The following contains major spoilers from Chainsaw Man Chapter 75, "9, 12", by Tatsuki Fujimoto, available now in English through Viz Media's Shonen Jump imprint, as well as Season 1 of the anime, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Since Chainsaw Man's manga debut in 2018, Makima has made an infamous name for herself. Renowned for her evil and deceptive nature, the leader of Public Safety is one of anime's most terrifying antagonists, keeping every character weary of her potential -- even the stony Captain Kishibe. Most notably, Makima has never hesitated to take advantage of her peers and subordinates for her benefit, particularly the young Denji, CSM's protagonist.

Following a grand reveal in chapter 75, Makima's manipulative personality gained more explanation. Since then, queries and doubts surrounding her appearance and identity have circulated, and rightfully so. Many believe this to be a plothole in the anime, but this is not the case. Makima is not who she was believed to be, but who, or what, actually is she?RELATED: Chainsaw Man Is Perfect for the Mortal Kombat Treatment

Is Makima a Hybrid, Fiend, or a Devil?

Makima from Chainsaw Man.

Chainsaw Man is packed with subhuman and monstrous beings that can, at first, be difficult to get to grips with. These are Hybrids, Fiends, and Devils. Hybrids are rare cases, as they are the result of a Devil fused with a human. They keep their human consciousness and appearance and can transform into a human-Devil via some sort of trigger. Denji is the best example of a hybrid as he appears mostly human, but after pulling the cord in his chest he becomes part chainsaw.

Fiends, while similar, are more beastly and less human. These are Devils who have taken over human corpses as a last resort for survival and are often differentiated by how they look. Most have a peculiar head shape, such as Beam, the Shark Fiend. Fiends' appearances don't change like a hybrid, they are always in their half-Devil-half-human form.

Devils, however, are a race of supernatural entities with no human kinship. They are born of human fears, and their appearance at least vaguely resembles these horrors. This is where Makima comes in, and why her existence is always questioned. Makima is the Control Devil, but appears to be entirely human. She has no trigger like Hybrids, no devilish features like Fiends, and doesn't seem to resemble the distorted physical embodiment of a specific fear, but she is no doubt a bona fide Devil.RELATED: Chainsaw Man's Kobeni May Be Annoying, But She Plays an Important Role

Makima Is the Control Devil

Makima in the Chainsaw Man opening.

Makima is a devil who embodies the fear of control, as confirmed when her identity was revealed in Chapter 75 when the President of the United States made a contract with the Gun Devil in an attempt to kill her. Devils almost always have an eerie appearance, designed to instill anxiety in those who are unlucky enough to come across them. They are a species to be feared, and both their personalities and looks cement this sentiment. However, as the Control Devil, Makima's human appearance is essential to her role.

Introduced as the beautiful leader of the Public Safety Devil Hunter organization, no one would suspect the woman everyone swoons over to be more than a manipulative boss. The only tell-tale sign of Makima's true identity could have been her peculiar eyes. Makima's actions had ulterior motives and this rang alarm bells, giving an air of mystery to the Devil -- but these weren't characteristics of the final boss she ended up being. This all played a role in the deception the Control Devil needed to orchestrate her devastating plan. RELATED: Chainsaw Man Theory: Kobeni Has a Contract With the Assassin Devil

Makima’s Human Appearance is a Deceptive Tool

Makima is looking at the viewer in Chainsaw Man.

Makima's appearance allows her to do what she was born to -- control. As the Control Devil, Makima must gain the full trust of humans in order to manipulate them, and to do this she must look human. No one would ever drop their guard around a Devil who looks more traditionally frightening, which would essentially render Makima useless, so she must look like someone who can be trusted. This is why she is so alluring -- Makima must lull her victims into a false sense of security to gain full control.

Moreover, Makima embodies the fear of being and feeling controlled, which could extend to the fear of being manipulated and monitored or being forced to do something by someone who has power over them. Humans are primarily afraid of being controlled by other humans, whether it's a superior, an organization, or even the government. This means the fear of control relates almost exclusively to humans, and Devils' appearances surround the concept that is feared, so it makes sense for the Control Devil to mirror the image of a human.

Control is also something covert. It's very difficult to tell when a person is being manipulated as it's not as clear an image as a gun or a leech, so the Devil's appearance must also allude to this. If Makima's appearance as the Control Devil was as apparent as other Devils, it would not only give her away, getting in the way of her goals, it would oppose the very meaning of the Devil. This is why Makima looks human, and her often ruthless yet manipulative personality goes well with this.RELATED: Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family and Jujutsu Kaisen Make 2023’s First NYT Bestseller List

Makima is Female For a Reason

Makima seduces Denji in Chainsaw Man.

The Control Devil has assumed a human appearance, but more importantly, she is also female. This was a well-thought-out choice, as it also plays into Makima's ability to control. A male Control Devil would be unable to evoke the same emotions as Makima did in Denji or even the audience. Despite his opposing urges, Denji sought a maternal figure to give him motherly love, which is why Makima was able to control him with such ease.

If the Control Devil had been male, Denji and his other male peers -- Aki Hayakawa, for example, who was also very much under Makima's spell -- wouldn't have responded in the same way. It's far more likely that the devil would have been viewed as Captain Kishibe was. The experienced devil hunter became captain of Special Division 4, so much like Makima was a mentor and superior to the group. However, instead of being lusted over or revered, Kishibe was merely put up with. As a male, he didn't have the same effect as Makima, so the Control Devil's gender was just as important as her human appearance. RELATED: How Chainsaw Man Season 1 Sets Up Season 2

Despite popular belief, having Makima appear to be a woman who looked more human than many of her subordinates was a design choice made to deceive both the audience and the characters, making her reveal as the Control Devil all the more shocking. This specific devil must be human to be useful, and if it had any other design the events of Chainsaw Man would have transpired differently.