But as the two relax and share a moment of calm against a scenic view, Fern nudges us toward the reason why the pair have such a hard time acting like “normal” people their age. She reminds us that she, like Stark, is a war orphan whose entire life has been a reaction to the violence of the times she lives in and that she never imagined she’d be able to enjoy quiet moments like this. Both of them lost their families to demon attacks, and both were raised by members of the party who killed the Demon Lord, putting them on a natural path toward conflict. Stark is bad at dating because most of his life has been about learning to wield an ax, not how to talk to romantic partners. Fern doesn’t make it as obvious, but she’s basically the same way. This melancholy turn is handled with a light touch, and when the pair laugh together while tacitly agreeing to be themselves instead of doing what they’re “supposed to,” it smooths over this rocky day. They may be a pair of battle-hardened weirdos, but they’re each other’s battle-hardened weirdos, something that will prove important as they head further north.
Finally, after well over a dozen episodes of buildup, this group finally reaches the gate to the Northern Plateau, a place so allegedly fatal that only the military and First-Class mages are allowed through. Still, it’s an amusing bit of anti-climax when, after engaging in a lengthy and nearly deadly exam process last season to earn the mage certificate needed to pass through, we find that all of this effort was for a ten-second exchange where a mildly surprised guard lets them into a gate they easily could have snuck past. After all, both Frieren and Fern can, you know, fly. However, it feels implied that the real reason they did the mage exam was for Fern to prove she was strong enough to survive this brutal journey.Again, Frieren may not be great at expressing it, but it’s clear she’s looking out for her student.
And it turns out that being concerned was quite justified, because the group takes about five steps into the Northern Plateau before being ambushed by what can only be described as a gang of fantasy dinosaurs. Cue one of the show’s beloved montages as they fight golems, Gorgon-like snakes, and a weird man bat, which succinctly gets across that this place is, in fact, dangerous. Frieren may be able to shoot a death laser from orbit, but that doesn’t change the fact that a wrong step could have fatal consequences.
After three days and nights of bad times, they come across a weirdly normal human village, which prompts an obvious question: “What kind of sickos would want to live out here?” It’s a sentiment that Stark shares, and when a townsperson asks the group to take on a nightmarish creature that has been cutting both caravans and the local knights to ribbons, Stark asks them why they stick around. The villager offers an initially unsatisfying question in return: “Who could abandon their home?” It’s a sentiment that can’t help but conjure news stories about people who refuse to evacuate during natural disasters, putting themselves at risk out of stubbornness rather than anything particularly justifiable. It’s only a bit later that his point of view cleverly connects with the rest of the episode.
Eventually, our trio finds the monster they’re after, a hulking demon with a Guts-sized greatsword. Within seconds, it’s clear it’s in a different league than most of the foes they’ve been up against, charging in as it effortlessly swings its massive blade. Frieren tries to go for her whole “fly into the air and shoot a beam” schtick that earned her the title “The Slayer,” but their enemy sees through it, closing the distance in a second. In a tense exchange, Stark parries the creature’s blows, and Fern barely gets up her magic guard in time. There’s a real sense of danger here that the show doesn’t always have, getting back to the potential deadliness of last season’s mage exam arc. Finally, after Stark’s undeniably brave grappling, Fern’s defense, and Frieren’s finishing move, they make it through in one piece. The scuffle is very much a statement of purpose: The road will be much tougher going forward. Action anime fans rejoice, because that probably means more fighting than we’re used to.
However, as it frequently goes with this series, the real payoff comes after the showy sequences. As Stark comments that they should have taken a sea route after all, Frieren smiles and remembers when she said the same thing to Himmel on their previous journey: He responded that clearing the way for the endangered locals is why it’s so important they take this path. Making things safer for others is the whole point of their strength. It’s a broad sentiment, but one that lands as Stark recalls the people they’ve helped so far. Then it all comes together. Stark remembers his brother, specifically his final moments, when he bought him the time to escape their demon-besieged village. “Who could abandon their home?” Well, as the first half of the episode alluded to, Stark was forced to just that. In this moment, the audience and Stark see the value in protecting others from having to do the same.
Not to oversell the bravery, his companions ask why their frontliner is still sitting after his dramatic duel with the monster. His legs gave out, of course. As the series always comes back to, its notions of bravery are less about how you feel and more about what you do. With the gang heading into increasingly dangerous territory, it will need a lot more where that came from to survive.
Stray observations
- • I’ve been wondering what the deal is with Frieren’s briefcase for a while now. It turns out that it’s a Bag Of Holding situation where she can stuff as much as she wants in there. Convenient!
Elijah Gonzalez is The A.V. Club’s associate editor.