Episode 26 of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End takes us to new heights, both in terms of magic and storytelling. There’s quite a bit to explain in this episode as it further shows how complex or interesting the magic system is in Frieren’s world. Either way, it not only continues the incredible epicness of this season but also raises the bar for the final two episodes this season has in store for us.
Initially, the anime portrayed energy as the ultimate factor in a mage’s power, as seen when Frieren tricked the demons first and with Aura’s hidden mana in episode 10. However, the magic system actually carries more nuanced than initially described. Even Frieren herself admitted that she was nearly defeated by mages of lower energy or less experience.
In this episode, we see the same thing. Despite being a third-rate mage facing off against a first-rate opponent who arguably also possessed more mana and experience, Übel was still able to handle Sense with ease. How? It’s all thanks to a core aspect of Frieren’s magic system: visualization. Sense’s magic is intricately woven into her hair and she wields it skillfully.
However, Übel’s expertise in cutting/splitting magic allowed her to visualize cutting off Sense’s hair, thereby defeating her instantly. But it’s not as simple as it seems. The magic system in Frieren is not simple or linear. You can’t just imagine your opponent’s weakness or imagine a technique to defeat them. It requires intense focus, a clear mind and unwavering self-confidence to achieve achievements like Übel’s. As Sense once said: “You can’t do something with magic unless you can visualize it perfectly.” In essence, a person needs to be crazy and insane, or skilled to do such things, and Übel seems to be such a person.
This wasn’t the first time Übel had defeated a magician of Sense’s caliber. She previously killed a second-class mage examiner with similar speed, cutting him in half despite his immobilizing cloak. This ruthless display not only demonstrates Übel’s lethal prowess but also gets her eliminated from the exams. From the beginning of the season, Kraft warns viewers that Übel has the eyes of a killer, a magician with a penchant for violence. Luckily, we got to see a flashback of her that gave us at least some insight into Übel.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has always excelled in its interpretation and storytelling, and Übel’s flashback in episode 26 is no exception. The change from past to present, shown through her reflection in the scissors, cleverly illustrates her descent into madness over time and this is where she gains her abilities. his crazy imagination. In a way, falling into a state of mental instability became her unexpected superpower. She overcomes the impossible and turns them into reality, which is the essence of visualization.
The main highlight of this episode, however, is not Übel’s clash with Sense or her story, but the ongoing war between Frieren, Fern, and Frieren’s clone. It’s clear that defeating the clone won’t be a stroll through a low-level dungeon; after all, it wouldn’t be the final boss if it could be taken down with a single spell. While the previous episode looked epic, it barely scratched the surface.
What was really tense about this fight was seeing Frieren pushed to his limits. The dazzling light of Frieren’s clone was created during the creation of the “screenshot of the year” and after that moment we witness the pinnacle of magic. No chanting, no wand, no hand gestures—just a death stare and crude visualization. I definitely wish there were more fights like this. While I would have liked to see a fight between Methode and Fern or the synergy between Denken, Übel and Land, let’s not forget that Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End was not a shounen action anime in the first place. However, I can confidently say that given the current state of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, this series is the pinnacle of shounen anime.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End episode 26 captured via Muse Asia
© Yamada Kanehito, Abe Tsukasa/Shogakukan/“Sousou no Frieren” Production Committee