Season One of “Chainsaw Man” has ended, but the 12-episode anime remains a talking point amongst fans. As we prepare for the second season, which is rumored to release in 2024, I thought now would be the perfect time to rank all the endings.

The interesting thing “Chainsaw Man” did over the other top anime this winter was that each episode had its original ending. The songs were all done by different bands, while the animation was done by Studio MAPPA. Studio MAPPA outdid themselves with the animation in the episode, but teaming up with different artists so that every episode would have its closing highlights how dedicated the teams were to create a full experience with this anime.

Before we break down each ending, let’s talk about the grading factors:

• The Song – What type of energy does it bring to the end of the episode? Does it highlight those emotions felt in the episode or distract us with new energy?
• The Animation – What closing message is it bring us?
• Relatability – How well does it relate to the episode?
• Rating – On a scale of 1-12, 1 being the lowest and 12 being the highest.

Let’s begin!

*SPOILER WARNING* – This article will contain spoilers for “Chainsaw Man” if you don’t want to see the spoilers turn back now.

“Chainsaw Blood” by Vaundy

• The Song – The song felt upbeat, like the start of a journey. It holds the same energy as when we first see Denji, the protagonist, release the chainsaw demon. The catching “Chainsaw blood!” chant in the song also pulls you back to the song and makes you want to sing along.
• The Animation – There was no animation for this ending, but rather simple credits.
• Relatability – While the song held up the same energy, it didn’t quite feel like enough to drive the relatability factor. I also want to note that the animation seen in the video above was not the animation for the ending in the episode, Studio MAPPA took highlights from the first episode and added them to make the video.
• Rating – 1

“Time Left” by Zutomayo

• The Song – The song was fun and upbeat, really bringing you into the playfulness of Power’s character, who had her debut in this episode.
• The Animation – The animation in this ending also had a playful and fun feeling to it, especially with the simple drawing design that was used.
• Relatability – With only two episodes in, this show is still pretty light and fun. And that’s exactly what this ending felt like, and it was a great way to wrap up the episode.
• Rating – 5

“Hawatari Niku Centi” by Maximum the Hormone

• The Song – As the song began there was a slow buildup, pulling the listener in, before releasing the musical chaos that Maximum the Hormone is known for. The song varied from their heavy, metal sound to a classical singing approach that drove plenty of emotion.
• The Animation – The animation had a little bit of everything from action-packed fighting, cute friendly moments between the characters, and even an angelic moment with Makima.
• Relatability – The third episode began the hike of the storytelling by giving us more information on the Gun Devil, the mysterious antagonist of the series, and showing that our characters’ journeys have only begun.
• Rating – 9

“Tablet” by TOOBOE

• The Song – This song is fast-paced and has just the right amount of chaos, which feels appropriate after an episode that focused on Power.
• The Animation – The artwork in this episode was also focused on Power, showing her in different outfits and dancing around. The animation style is fun, and almost has a pop-art feel to it.
• Relatability – With this episode showing some of the tragedy of Power’s life as a demon it felt like a nice, light happy break. And with the episode ending in a more hopeful moment, with Denji about to touch a woman for the first time, this playful ending made sense.
• Rating – 8

“In the Backroom” by Syudou

• The Song – This ending song had an unsettling atmosphere to it, thanks to the eerie piano being played and the vocalist’s singing pattern. It felt uncomfortable, but that was a smart choice for this episode.
• The Animation – The artwork highlights the tense, never-ending loop that the characters have found themselves in. We see the characters scared or trapped in various ways throughout the ending, playing on their fears as they explore the hotel.
• Relatability – This ending only highlights the feelings the characters were experiencing as the episode came to an end, focusing on the fear and the wonder of if they would make it out of the hotel alive or not.
• Rating – 6

“Rendezvous” by Kanaria

• The Song – I loved this song, it had an almost boy-band feel to it and it made me want to get up and dance. It was a great song and I’ll probably be adding it to some playlists. However, it did feel slightly out of place with the rest of the episode.
• The Animation – The animation again focused on the characters being stuck in a loop, carrying over the theme from the episode and the uncertainty that some of the characters were struggling with.
• Relatability – While the animation carried over the trapped feeling from the episode, the song took away from that for me.
• Rating – 4

“Chu, Tayousei” by anp

• The Song – This song is fun, light, and upbeat. It has a retro vibe to it and could be the perfect song for late summer nights with friends. And with the episode featuring a moment just like that, this was the right choice.
• The Animation – The animation also had a retro vibe to it, and watching it played through a box tv was the icing on the cake for this one. The 90s-style drawings showed many of the characters, but mostly Himeno, in a fun and flirty style that added to the playfulness of the episode.
• Relatability – This ending ties in the energy from the episode wonderfully. Denji, our protagonist, has not only saved the day but also gotten his first kiss… even if that kiss didn’t have a happy ending. It truly ties together this moment of joy before their adventures continue.
• Rating – 7

“First Death” by TK

• The Song – This was the perfect song to end the eighth episode with. Everything in the song felt right from the angsty, sad, emotional atmosphere of the song to even the title. The episode had me in tears, and this song only made me cry harder.
• The Animation – The animation had a mix of light and dark moments, and took time to focus on the struggles of the characters. Most of the moments were shown between Aki and Himeno, which was appropriate given Aki had to watch Himeno sacrifice herself for him.
• Relatability – The tie-in between the episode and the ending was near perfect, and it focused on the loss we had just witnessed. But I think it also highlighted the fact that this hunt for the Gun Devil would not be as easy as they were hoping it would be.
• Rating – 11

“Deep Down” by Aimer

• The Song – This song was an emotional, deep ballad that truly drove the feeling of sadness and despair that both the characters and the fans are feeling as a result of Himeno’s death.
• The Animation – Just as the episode was divided, so was the ending. The first part of the ending focused on Himeno and her death, which had me in tears, but the second part highlighted the mystery that circled Makima. Episode 9 was the first episode where we got to see Makima’s powers and the way those around her feared her.
• Relatability – This ending was spot on with how perfectly it tied together the episode and the ending. From the visuals to the music, everything only highlighted the emotions from the episode.
• Rating – 12 (Yep, this one is the winner)

“Dogland” by People 1

• The Song – The song for this ending had a dark, almost gothic style to it and gave the impression of a group getting ready to march off into battle. It felt like an odd way to end the episode, but it was still enjoyable.
• The Animation – This ending had the most exciting animation to it, with it being a mix between real-life objects and people and the characters added in with animation. The colors were also inverted, which gave a unique vibe to the entire ending.
• Relatability – I struggled to see the connection between the anime and the ending of this episode. The episode focused on new beginnings, a new demon contract, and training for Denji and Power. But the ending… felt off.
• Rating – 3

“Violence” by Queen Bee

• The Song – This song was enjoyable, it had an easy beat to it that was easy to bob my head along to. This is another song that as the music builds up, so does the desire to dance. But, there wasn’t much that stood out other than that.
• The Animation – The ending showcased a black-and-white art style as the characters walked through a digital, yet barren background. It highlighted the mystery of some of the characters, like Makima and Kishibe, but there wasn’t too much else to it.
• Relatability – This was another ending I failed to see the connection with. It wasn’t a bad ending, it just seemed lackluster in comparison to previous episodes.
• Rating – 2

“Fight Song” by Eve

• The Song – The song for this ending felt like the perfect way to end the season. It was fun and had a hopeful vibe to it, something the characters need after everything that happened in the season.
• The Animation – Rather than a standard ending, the ending in this episode is part of the episode. It teases what’s to come for the characters before we get to see glimpses of the normal, day-to-day life of Denji, Aki, and Power. It was a great way to round out the season before the post-credit teaser.
• Relatability – Since the ending is part of the episode it easily relates to the story being told. Not only do we get to see the trio hanging out and enjoying a nice meal, but we also get a special moment with Aki stepping out to smoke and possibly contemplate his choices throughout the anime.
• Rating – 10

What do you think of the ratings? Would you have put any of the endings higher or lower? What was your favorite ending? Tell us in the comments below!