Since its first few episodes, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has orbited around a straightforward but clear-eyed question: What do people leave behind when they’re gone? Not in terms of legacy or other versions of Ozmandian greatness, but in the positive influence that comes from little acts of goodwill. For instance, when Himmel The Hero broke up Frieren’s forest-goblin lifestyle and joined her on a 10-year adventure, his desire to help others rubbed off on this former hermit (and also led to this group eventually defeating the Demon Lord, a nice side perk).
While the latest episode, “A Magnificent End,” is basically an extended action sequence that will be rightfully remembered for bonkers animation and choreography, what really sells every flashy explosion of magic is what our party is fighting for. As they struggle against a group of ultra-powerful demons, we see Genau, Stark, and Fern get beaten up for beliefs passed down to them by those they care about. The demons can’t do that, and that’s why they lose.
After last week left this contest undecided, we’re back on the battlefield watching three separate standoffs. Stark and Genau are taking on the snake man with theater-kid energy, The Divine Revolte. Elsewhere, Fern is battling a fog magic guy, and Methode is up against a demon with a katana. While the episode blasts us with almost 20 minutes of uninterrupted action, these three duels have very different textures, avoiding the kind of eye-glazing tedium from when a CGI-filled superhero fight scene goes on for way too long. Events hop between a hot-blooded death match and something more cerebral.
For Stark and Genau’s showdown with the demon Revolte, this is a nasty brawl where several characters get turned into donuts with a fist through the chest (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure-style). It’s brutal, and at first, things seem damn near hopeless for our heroes. Revolte moves with both speed and power that comes across in a barrage of deftly drawn sword slashes, as his arms move at an impossible speed to cover every angle. There’s an intensity and sense of motion as labor-intensive background animation captures Stark circling around for a sneak attack while Genau spins so fast with his emo fallen angel wings that he turns into a razor-sharp disc, like out of a Yutaka Nakamura cut. It’s dynamic and fast and has eye-popping details that land with oomph.
Meanwhile, Methode’s scrap with the unnamed demon weeb is also a stunner, in part thanks to a fighting style we haven’t seen in a bit: Both combatants are battle mages. The demon twirls her sword like it’s an extension of her body, using it to fire razor-sharp magic projectiles, while Methode swings a staff that doubles as an ax. This sequence is basically that one-on-one between Saruman and Gandalf in Fellowship Of The Ring but if it was directed by John Woo, mixing stylish slo-mo and a sense of grounded physicality, like when the demon twists her body to boost off a foothold and land an overhead strike.
As for Stark and Genau’s showdown, after some very cool albeit largely fruitless attempts by the good guys, the turning point isn’t about simply fighting harder (sorry Goku, but that doesn’t work for everybody) but a decision by Stark that showcases how much he’s changed since meeting Frieren. This self-described coward intentionally takes a slice from Devolte to create an opening for Genau to cut off the demon’s tail. Stark has gone from being afraid to leave his village to willingly taking a hit from a mass murdering demon known for his lethality, all to help a guy he barely knows protect his home. It’s an affecting bit of growth that once again shows how to do right by a “craven” character.
However, it’s way too early in the episode for things to be over, and after being cornered, Devolte resorts to a real low blow. Just before Genau can get the final hit in, a bystander suddenly shows up. Devolte throws one of his swords her way, and Genau instinctively dives to intercept it. As he remembers his dead teammate (who Devolte killed), Genau realizes that his time with this certified nice boy permanently changed him. Before, he wasn’t the kind of guy who’d risk his life for some random kid. Considering where Genau started—as a jerk instructor in the mage exams—it’s another reminder of how great series writer Kanehito Yamada is at delivering characters who genuinely and believably change for the better.
Unfortunately, the reward for Genau ‘s bravery is a machete to the gullet, because the “little girl” he saved was another demon in disguise. At its core, this struggle goes beyond being just a slickly animated fight sequence. It’s a battle of ideals. The way Devolte sees it, Stark and Genau’s attachment to the dead is what makes them, and humanity as a whole, weak. While this show’s treatment of demons can be a bit off-putting at times, here they’re a smart stand-in for a certain type of misanthropy. These foes have intellect but lack empathy or kindness, a reflection of everything ugly and cruel that people are capable of.
From Devolte’s perspective, it’s this coldness that makes demons superior, and he’s completely unaffected when his shapeshifting underling gets sliced in two by Genau. Considering that Frieren is a fundamentally optimistic story, his judgment is off the mark. Stark and Genau’s desire to protect the villagers’ bodies is what lets them keep going even after getting speared by Devolte’s extendo arms. Eventually, they cut down this bad guy in a cathartic final burst. It ties together a fight sequence that had it all, from creative, skillfully executed fisticuffs to a greater purpose that gave this carnage emotional weight.
While the Methode and Fern’s side of the battle is more satisfying in a competency porn sort of way, it also wraps up with a well-placed callback. Fern finishes off her opponent using the magic technique she originally learned to repay Heiter for being her adoptive dad. Even the orbital laser blasts have a clever tie-in. This latest season of Frieren has been a bit more low-key, but this episode was a strong reminder: At its best, this series lands like a bolt of Zoltraak.
Stray observations
- • There’s an interesting contrast between Serie and Frieren as mentors. While Frieren wants to pass on Himmel’s kindness, Serie is more concerned with having her students survive at any cost. She thinks that “kind mages get killed,” so she pushes Genau to be the opposite.
Elijah Gonzalez is The A.V. Club‘s associate editor.
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