A Cut Above

Blade Wolf is officially designated as “IF Prototype LQ-84i” and was created to replace both humans and cyborgs on the battlefield. To that end, it was outfitted with an advanced learning program that allowed it to think and act autonomously. It was initially designed to assassinate Raiden, but was later reprogrammed to fight alongside him. Blade Wolf attacks with its sharp teeth and claws and can use spring-loaded, superheated knives as projectiles. The chainsaw that’s attached to its tail has multiple applications in combat, and Blade Wolf can whip the blade around and cut through enemy cyborgs like a hot knife through butter. Because the chainsaw’s rotating mechanism was modified, its teeth move at such a high-frequency that they can cut stone. The chainsaw is relatively small, but it has the potential to collapse entire buildings.

Every character in Final Fantasy VI has their own unique ability. Sabin is a martial arts master, Cyan is a skilled swordsman, and Locke can steal items in the middle of a battle. Edgar is a master engineer and a champion of the technological revolution who arms himself with an assortment of unusual weapons. His auto-crossbow strikes multiple enemies with a spray of bolts, his noise blaster confuses his rivals with a burst of sound, and his drill can penetrate an enemy’s armor to deal severe damage. The chainsaw is arguably the most iconic weapon in his arsenal. Edgar’s chainsaw is unblockable and has the potential to instantly dispatch an enemy. Edgar is the King of Figaro and a charismatic ladies’ man, but he wields his chainsaw like a homicidal maniac and will even break out a Jason Voorhees-inspired hockey mask from time to time.

Splatterhouse was one of the first games that really nailed the horror theme. Assuming the role of Rick Taylor, players armed themselves with cleavers, shotguns, and 2x4s as they made their way through a haunted mansion. Players had the opportunity to wield a chainsaw in the sequel, but the weapon is more closely associated with Biggy Man. The mutated monster is almost certainly the most memorable boss in the entire series. He covers his face with a burlap sack and attacks with two chainsaws that are permanently attached to his arm stumps. He’s surprisingly agile given his size, and he’s so durable that it takes 10 shotgun blasts to keep him down. I can’t even begin to imagine how he eats or uses the bathroom with his chainsaw hands, but Rick isn’t left with a lot of time to ponder these things.

Alisa is an android created by the renowned Doctor Bosconovitch in the image of his daughter. Unlike most androids, she appears to have real emotions and is sensitive to others’ feelings. Alisa insists that she’s a human being, but the steel maiden’s fighting maneuvers make it impossible for her to deny her mechanical origins. Her rocket punches are useful for long range attacks, her wings give her the power of flight, and she can even remove her own head and detonate it like a bomb! When using her “destructive form,” Alisa sprouts chainsaws from each arm and uses them for an assortment of powerful attacks. It’s difficult for her to maintain this form for extended periods of time, but the sight of a teenage girl using chainsaw arms to slice through her opponents never gets old. Alisa is a literal fighting machine.

DOOM follows the exploits of an unnamed space marine who ventures into hell to fight hordes of demons. The Marine in question (sometimes known as “Doomguy”) never speaks on screen and his personality is pretty much a blank slate. If actions truly speak louder than words, then he really has no reason to ever open his mouth. The Marine arms himself with pistols, shotguns, plasma guns, chain guns, and rocket launchers, but the chainsaw is the most versatile (and visceral) weapon in his arsenal. The chainsaw has appeared in every DOOM game thus far and is extremely useful as a melee weapon. It allows the Marine to mutilate any enemies that are in his vicinity and provides him with a way to conserve ammunition at the same time. In DOOM 64, the Marine could obtain a “super chainsaw” that had two blades and dealt twice as much damage.

Dead Rising 2 allows players to manufacture their own custom weapons at various points in the game by collecting items and combining them together in creative ways. One of the most intriguing weapon combinations is the “paddlesaw” – which is comprised of a double-ended kayak paddle with a chainsaw duct-taped to each end. (Incidentally, the paddlesaw was one of the first combo weapons to be designed by the development team.) This unusual contraption is the closest thing that Chuck Greene has to a trademark weapon, and he uses it to paddle through seas of zombies while leaving oceans of blood in his wake. Chuck also uses chainsaws in other ingenious ways. The former motocross champion even equips motorcycles with chainsaws and uses them to mow down zombies with the greatest of ease.

Marcus Fenix looks like a Ninja Turtle wearing a human suit, but there’s no denying his efficiency in battle or his status as a war hero. He arms himself with a Mark 2 Lancer Assault Rifle – which is basically a regular assault rifle with a chainsaw bayonet. When Marcus witnessed a fellow soldier using a power saw against an enemy drone, he brought the idea to his father and the chainsaw bayonet soon became standard-issue across the Coalition army. The bayonet on the Mark 1 Lancer was relatively useless, but the chainsaw version is invaluable for close quarters combat. The blades of the saw can effortlessly cut through the hides of alien Locusts, and they are also used to carve tunnels into gargantuan creatures. Most of the Gears are armed with Lancers, but Marcus is being mentioned since he actually played a role in its inception.

Jack Cayman is a former marine and a participant in a twisted game show called Deathwatch that’s based around the premise of people killing each other. He’s actually an undercover FBI agent working to expose the inhumanity of the show, but he keeps the voice in his ear hidden from the producers and the voices in his head hidden from everyone. Deathwatch is very much a “no holds barred” affair, and Jack is permitted to use anything as a weapon. He arms himself with spiked bats, golf clubs, daggers, spears, torches, street signs, tires, and pretty much everything else he can get his hands on. His weapon of choice is a retractable chainsaw that’s attached to his artificial right arm. The chainsaw is basically an extension of his body and Jack puts it to use by slicing, bisecting, dismembering, and decapitating his unfortunate rivals.

Dr. Salvador’s face is concealed by a burlap sack at all times and he’s not an especially unique character. There are several chainsaw wielding men and women in Resident Evil 4, but Dr. Salvador is being mentioned simply because he’s the first version that you encounter. As an apparent response to the Las Plagas parasite, Salvador is exceptionally violent and will relentlessly chase his enemies. The sound of his chainsaw makes him easy to detect, but it also instills fear since he has the ability to instantly kill the player by decapitating them. Salvador doesn’t have a big role in the game’s story, but he left a lasting impression and was featured on the cover of the game in every region. The chainsaw motif was significant enough to Resident Evil 4 that a limited edition chainsaw-shaped controller was released alongside the game.

Juliet doesn’t fit the mold of a chainsaw wielder. She’s a ditsy high school student who’s insecure about her weight and the size of her butt. She’s defined by her bubbly personality, but her inner psyche is surprisingly vulgar. Her classmates are completely unaware that Juliet has been slaughtering zombies, leprechauns, and Frankenberries since infancy. Her cheerleading experience has allowed her to hone her athleticism and acrobatic capabilities, and her karate lessons taught her the art or self defense and the importance of performing cartwheels while wearing frilly underwear. Juliet is best defined by her bedazzled chainsaw which she uses to take out hordes of zombies. The chainsaw can also block bullets and is even used to take down a UFO! When upgraded, the chainsaw can transform into a launcher capable of firing explosive projectiles.