Here is everything you need to know about the five ways Chainsaw Man is the best of the Shonen dark trio.

The Different Devils & Their Powers

Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Hell’s Paradise all feature wildly eclectic creatures that the heroes get to mow down with reckless abandon. Chainsaw Man’s Devils are particularly inventive since they’re not just creative in their individual designs and powers, but there’s also a fascinating hierarchy to them where Devils can co-opt each other’s skills and neutralize other Devils in the process.

Denji’s Chainsaw Devil status gives him a lot of strength, but other enemies like the Darkness Devil, Katana Devil, Gun Devil, and War Devil are equally terrifying, but in totally different ways. There’s an extra level of unpredictability to the show’s monsters.

Read this: 5 Most Powerful Chainsaw Man Characters and Ranked

Different End Credits Each Episode

Anime fans have become increasingly focused on the different opening and ending themes that bookend their favorite series. Certain musical groups have built their entire reputation off of hit opening numbers from anime series.

“Kick Back” by Kenshi Yonezu is Chainsaw Man’s dedicated opening theme. The anime takes a unique approach with its ending numbers where each episode concludes with a different song and accompanying animated sequence. This offers up a lot more variety as more groups are showcased.

Huge Twists & Shocking Deaths

Each of the “Shonen Dark Trio” series begin with very high stakes. But it’s unclear if they’ll actually follow through on these bold, fatal promises. Chainsaw Man fearlessly takes out some of its most important players, or reveals them to actually be enemies rather than allies.

Chainsaw Man doesn’t hide behind plot armor just because certain characters become popular. Alternatively, it also doesn’t just create betrayal and conflict for the sake of drama. All of Chainsaw Man’s big reveals feel incredibly natural.

Expressive Choreography In Fight Scenes

Each of the “Dark Shonen Trio” creates circumstances where there are durable threats. It need to be destroyed that require a little extra elbow grease on the battlefield. The jujutsu sorcery in Jujutsu Kaisen is effective and Hell’s Paradise precision swordplay doesn’t miss its mark. But the heights of chaos in Chainsaw Man are unparalleled.

MAPPA goes above and beyond with the pacing, presentation, and choreography of its grandiose fights. Many of which feel like giant kaiju brawls. Denji’s Chainsaw Devil powers naturally lend themselves to acrobat combat.

Denji’s Unconventional Nature & Flawed Humanity

Effective protagonists will make or break a shonen series. And each of the “Shonen Dark Trio” do strong work with Denji, Yuji Itadori, and Gabimaru. What sets Chainsaw Man’s Denji apart from these other protagonists is that his goals are incredibly simple.

Denji does commit himself to bettering the world, but so much of what he does is motivated by the hormonal wager that he puts into motion with Power. Chainsaw Man frequently leans into Denji’s unrefined and flawed nature.