If you’ve spent any time in the Chainsaw Man fandom, you know Quanxi isn't just another Devil Hunter. She’s a force of nature. But honestly, you can't talk about the first Devil Hunter without talking about the four Fiends who follow her every move. Quanxi and her girlfriends aren't just background decoration or fan service; they are the emotional anchor for one of the most ruthless characters Tatsuki Fujimoto ever created.
It’s easy to get distracted by the high-octane gore of the International Assassins arc. There’s a lot happening. Santa Claus is turning people into dolls, Denji is being Denji, and Hell is literally manifesting on earth. Yet, the quietest, most human moments belong to a group of monsters.
Most shonen series treat sidekicks as power-ups or plot devices. Fujimoto does something different. He gives us a polyamorous harem of Fiends—Pingtsi, Cosmo, Tsugihagi, and Long—and makes us care about their domestic bliss right before he rips it all away.
The Dynamics of Quanxi and Her Girlfriends
Quanxi is old. Like, really old. As a Crossbow Hybrid, she’s been around the block, and her relationship with her Fiends feels weary yet incredibly tender. It’s not just about protection. It’s about a shared existence in a world that wants them all dead.
Think about the way they interact in the hotel. While everyone else is panicked about the Puppet Devil, Quanxi is casually making sure her girls are okay. It’s a strange, beautiful contrast. You have the "First Devil Hunter," a woman who can decapitate forty people in a literal blink of an eye, showing soft, domestic affection to creatures that are technically corpses possessed by devils.
Pingtsi is usually the chatterbox of the group. She’s the one who explains the complex abilities of others, acting as the tactical brain when things get messy. Then you have Cosmo. At first glance, Cosmo seems "broken." She just says "Halloween." That’s it. But as we later find out, Cosmo is perhaps the most powerful and burdened member of the group, possessing total knowledge of the universe. To stay sane, she just... Halloween.
Then there are Long and Tsugihagi. Long has those distinct horns and can breathe fire, though we don't see her go all out as often as we'd like. Tsugihagi is the silent one, covered in stitches, barely saying a word but always present. They don't need a lot of dialogue. Their presence alone tells you that Quanxi has built a family out of the discarded and the strange.
Why the International Assassins Arc Hits Different
The stakes for Quanxi were never about the Chainsaw Heart. Not really. When Kishibe tries to recruit her to take down Makima, her refusal isn't because she likes the Chinese government or because she’s lazy. It’s because she knows the cost of war. She tells Kishibe that "ignorance is bliss."
She’s trying to protect her girls.
When she asks the Japanese authorities for "human rights and education" for her Fiends in exchange for her cooperation, it reveals her true motive. She doesn't want money. She doesn't want power. She wants her girlfriends to have lives that aren't defined by being hunted. It’s a tragic request because, in the world of Chainsaw Man, Fiends are rarely afforded any dignity.
The fight against the Hell Devil and the subsequent encounter with the Darkness Devil changes everything. Watching Quanxi realize she is completely outmatched is chilling. But what’s even more gut-wrenching is her immediate reaction: she hides them. She tries to shield them.
The "Halloween" Factor and Cosmo’s True Power
Let's talk about Cosmo for a second. She’s often overlooked because of the meme-heavy "Halloween!" catchphrase. But Cosmo is a cosmic horror packed into a cute frame. Her ability to force the "total knowledge of the universe" into a target’s mind is terrifying.
When she uses this on Santa Claus, it’s a moment of pure triumph for the group. It shows that Quanxi and her girlfriends aren't just Quanxi doing the heavy lifting while the others watch. They are a unit. Cosmo’s power is a literal mind-breaker, and it’s arguably one of the most "broken" abilities in the entire series. It’s the ultimate "shut up" button.
Sadly, even cosmic knowledge couldn't save them from Makima.
The Tragedy of Makima’s Intervention
The end of the International Assassins arc is one of the most controversial and debated sequences in the manga. Quanxi surrenders. She literally drops her weapons. She realizes that against the Control Devil, there is no winning. She asks for her girls to be spared.
"I'll do anything. Just please, don't hurt them."
Makima, being Makima, doesn't care. The decapitation of Quanxi and her Fiends is a cold, clinical moment that stripped the series of one of its most interesting dynamics. It felt unfair. It felt cruel. But that’s the point Fujimoto was making. In a world of devils and hunters, love doesn't give you plot armor.
The later appearance of the "brainwashed" versions of the girls in the final battle against Denji was like salt in the wound. Seeing them as mindless puppets for Makima’s "Special Division 5" was a stark reminder of what was lost. They weren't a family anymore; they were just tools.
What Most People Get Wrong About Quanxi
A lot of readers simplify Quanxi as just "the lesbian character." While her sexuality is a core part of her identity and the reason for her specific group dynamic, it’s her exhaustion that defines her. She is a veteran who has seen the world rot over and over again.
Her girlfriends represent her last shred of hope. They are the reason she gets out of bed. They are the reason she still takes contracts. If she was just a solo assassin, she’d probably have retired to a mountain decades ago. The Fiends keep her tethered to humanity.
Also, people often forget that Quanxi is a Hybrid, much like Denji, Katana Man, and Reze. She can’t really "die" in the traditional sense, as long as someone pulls her trigger (the arrow in her eye socket). This makes her loss even more poignant—she has to live on while the Fiends she loved are gone for good. Fiends don't have the same immortality. Once they're dead, the devil inside might eventually reincarnate in Hell, but the personality—the "girlfriend" Quanxi knew—is erased.
How to Appreciate Their Legacy
If you're revisiting the manga or the anime (whenever the movie or Season 2 finally drops), pay attention to the body language. Fujimoto is a master of "show, don't tell."
- Watch how Pingtsi clings to Quanxi’s arm.
- Notice how Tsugihagi is always positioned to cover Quanxi’s blind spots.
- Look at the genuine fear in Quanxi's eyes when the Darkness Devil appears—not for herself, but for the girls.
Practical Next Steps for Fans:
- Read the Buddy Stories Light Novel: There is a specific chapter involving Quanxi and Kishibe’s past. It gives massive context to why she is the way she is and her eventual drift away from standard Devil Hunting.
- Analyze the "Ignance is Bliss" Monologue: Re-read Chapter 67. It’s the philosophical core of Quanxi's character. It explains why she tolerates the eccentricities of her girlfriends—she’d rather they be happy and "dumb" than aware and miserable.
- Check out the Color Pages: The official colored version of the manga highlights the distinct designs of the Fiends (Long’s red hair, Cosmo’s pinkish hue) which makes their individualities pop more than the standard black and white.
Quanxi and her girlfriends changed the way we look at "villains" in Chainsaw Man. They weren't evil; they were just on the wrong side of a very violent world. Their story is a reminder that even in a series about chainsaws and blood, it’s the quiet moments of connection that actually stick with you.