Chainsaw Man Chapter 98: Bird and War Explained

What happens in Chainsaw Man Chapter 98?

After the conclusion of Chainsaw Man's first major part, Chapter 98 moves attention away from Denji and introduces Asa Mitaka, a high school student whose life becomes connected to one of the most dangerous Devils in the series. Released in July 2022, it serves as the opening chapter of the manga's second part — listed as Chapter 98 on VIZ, and as "Bird & War" on MANGA Plus.

The chapter opens quietly: an ordinary school environment, a socially isolated student, and a seemingly harmless Devil named Bucky. That quiet beginning eventually becomes a major turning point for the entire series.

Asa's class receives an unusual new addition: a Chicken Devil named Bucky, brought in as part of a lesson about appreciating life. Instead of remaining a frightening monster, Bucky gradually becomes accepted by the class — while Asa continues to feel uncomfortable with the situation, struggling more with her own inability to fit in than with Bucky himself.

Who is Asa Mitaka?

Asa Mitaka is the central new character introduced in Chapter 98, and her personality is very different from Denji's. Where Denji is impulsive and driven by immediate desires, Asa is withdrawn, anxious, and preoccupied with doing what she believes is morally correct.

Her isolation is one of the most important parts of her character — she watches other students enjoy themselves but doesn't know how to become part of their group, which makes Chapter 98 feel surprisingly personal before the supernatural elements take over. This chapter marks the official starting point for her role in the Academy Saga.

Bucky and the lesson about life

Bucky initially seems strange but harmless, used by the teacher to demonstrate the value of life. As the class grows attached to him, the situation becomes more complicated than Asa expected — and when she accidentally causes Bucky's death, it becomes a major source of guilt and shame. She immediately assumes everyone will blame her, which says as much about how disconnected she already feels as it does about the accident itself. The chapter uses Bucky to explore a larger theme: people often understand the value of something only after it's lost.

Asa's biggest problem is not the Devil

One of the most interesting parts of Chapter 98 is that Asa's main conflict initially has very little to do with fighting — her biggest struggle is social. She wants to belong but doesn't know how to connect with people, and tries convincing herself she doesn't need friends even as her actions reveal otherwise. When Bucky dies, she assumes she's destroyed any chance of being accepted — the tragedy isn't just that Bucky dies, but that Asa loses confidence in herself along with him.

The Justice Devil changes everything

The chapter takes a dramatic turn when the class president reveals she's made a contract with the Justice Devil. Instead of being a supportive classmate, she becomes the one responsible for setting a trap for Asa — turning the story from a school drama into a supernatural survival situation, and recontextualizing what looked like an accident involving Bucky as part of a much larger plan.

Asa's final moments

Asa eventually finds herself believing she's going to die. In that moment, she reflects on how much of her life she spent avoiding mistakes instead of living — wondering if she could have made friends or had real relationships if she'd been less afraid of getting something wrong. It's what gives the chapter its emotional weight: Asa's story doesn't begin with becoming powerful, it begins with regret. She dies believing her life was defined by isolation and missed opportunities.

The War Devil appears

After Asa's death, the chapter delivers one of its biggest reveals: the War Devil offers Asa a way to keep living, on the condition that her body becomes shared with the Devil. If you want the full panel-by-panel context for this turn, the official release of chainsaw man chapter 98 is worth reading directly rather than relying on summaries alone. The Devil later identifies herself as Yoru — laying the foundation for one of the central relationships of Chainsaw Man's second part, and transforming Asa from an isolated high school student into someone connected to a powerful Devil with her own goals and ambitions.

Asa and Yoru: a unique relationship

Rather than simply replacing Asa, Yoru exists alongside her — creating a complicated relationship where two personalities with different goals share the same body. Asa is concerned with morality, guilt, social acceptance, and avoiding mistakes; Yoru is focused on war, power, and defeating Chainsaw Man. Their opposing personalities become a major source of tension for the story going forward.

Yoru's connection to Chainsaw Man

Near the end of the chapter, Yoru sees an image connected to Chainsaw Man and declares her intention to find him — not simply to defeat him in an ordinary battle. She specifically references wanting the Nuclear Weapons Devil restored, setting up a major conflict between the newly introduced War Devil and Chainsaw Man. Chapter 98 ends by establishing a future objective, rather than just closing out Asa's origin story.

Major characters in Chapter 98

Why Chapter 98 is so important

Chapter 98 represents a structural change in the series — moving the story into a school setting and introducing a protagonist with a completely different personality from Denji. It establishes the Academy Saga and introduces Asa and Yoru, whose relationship only grows more important from here. According to the official listing, Chapter 98 is followed directly by Chapter 99, making it the starting point for this new sequence of the manga.

It also leaves readers with several open questions:

"Bird and War": understanding the title

The title may look simple, but it reflects the chapter's unusual structure — the first half revolves around Bucky, the Chicken Devil, and the second half introduces the War Devil. Bucky represents something small and personal: a strange creature that becomes part of a classroom community. Yoru represents something much larger and more destructive: war itself. Moving from a classroom pet to the War Devil in a single chapter shows how quickly Chainsaw Man can change scale.

How Chapter 98 differs from earlier chapters

The first part of Chainsaw Man focuses heavily on Denji's development, his relationship with Pochita, Devil Hunting, and his experiences with Public Safety. Chapter 98 takes a different approach — instead of presenting a powerful protagonist right away, Fujimoto introduces a lonely teenager whose greatest problem is fitting in. It begins almost like a school drama before gradually becoming a horror and supernatural action story, and that shift in tone is a big part of why the chapter feels so distinctive.

Is Chapter 98 worth reading?

Absolutely — even readers who already know the major events can find value in it, since it lays the emotional and narrative groundwork for Asa and Yoru. That said, starting cold with Chapter 98 isn't recommended for brand-new readers: references to Chainsaw Man, Denji, Devils, and earlier events land much better if you've read the series in order. It works best as a continuation rather than a standalone introduction to the Chainsaw Man universe.

Conclusion

Chainsaw Man Chapter 98 is a turning point that completely changes the direction of the manga. Instead of continuing Denji's previous journey, Tatsuki Fujimoto introduces Asa Mitaka and builds a new story around isolation, guilt, friendship, morality, and war. It begins quietly with Bucky and a classroom lesson about the value of life, deepens through Asa's growing guilt, and turns deadly with the Justice Devil's betrayal. The most significant moment arrives when Asa's life ends and the War Devil appears — Yoru's decision to share Asa's body creates one of the most unusual character relationships in the series, connecting Asa's personal struggles to a much larger conflict involving Chainsaw Man himself.

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