That time I was reincarnated as a Slimes anime has moved through a lot of story sections at this point, but this is a relatively early one that is still considered one of the best in the series: the Orc Wars part. The Orc Wars brought in new characters, presented Rimuru with their first big test, and completely changed the status quo of the series into what it would eventually be known for.
Up until the Orc War, that time I was reincarnated as a Slime had a rather small focus, limited to Rimuru’s activities and especially the elven village. The goblin village has rapidly grown a long way under Rimuru’s leadership, but all of that was put to the test when the Goblins arrived, driven from their home by a massive army of Orcs. . Faced with a colossal threat, Rimuru suddenly must find allies and strike deals with those nearby, forcing the small village to become a player in the region’s regional politics. This not only leads to an interesting war arc but also brings in many characters that will become mainstays of the series.
The Orc War brought Rimuru to the world stage
Characters introduced in this section include Shuna and Shion who will basically always be by Rimuru’s side after this, the other Ogres/Kijin, Gabiru and Geld, and those are just a few of the good ones. . It also introduces the Demon Lords, who will become major players later in the series, and begins to set the stage for Rimuru’s ascension to power. As a result of the war, the Orcs were absorbed into Rimuru’s village, greatly increasing their population size to the point that they could no longer be ignored. All of this led to the establishment of the Jura Forest Alliance and the emergence of the Rimuru territory as a major political force.
The threat posed by the Orcs is the first time in the series that there is a problem that Rimuru cannot solve on his own; they must find allies, or face destruction in the face of the sheer number of orcs. Rimuru’s ability to turn enemies into friends is also on full display, starting with the Elves and eventually the entire Orc army. When Rimuru defeated the Orc Catastrophe, it would have been easy to slaughter the Orcs, but instead, they chose to include them, realizing that the Orcs were just like other proven monsters.
The magnitude of the Orc Wars’ turning point for the series really cannot be overstated. The scope of the story expands considerably and begins to focus on politics and other issues that are simply irrelevant when the story focuses on a small village. Much of what’s set up here will come back significantly later, and it introduces fan-favorite characters in the process. While That time I was reincarnated as a Slime saw a lot of high points after the Orc Wars, but it never seemed to get past that high mark, although with Slime season 3 coming out, perhaps that will change.