Spoilers follow for Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.
In a now-iconic scene in Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc, Reze invites Denji to join her in the pool. Despite not knowing how to swim, Denji excitedly jumps in, and the two spend some time splashing around in the water. The scenes of Reze and Denji in the pool are intertwined with a scene of a spider approaching a butterfly that is caught in its web. As the scene ends, the spider has encased the butterfly in webbing and proceeds to devour it.
Many consider this to be a symbol of Denji falling for Reze’s charming facade. However, according to one fan’s X post, once you realize what the specific breed of butterfly is (which also appears in the manga), the scene appears to carry a deeper (and sadder) meaning. – especially if you know what happens at the end of the film
Post translation:
The depiction of the spider capturing and attempting to devour the butterfly in the pool scene appears symbolic of Reze ensnaring Denji in a trap. Yet, this particular butterfly (the Monarch butterfly) is poisonous to predators. Though it seems that Reze has succeeded in making Denji fall for her, the punchline is that she has fallen for him as well.
Similar to Denji’s loud appearance and personality, the monarch butterfly’s wings feature bright, contrasting colors to ward off predators. Throughout the film, Denji is at odds with his loyalty to Makima and his growing feelings for Reze. On the other hand, Reze is trying to seduce Denji in order to use his power as the Chainsaw Man for her own gain, but her feelings end up conflicting with her initial goal. In her attempts to “devour” Denji, she ends up realizing that she is, in fact, in love with him – a realization which ultimately leads to her demise.
Though the film’s ending maybe isn’t what many viewers wanted or expected, it echoes the anime and manga’s themes of the destructive tendencies that result from desire and power.
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