Among isekai,Re:Zero -Starting Life In Another World-has always been unique, but there’s one special trait that sets it apart for me, andRe: Zero’s third season has only made that point even clearer. It goes without saying that isekai, as a genre that features one particular character getting sucked into another world,tends not to emphasize its other characters too much. To the extent they’re developed or elaborated, it’s usually through the main character, who acts as an accelerant for their growth.
Re: Zero, on the other hand, has always turned this dynamic on its head. When characters like Rem and Emilia grow,it’s not because the protagonist Subaru Natsuki is the pivot. Instead, Subaru acts in a way unique to isekai through the subtle redirection of timelines by way of his “Return by Death” curse. I’ve always hated the way that isekai tends to underdevelop supporting and side characters, butRe: Zerohas found an incredibly clever way around that issue.
Re: Zero Has Always Made Its Side Characters The Focus
Among Isekai,Re:Zero’s Emphasis On The Whole Cast Is Rare
Since the very beginning,Re: Zerohas placed a heavy emphasis on its entire cast. In the very first arc, through the constant time loops where Subaru is at the center, viewers are introduced to Emilia, Puck, Felt, Reinhard, and still more, all of whom return throughout the series. After Subaru moves into the Roswaal Estate, viewers meet even more characters who will remain focal points.
One of the most interesting parts of the time-loop dynamic is that the characters gain an intricate depththat wouldn’t happen within the domain of a single, uninterrupted timeline. Depending on the particular way that Subaru adapts and acts within the timeline, characters' personalities can be incredibly different. Emilia is one of the first characters to demonstrate this: viewers see her dismissive and cold side during one loop when Subaru associates her with the Witch of Envy; another loop shows her willingness to be charitable and helpful even to strangers like Subaru.
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One of the best examples of this phenomenon is undoubtedly Rem, the fan-favorite blue-haired maid. Initially tasked with assisting Subaru after he takes up employment at the Roswaal Estate in return for room and board, viewers get to see multiple dimensions of Rem’s personality: from cloyingly sweet to unflinchingly violent. In a way, Subaru’s ability to shape character personalities through Return by Death makes him one of isekai’s strongest protagonists, butthe ability itself is so traumatic and indirectthat it never feels like a strength. Instead, it’s a curse. No early arc proves this better than those centering Rem.
Re: Zero Season 3 Proves Its Formula Is A Winner
The First Two Episodes Have Demonstrated What MakesRe:ZeroSo Compelling
The premiere ofRe: Zero’s third season used this to great advantage. It sets up an expert misdirection by leading viewers to expect that the season will revolve around the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony and Rem. This misdirection is only possible because of the immense depthRe: Zerohad given to Rem beforehand.
However, the most crucial part of the misdirection isthe other characters carrying the episode forward. The sense of security provided to the viewer is bolstered through scenes centering on characters other than Subaru, who are tense, sentimental, or disarmingly funny. As the cast travels to a new city together, characters like Reinhard and Beatrice benefit from being allowed outside the immediate setting. Beatrice, especially, has been given a lot of interactions that fall outside her usual library milieu.
I started to feel as if, finally, the groundwork laid in the first two seasons with these characters had culminated in a living, breathing universe of individual characters. This feeling was confirmed by season 3, episode 2 (“A Showdown Of Fire And Ice”). The episode features the ongoing confrontation with the Sin Archbishop of Wrath, Sirius Romanée-Conti.
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Reinhard And Beatrice Are The Stars Of The Show
In the episode, Emilia in particular gets a ton of screen time. However, both Beatrice and Reinhard also come into play. As Subaru repeatedly tries in vain to prevent the Sin Archbishop of Wrath’s massacre, he eventually brings Beatrice into the loop. Confiding in her about the situation and asking her for help, Subaru’s deepening trust in Beatrice becomes especially apparent; meanwhile, now outside the confines of the Roswaal Manor, her clear affection for Subaru shows off the complexity that her character has been provided.
More interesting, though, is Reinhard. In the episode alone, Emilia comes out as the MVP; but as a reflection ofRe: Zeroas a series, Reinhard steals the spotlight. I mentioned earlier how Return by Death allowsRe: Zerothe opportunity to build out characters in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. One key example of this is the brief loop when Reinhard has the opportunity to try taking down Sirius.
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Called to the scene, Reinhard gives both Subaru and the viewers the impression that he might actually be able to prevent the Sin Archbishop of Wrath’s onslaught. Eventually, he fails and dies. Reinhard’s ability to repel mana, under normal circumstances, would seem overpowered becausehe wouldn’t be able to die. The limits of his ability might be able to beexplained, but It’s only because hecan die(and return to life in a believable way through the time reset) thatRe: Zerois able to visiblyshowits limits without permanently killing him off.
The push and pull inherent toRe: Zerois always the motor powering the emotional investment I feel for it. The fact that Reinhard shows up, tries his hardest, seems like an inevitable winner, and dies in the second episode of the third season is accentuated by its first. In season 3’s premiere, Reinhard’s background is given significant time as part of its broader game of deceptions.
Furthermore, Reinhard’s ultimate vulnerability is made especially impacting by Subaru’s feelings of jealousy and inadequacy toward him early in the series. Reinhard has been projected by everybody, including the protagonist, to be an unstoppable force on the battlefield and in courtship. It’s true, too, that he’s super charming and impeccably strong. Nonetheless, against the right enemy, he’s useless.
This isn’t just discussed, but viscerally presented to the collective eyes of two different audiences: the in-universe one massacred in the plaza, and our own universe watching on Crunchyroll or wherever else.That dynamic is something absolutely unique toRe: Zero, and the way it takes complete advantage of its entire cast is something that makes most isekai pale in comparison. Not all isekai are alike, of course, but I think more should try emulatingRe:Zero -Starting Life In Another World-with its flawless structural support between its characters and primary mechanics.
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Cast
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- follows the story of Natsuki Subaru, a young man suddenly transported to a fantasy world. Struggling to understand his new environment, he discovers he has the ability to return from death, allowing him to change past events. With each resurrection, Subaru forges alliances and confronts the challenges of this alternate realm, endeavoring to protect those he grows to care for while unraveling the mysteries surrounding his predicament.
