In the world of Re:Zero, each sin is represented by an Archbishop associated with a corresponding Witch Element. Meaning, each deadly sin has a unique Archbishop who represents it… until we encounter Gluttony.
In Arc 5 (season 3 of the anime), we are introduced to not one but two Sinful Gluttony Archbishops: Lye Batenkaitos, who ate Rem, and Roy Alphard, a flamboyant character, who ate Rem meat. also calls himself Glutton.
So, what's really going on here? Why are there so many archbishops of Gluttony?
Fair warning: There will be spoilers ahead for anime viewers. So be cautious.
Why are so many archbishops guilty of gluttony?
It turns out there are actually three Archbishops of the sin of gluttony, each embodying a different aspect of this sin.
A third character, Louis Arneb – Lye and Roy's sister – is introduced at the end of Arc 5, then she continues to play an important role in Arc 6.
As I said, each of these three represents a different aspect of Gluttony:
Lye Batenkaitos: Represents aspect Gourmetobsessed with savoring delicious memories. Roy Alphard: Represents aspect Exotic eatingdriven by the desire to consume anything and everything, regardless of its nature. Louis Arneb: Show aspect Satisfiedfocusing on feeling full and satisfied.
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Lye Batenkaitos, Gluttony
Although this distinction describes their individual roles, it does not address the fundamental question: why the three of them?
Isn't there just one Gluttonous Witch Factor, the source of their power? How can three people use the same power at the same time?
This is where things get interesting.
We know that those with the Witch Factor can share a portion of their powers with otherscreated the Apostles.
Petelgeuse, the Archbishop of Sloth, did this with his “finger,” giving them pieces of his Witch Factor. However, this weakened his own Authority, reducing the number of Invisible Hands he could summon.
A common assumption is that Louis was the true Archbishop of Gluttony, and that Lye and Roy received parts of her Witch Factor.
This explains Lye and Roy's constant desire to please and satisfy Louis. The fact that Louis was able to take over Lye's body could have been used further to support this idea.
However, Louis herself claims that the first time she divided her Power was when she shared it with Subaru during the events at the Pleiades Watchtower.
This seems to contradict our assumption, but it is possible that Louis intentionally shared her Witch Factor with Subaru, while the sharing with Lye and Roy was unconscious or happened differently.
Now consider this: Petelgeuse's power dwindles the more he divides his Witch Factor, but it also becomes more concentrated in his main body as his fingers die .
If the same principle applies to Louis, sharing her Witch Factor with Subaru during the battle at the Watchtower could weaken Lye and Roy. And this is probably the reason Ram was able to overpower Lye.
His Witch Factor may have returned to Louis, empowering her. This could also explain why Rem did not fully regain her memories after Lye's death but only woke up from her coma.
Another theory is that Lye and Roy are Louis' clonessimilar to how the White Whale, connected to Gluttony, creates copies of itself.
However, from their demeanor, Lye and Roy actually seemed like Louis' siblings. Although they are twisted and vile, they share a common bond.
Additionally, Lye and Roy appear older than her, and have their own characteristics and personalities, different from the clones we have seen in the series.
The mystery of the three Sin Archbishops of Gluttony remains one of Re:Zero's most intriguing puzzles.
The division of the Glutton Witch Factor and their connection to Louis raises many questions about the nature of the Witch Factor and the true extent of the Witch Factor's power.
As the story unfolds, we can hope for more answers from Tappei-san about these mysterious siblings and their role in the Witch Cult's grand plans.