The 173rd chapter of the Aging Devil arc shows a world reeling from vanished ears, then has Public Safety reach into Hell itself to force Pochita to cough the Ear Devil back up and undo the erasure.
Summary
A montage captures humans and animals alike bewildered by the disappearance of ears. Inside a Public Safety stronghold, a representative tells a row of seated officials that the erased entity was the Ear Devil. The men give no reaction, so she asks them to say whether they have ever heard of ears at all. Their silence confirms her fears, and she reports up the chain.
Key Events
Three agents gather in a restroom and each sever a fingertip. Muttering 'cervical spine,' 'neck,' and 'vertebrae,' they use the blood to scrawl the word 'hit' across the mirrors. Down in Hell, a devil reads the message, sighs, and raises a fist toward a projected mirror. Pochita, mid-meal on another devil's head, is suddenly smashed by a colossal fist.
Notes
The blow does not go unanswered: Pochita slices off two of the attacking devil's fingers. Yoshida then intervenes, summoning the Octopus Devil to bind him. The Octopus Devil praises the human's handling before squeezing Pochita hard enough to make him spit out the Ear Devil's head, which restores everyone's ears. The chapter also notes the death of the Aging Devil.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in Chapter 173 of Chainsaw Man?
Chapter 173, titled Hard of Hearing, shows a world reeling from vanished ears. Public Safety then reaches into Hell itself to force Pochita to cough the Ear Devil back up and undo the erasure.
How does Public Safety undo the erasure of ears in Chapter 173?
In Chapter 173, three agents sever fingertips and scrawl the word hit in blood across mirrors. Down in Hell, a devil reads the message and smashes Pochita with a colossal fist, setting the rescue in motion.
Who summons the Octopus Devil in Chapter 173?
In Chapter 173, Hirofumi Yoshida intervenes and summons the Octopus Devil to bind Pochita. The Octopus Devil then squeezes him hard enough to make him spit out the Ear Devil's head.
What happens when Pochita spits out the Ear Devil's head?
In Chapter 173, the Octopus Devil squeezes Pochita until he spits out the Ear Devil's head. This restores everyone's ears and reverses the erasure.
Which devil's death is noted in Chapter 173?
Chapter 173 notes the death of the Aging Devil. The chapter is part of the Aging Devil arc and was released on August 7, 2024.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Chapter 173: Hard of Hearing? The Chainsaw Man Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Chainsaw Man anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
- Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to MAPPA and the Chainsaw Man Movie Project.
- Game pages: official promotional artwork, credited to the licensed publishers.
- Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Tatsuki Fujimoto.
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