The Four Horsemen include some of mankind’s oldest fears. As such, their age difference is consistent with social development.
Kodoani.com – The following contains spoilers for the manga Chainsaw Man
The Four Horsemen are a group of Chainsaw Man’s strongest, oldest, and most feared demons. Known to be the only demons that can compete with, or even overcome, Primordial Fear, this group is not to be underestimated. Made up of the Demon of Control, the Demon of War, the Demon of Hunger, and the Demon of Death, the Four Horsemen are a bad omen for humanity, all seeking to destroy it in their own way.
Surprisingly, Denji came into contact with all three of the introduced riders. Makima, the Demon of Control, has made his life hell, Yoru possesses Asa as the Demon of War, and Fami (the Demon of Famine) is attending his high school. The relationship between the four is still unknown, but from what is currently known, the knights don’t necessarily get along with each other — but they consider them blood brothers.
Chainsaw Man’s family calls Yoru her little sister
Ever since the Hungry Demon, who goes by the name Fami, first appeared in Chapter 108 of the manga, there has been a degree of surprise at the idea that the Four Horsemen see them as sisters. The first glimpse of the relationship between the four is shown through Makima, who wants to use the Chainsaw Man’s power to completely obliterate his riders from existence. In her eyes, this will make the world a better place — but it will also give her more control over humanity.
However, this is not the typical expression of brotherly affection; it’s completely the opposite. Combined with Yoru’s panic at Fami’s introduction, it paints a picture of their controversial relationship. So when Fami announced she would do anything for her sister, alluding to Yoru, the idea of all four becoming a family was a shock. However, this interaction between the Demons of War and the Famine tells Chainsaw Man readers a lot about this particular group.
The Four Horsemen represent the fear that mankind has suffered since the dawn of time, and thus the corresponding age of evil becomes relevant. Fami says that Yoru is younger than her implying that they not only consider themselves blood brothers, but that some riders are older than others. From the context given through Makima’s approach to the cavalry, it is clear that they are a unit of chaos. So Famine considering War as her sister has one major implication – Famine is older than War, as is her name. This is consistent with the development of humanity and society, since certain fears can only exist in specific circumstances.
Death Devil and Fami are old knights
Death is a fundamental fear and will therefore be the Chainsaw Man’s oldest cavalryman, if not the oldest Devil in existence. Every living thing is afraid of death, and every other primal fear is an extension of it. The Demon of Darkness – the first Primordial Demon to appear in the manga – was feared for the potential danger that the night of isolation could bring. People are afraid of the dark because something invisible can stalk and end their lives, or they can get lost and die alone in the night.
Like Darkness, Famine is an extension of death. Hunger always means slow and painful death for individuals; at the dawn of mankind, when resources were scarce, it was inevitable. As the human race continued to develop, the Famine only became more and more threatening as a sedentary lifestyle emerged. This fueled an increase in population density and reinforced the fear of the Famine, as these societies chose a place to settle down and turned the famine into a major disaster. Not only can an individual or their family starve to death, but so can other families, as these societies depend on one person to provide food.
War and control need thriving societies
Unlike Famine and Death, War relies entirely on larger societies for survival. A higher population requires more resources like food and water, so there is more stress to get them. As societies grow and prosper, leaders rely on armed conflict to obtain these coveted resources in times of famine. Inventions made to stop the Famine began to be used to kill others and carry out War. In turn, this gives rise to new fears, such as being killed by fellow humans, fearing loved ones dying away from home, or being killed for food, land, or dominion. The fear of War is reinforced, so the Demon of War is gaining more and more power. Although Yoru may be stronger than Fami, the Famine has persisted for decades, making War one of the younger riders in Chainsaw Man.
Death and famine are very basic fears, while War is more abstract and focuses on the potential damage humans can do to each other. However, Control is the most abstract and human concept of fear that horsemen embody. It is fear of not being able to control one’s own life, fear of submitting to authority, fear of institutions larger than one can imagine, or fear of people who do not know taking advantage of or forcing themselves on someone.
In many ways, Control is man’s greatest fear. It is something that only humans can do to others and can only be expected from others. The Fear of Control depends on historically moving away from basic things like Famine and through tools like War creating a future of governance – aka Control. Because of this, the Demon of Control was the youngest among the knights, so Nayuta could be considered the younger sister of the family.
The Four Horsemen evolved in accordance with the human race, and human evolution in general allowed for the creation of more and more fear. Interestingly, the order in which the Chainsaw Man introduces them (Makima, Yoru, Fami), is in contrast to the order in which each person appeared in human history. Although the process is reversed, this pattern implies that Death will soon be introduced, the oldest and most dangerous of them all. Most likely, like the other Four Horsemen, Death was lurking right in front of Denji’s nose.
