The Four Horsemen are a group of four powerful Devils who represent the collective fears of the ultimate catalysts of human extinction: Conquest (Control), War, Famine, and Death. While most Devils are monstrous or animalistic, the Horsemen are distinct for their near-human appearances and their complex, often obsessive, relationships with humanity and the Chainsaw Devil.
Despite their ability to blend into human society, all Horsemen share a specific biological signature that reveals their true nature:
The Ringed Eyes: Every Horseman possesses multiple concentric circles within their irises. These "spiral eyes" are a permanent trait that remains regardless of whether they are in their original Devil form or inhabiting a human body as a Host or Fiend.
The Concept of "Ownership": Each Horseman’s power is derived from how they perceive and interact with other living beings. They claim, alter, or erase based on their specific domain.
Throughout the 1990s, the Horsemen have manifested in various forms, often hiding in plain sight within global governments or high-school environments.
The Control Devil (Makima/Nayuta): The Horseman of Conquest. Her power allows her to brainwash and command any being she perceives as "lesser" than herself. She seeks to create a "perfect world" by using the Chainsaw Devil’s power to erase all suffering and bad movies.
The War Devil (Yoru): Currently inhabiting a human high-schooler as a "half-fiend" hybrid state. She possesses the ability to turn anything she "owns" into a weapon. The strength of the weapon is fueled by the guilt she feels for destroying the object or person.
The Famine Devil (Fami): Appearing as a stoic student with tilted head movements and earrings shaped like triangle scales. Her power allows her to turn anyone who is "starving"—whether for food, love, or power—into her loyal pawn.
The Death Devil: The eldest and most feared of the four. While her physical form in 1997 remains a subject of intense speculation among Devil Hunters, she represents the "Ultimate Fear" that gives birth to all other fears.
The Horsemen are famous for being the only entities to have nearly defeated the Chainsaw Devil during a legendary battle in Hell.
The Goal: Unlike other Devils who want to kill the Chainsaw Devil, the Horsemen want to utilize him. Control wants to rule him, War wants to make him cough up the Nuclear Weapons Devil he ate, and Famine wants to use him as a weapon against the Apocalypse.
The Shattered Alliance: Following their battle in Hell, the Horsemen were scattered to the human world. They no longer act as a unified group; instead, they are often at odds, competing to see who can claim the Chainsaw Devil's heart first to fulfill their own version of the end-times.
A unique trait of the Horsemen is their love for humanity. Unlike the Bat Devil or Leech Devil, who view humans as cattle, the Horsemen find human culture, food, and emotions fascinating. This makes them significantly more dangerous, as they can navigate high-level political systems, lead government organizations, and manipulate human history from the shadows.