji emotionally. Her goal was to destroy Denji’s normal life, crush his bond with Power, and weaken the contract between Denji and Pochita so that Chainsaw Man’s true form could appear.

This article explains why Makima targeted Power, how the scene works, what it reveals about Makima’s plan, and why Power’s death remains one of the most devastating turning points in Chainsaw Man. You can follow Denji, Makima, Power, Aki, Pochita, and the full story on ManhwaClan.

Major spoiler warning: This guide discusses major Chainsaw Man Part 1 spoilers, including Power’s death, Makima’s plan, and Denji’s contract with Pochita.

Quick Answer: Why Did Makima Kill Power?

The direct answer to why did Makima kill Power is that Makima wanted to completely destroy Denji’s emotional stability. Power had become one of Denji’s closest bonds, so killing her in front of him was the cruelest way to prove that Denji’s happiness could be taken away at any moment.

Question	Answer
Who killed Power?	Makima
Why did Makima kill Power?	To break Denji emotionally and destroy his normal life
What was Makima’s real target?	Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil
Why did Power matter to Denji?	She became part of his found family with Aki
What did Makima want to break?	Denji’s contract with Pochita
Was Power’s death random?	No, it was planned as emotional torture

Makima did not kill Power because Power was the biggest physical threat. She killed Power because Power was emotionally important to Denji. That is what made the act so effective and so cruel.

The Scene: What Happened to Power?

Power arrives at Makima’s apartment holding a birthday cake for Denji. At first, the scene looks strangely gentle. Denji is emotionally exhausted, and the idea of Power showing up for his birthday could have been a rare moment of warmth.

Instead, Makima turns the moment into a nightmare. She tells Denji to open the door, and when he does, Power is killed almost instantly in front of him.

The horror of the scene comes from how sudden it is. There is no long fight. No heroic defense. No final conversation where Power gets to fully explain herself. Makima reduces one of Denji’s most important relationships to a controlled act of psychological violence.

That is why fans still ask why did Makima kill Power. The scene feels shocking because it is not structured like a normal battle death. It is structured like an execution designed to hurt one person as deeply as possible.

Makima’s Real Goal Was Pochita

Makima’s real goal was never simply to manage Denji as a Devil Hunter. She wanted Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil. More specifically, she wanted the power connected to Chainsaw Man’s true form.

Denji’s contract with Pochita was built around a simple wish: Denji should live a normal life and show Pochita his dreams. That contract kept Denji moving forward, even after terrible pain.

Makima understood that if Denji could no longer believe in a normal life, the contract could be damaged. So she carefully built Denji up, gave him comfort, gave him relationships, then ripped them away.

Power’s death was part of that larger plan. Makima wanted Denji to feel that every happy thing in his life was fake, fragile, or controlled by her.

Why Power Was the Perfect Target

Power was the perfect target because she was not only Denji’s teammate. She had become family.

At first, Denji and Power are selfish, loud, immature, and constantly fighting. Their relationship begins with comedy and chaos, not emotional softness. But over time, that changes. Power becomes someone Denji protects, cares for, argues with, and lives beside.

After Aki’s death, Power becomes even more important to Denji’s remaining emotional world. She is one of the few people left who still connects him to the idea of a home.

This is why Makima kills her. If Makima wanted to break Denji, she needed to take away someone who made his life feel real.

For a wider look at Power, Denji, Makima, Aki, Pochita, Asa, Yoru, and other key figures, read our guide to chainsaw man characters.

Makima Wanted to Destroy Denji’s “Normal Life”

Denji’s dream is not complicated at the start of Chainsaw Man. He wants food, comfort, affection, and a life that does not hurt every day. Compared with other shonen protagonists, his dreams sound small.

That smallness is the point. Denji has been denied basic human happiness for so long that toast with jam, a warm bed, or someone being kind to him feels enormous.

Makima weaponizes that. She lets Denji taste a normal life, then proves she can destroy it whenever she wants. Aki’s death breaks one part of him. Power’s death breaks another.

So the answer to why did Makima kill Power is tied directly to Denji’s dream. Makima wanted to make Denji believe that a normal life was impossible for him.

Why Makima Killed Power in Front of Denji

Makima could have killed Power somewhere else. She could have removed her quietly. But that would not have served the same purpose.

She needed Denji to see it. She needed him to open the door. She needed him to feel involved, helpless, and obedient in the moment Power died.

This is what makes the scene so disturbing. Makima does not only kill Power. She makes Denji participate in the setup by ordering him to open the door.

That turns Power’s death into psychological torture. Denji is not just grieving. He is forced to feel that he obeyed the command that led to the loss.

Makima’s Control Over Denji

Makima’s power is not only physical. Her most terrifying strength is control. She controls people through authority, affection, fear, desire, and emotional dependency.

Denji is especially vulnerable because he has never had a stable life. When Makima gives him attention, food, and praise, he does not recognize the danger immediately. He thinks he is being cared for.

By the time Makima kills Power, Denji has already been pushed into a state where he wants to stop thinking. He wants Makima to make decisions for him because making decisions has brought him too much pain.

This is why Makima’s cruelty works. She does not only overpower Denji. She teaches him to surrender his will, then uses that surrender to destroy him further.

Why Makima Needed Denji to Break

Makima needed Denji to break because Pochita’s contract depended on Denji continuing to live and dream. If Denji could no longer believe in his own life, then the contract could be weakened.

Power’s death is one of the final emotional blows in that process. Denji has already lost Aki, and he is already drowning in guilt, grief, and confusion. Makima then kills Power to remove one of the last people who gave him comfort.

Once Denji collapses emotionally, Makima gets closer to what she really wants: Chainsaw Man’s true power. Denji is not her final goal. He is the door to Pochita.

This is why Power’s death is not random shock value. It is part of a precise emotional strategy.

Did Makima Hate Power?

Makima did not kill Power because of simple hatred. In fact, that makes the act even colder. Power was not important to Makima as a person. She was important as a tool for hurting Denji.

Makima does not treat Power’s life as meaningful in itself. She treats it as something that belongs inside her plan. That is one of the clearest signs of Makima’s true nature.

For Denji, Power is family. For Makima, Power is leverage.

This contrast is what makes the scene so painful. The audience understands Power’s emotional value, while Makima sees only how useful her death will be.

How Power’s Death Changes Denji

Power’s death pushes Denji into one of his lowest emotional states. He has already been through poverty, betrayal, violence, and grief, but losing Power in this way destroys something very specific.

It destroys the idea that Denji’s found family can survive.

Aki and Power gave Denji something close to home. Their daily life was chaotic, crude, and strange, but it was real. They ate together, argued together, annoyed each other, and slowly became important to each other.

When Makima takes that away, Denji is left with the feeling that every good thing he gained was only temporary.

Why Power’s Death Hurts So Much

Power’s death hurts because she was not always easy to love. She begins as selfish, loud, dishonest, and ridiculous. But the series lets her grow into someone who genuinely matters.

Her bond with Denji becomes one of the emotional cores of Chainsaw Man. It is not a clean romance or simple friendship. It is messy, sibling-like, chaotic, and deeply human in its own strange way.

That makes her death feel personal. Readers are not only losing a funny character. They are losing part of Denji’s home.

When people ask why did Makima kill Power, part of the answer is that Fujimoto wanted the reader to feel exactly what Denji feels: the sudden destruction of comfort.

Does Power Come Back?

Power’s situation is complicated because she is connected to the Blood Devil. In Chainsaw Man’s world, Devils and Fiends do not always follow normal human death logic.

Power as Denji knew her is killed by Makima, but the Blood Devil’s existence opens the door to future possibilities. This is why Power’s final promise and Denji’s memory of her remain so important.

Even after death, Power’s impact does not disappear. She continues to shape Denji’s emotional journey and his understanding of what it means to care about someone.

For a related profile that explains Makima’s strange identity and authority, read how old is makima.

Makima’s Plan Explained Simply

Makima’s plan can be understood in a few steps:

• She brings Denji into Public Safety and gives him comfort.
• She lets him build bonds with Aki and Power.
• She makes Denji emotionally dependent on her approval.
• She removes the people who make his life feel normal.
• She breaks Denji’s will so Pochita can take over.
• She tries to reach Chainsaw Man’s true power.

Power’s death is one of the most important steps in that plan. Makima does not act impulsively. She acts with a terrifying level of calculation.

Was Power’s Death Necessary for the Story?

From a character perspective, Power’s death is devastating. From a story structure perspective, it shows the full cruelty of Makima’s control.

Before this moment, readers may already suspect Makima is dangerous. After this moment, there is no doubt. Killing Power in front of Denji reveals that Makima is willing to destroy anything Denji loves if it helps her reach Pochita.

The scene also changes the emotional direction of the story. Chainsaw Man stops feeling like Denji might slowly build a better life inside Public Safety. Instead, the truth becomes clear: the life he was given was part of a trap.

That is why the scene remains one of the most important turning points in Part 1.

Common Misconceptions About Why Makima Killed Power

One common misconception is that Makima killed Power because Power was too strong. That is not the main reason. Power mattered because of her emotional bond with Denji.

Another misconception is that Makima acted out of jealousy. The scene is not about romantic jealousy. It is about control and psychological destruction.

Some readers also think Power’s death was random shock value. It was shocking, but it was not random. It was part of Makima’s larger strategy to break Denji’s contract with Pochita.

Another misconception is that Denji did not care about Power deeply. He did. Their bond was messy and strange, but it became one of the most important relationships in his life.

The final misconception is that Makima only wanted Denji. In truth, Makima’s real target was Pochita and the power of Chainsaw Man.

FAQs

Why did Makima kill Power?

Makima killed Power to break Denji emotionally. Power was one of Denji’s closest bonds, and killing her helped Makima destroy Denji’s normal life and weaken his contract with Pochita.

Did Makima hate Power?

Makima did not kill Power out of simple hatred. She killed Power because Power was useful as a way to emotionally destroy Denji.

Why did Makima make Denji open the door?

Makima made Denji open the door to make him feel obedient, helpless, and connected to the moment Power died. It was part of her psychological control over him.

What chapter does Makima kill Power?

Makima kills Power in Chapter 81 of Chainsaw Man. The next chapter further explains Makima’s plan to break Denji’s contract with Pochita.

Was Power important to Denji?

Yes, Power was extremely important to Denji. She became part of his found family with Aki and gave him a sense of home, comfort, and emotional connection.

Did Power come back after Makima killed her?

Power as Denji knew her was killed, but her connection to the Blood Devil makes her situation more complicated than a normal human death. Her memory and promise remain important to Denji.

What did Makima really want?

Makima really wanted Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil. She wanted to break Denji emotionally so that Chainsaw Man’s true power could emerge.

Conclusion

So, why did Makima kill Power? Makima killed Power because Power was one of the last pieces of Denji’s normal life. By destroying that bond in front of him, Makima pushed Denji closer to complete emotional collapse.

The act was not random, jealous, or only violent. It was calculated psychological torture. Makima wanted to break Denji’s contract with Pochita and reach the true Chainsaw Man beneath him.

That is why Power’s death remains one of the most unforgettable moments in Chainsaw Man. It shows how deeply Denji loved his strange little found family, and how far Makima was willing to go to control him. To revisit the full story from the beginning, read Chainsaw Man on ManhwaClan.