Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Episode 28

If there is a single thing that ties this final episode of Frieren together, it is the theme of legacy. As for Freiren, we see the impact she has had on the world around her. Her legend is what inspired Denken to be a mage—however, it is encountering her personally that changes his entire philosophy on magic. What had been nothing but a tool to gain power for the majority of his life becomes something of joy and whimsy.

Likewise, Frieren has shaped the way Fern—likely to be the greatest mage of her era—views magic. Time and again we've seen that in battle, she uses only the most common attack spell—and it has proven to be more than enough so far. Fern does not need more combat spells. Rather, it is practical magic—spells that clean pots or wash clothes—that she finds valuable. Fern truly is a mage of a peaceful era—one perfectly fit to follow in Frieren's footsteps.

Then we come to Wirbel. Despite being a mage, he is part of Himmel's legacy rather than Frieren's. What made Himmel a true hero wasn't his skill with the blade or his reoccurring bouts of narcissism—it was his pure soul. He didn't just want to defeat the Demon King, he wanted to both have fun and help the common man along the way.

As Wirbel grew up, he came to understand the power of Himmel's small acts of kindness—and how their tangible nature mattered far more to your average villager than ending a world-endangering threat. So while Wirbel has a driving, all-consuming goal of killing demons to protect his hometown, he follows in Himmel's footsteps by helping any he comes across. And while Himmel himself thought these tiny gestures would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, through Wirbel, their echoes continue to make the world a better place.

The final legacy we take a look at is Serie's—and in a way that adds a bit more nuance to her overly pragmatic character. The previous episode made Serie out to be a person who is somewhat lost and insecure—struggling to make a place for herself in this new, peaceful world without compromising her deeply held beliefs. While she implied her past apprentices were replaceable and forgettable—their mortality making them all fail to live up to her expectations—this episode shows that she does care about them.

Of course, it seems that Serie doesn't consciously realize this (or if she does, she refuses to admit it even to herself) but the fact that she still remembers all their personalities and favorite spells centuries after their deaths proves that they have carved out a place in her heart. Regardless of whether they carved their names into the annals of history, they are her legacy—just as she is theirs due to her immortal nature.

Then, to cap the series off, we get a short yet poignant scene about the nature of goodbyes—specifically Frieren's curt goodbyes when separating from people that she's grown close to. As with most things, this ties back to Himmel and him doing the same thing. After all, treating a big goodbye as a casual one creates the illusion that you will meet again shortly—because that's what both Himmel (in the past) and Frieren (in the present) want to become true.

And so the series ends with a short visual goodbye to Himmel, Heiter, Eisen, and all the mages and other characters we met along the way. Frieren's journey continues without them—and without us—but perhaps we will all meet each other once again sometime down the line.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Honestly, Fern choosing clothes-cleaning magic is probably the biggest kick to the ego possible for someone who sees magic as a weapon first and foremost.

• I wonder what the other mages chose as their pick for the privilege.

• It's a cute little character beat that, while Fern wants Frieren and Stark to be with her for her big moment, she'd rather be alone than leave Freiren waiting outside all by herself.

• Thank you all for joining me on this wonderful journey. Here's hoping we all meet again for the (hopefully) inevitable second season.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.