Re: Zero 3x14 Reaction Extended (YT link below)
Added 2025-05-16 01:00:04 +0000 UTCIn Re: Zero 3x14, Theresia van Astrea, a non-exaustive list of who killed Theresia: The White Whale, Reindhart (twice), Pandora, the Sword Saint God, Willhelm's love, her father, Subaru somehow, Envy probably, disappointment in Heinkel, the sword, the necromancer, optical illusions (twice)...
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Well, Theresia could have be nothing more than a corpse and that beautiful closure with Willhelm could be just deception to play on his and our heartstrings. Author said that any kind point of view from Reinhard would be a spoiler. He sees the world in the completely different way. That's why to his words maybe more substance than him just distancing emotionaly from the whole situation. There is possibility he saw something that we don't and that is why he was so sure of what he is saying. I am sad they never mentioned that voice Theresia was hearing inside her head for years wasn't her uncle's voice ,but mocking and laughin at her, God of the Sword himself. And it's sad they cut the part where Theresia finally picks up the sword. In the season 1 when we saw it from Will's POV it was longer and more complex for Thereshia. She KNEW Willhelm will be killed in this battle,so she picked a sword for a first time in her life as a Sword's Saint and she didn't wont to lose anyone else. Also she fell for Will,because she was thinking he reminds her of a sword/ Like a sword in a human form.
Dame Sayo
2025-06-05 11:16:45 +0000 UTCHeinkel being the other possible protagonist of the story, if Subaru didn't exist, definitely isn't a joke or troll I think. They have very similar circumstances in life. Heinkel is a child of some very prodigious people that he looks up to, and thinks he'll have to live up to in the future (probably by being the next Sword Saint), yet thinks he can never compare to them in the slightest - that's the same starting point as Subaru. Except instead of being able to face his problems, everything got worse and worse for Heinkel. His fears of not being good enough were basically confirmed when the Sword Saint blessing skipped him around, his mother died and it was partly his fault (he gave her the idea to go), his father accused his son and then left his family to seek revenge ... So instead of being able to stand up again, like Subaru, Heinkel just sunk deeper into the depression for the next decade, dealing with it by drinking heavily. I could see Subaru ending up very similarly if he never got the help he needed.
smajdalf
2025-05-16 06:40:39 +0000 UTCWilhelm genuinely was the stronger swordsman, he beat her in a fair fight, and that's why it's important that he was able to take away the sword from her (to some extent). If even she can't beat him, then the kingdom is happy to recognise Wilhelm as the new protector, and any battle that Theresia could win, Wilhelm can also win. As you said though, being a Sword Saint is a part of her, and just outright denying it doesn't really cut to the core of who Theresia is and can be. But she's so averse to killing and bloodshed (pretty fair) that she runs away from it her entire life. That's my interpretation at least. The Astrea family is a cluster fuck, and the more you learn the more you realise how messy EVERYONE is
Kieran
2025-05-16 04:29:31 +0000 UTCThe sword that Heinkel kicked is the family sword, "Astrea", that was passed down over the course of the family and finally landed in his hands. His personal sword skills are nothing special, though, and it's quite obvious that he doesn't live up to the sword in pretty much all aspects. So it's like you said, him kicking away the sword is a pathetic attempt at escaping his powerlessness of being an average guy in a family full of monsters. Also, as much as I am sad that our ReZero journey is almost coming to a close (for now), I’m even more excited knowing that it means our Orb journey is just around the corner!
Hailan
2025-05-16 02:31:05 +0000 UTCYeah so this is about episode 20 of season 1
Adel
2025-05-16 02:16:26 +0000 UTCThat's extra painful
Alex G
2025-05-16 02:10:50 +0000 UTCIt was said that the corpse controlling magic can also alter the age of the target, Theresia in this case.
Adel
2025-05-16 02:10:07 +0000 UTCWow thanks for the analysis. What a family reunion 😅 I felt so bad for Heinkel at the end. He has to witness all of this out of the blue, is completely powerless in the situation, and then as soon as it's over both Reinhardt and Willhelm can't get away from him fast enough. I think it's great that he kicks the sword of all things. It's just him lashing out in a useless way at the symbol of his own powerlessness. Just thinking out loud here but I wonder if some of the family guilt isn't due in some part to their trying to escape the sword saint stuff as opposed to properly weild it. It sort of feels like, this is my sword saint life, this is my actual life. Or for Reinhardt, this is just my duty (the end). There's no actual real ownership of it, it feels largely disconnected, she's out here slaughtering people and then escaping into flowers. I think for Reinhardt to escape that path he would have to connect it to something much higher, probably deviating from expectations and legacy to some degree. And yeah Subaru and Felt seem perfect for that as people who represent both breaking of tradition for its own sake and deliberateness of course and action
Alex G
2025-05-16 02:07:27 +0000 UTCIn Wilhelm’s backstory, Theresia is often seen gazing at the flower field while he trains his swordsmanship. Their first encounter happens there, though she conceals her identity. At the time, she is the Sword Master, yet she holds no passion for the art itself. Later, when Wilhelm is on the verge of death, she saves him—only for him to grow furious upon discovering who she truly is. Through their frequent meetings, Wilhelm noticed her lingering sadness and melancholy. She would visit the flowers she loved to soothe her heart, he came to realize that she never wanted to be the Sword Master in the first place. That's why in episode 19, Wilhelm says "My wife never wanted to wield a sword but was loved by the sword more than anyone else." Unlike Wilhelm, who wields the blade with devotion to protect what he cherishes, Theresia feels no such connection. To her, the sword is a burden; her love lies with the flowers. This is why her words—"Protecting others sounds good to me too," echoing Wilhelm’s own—ring hollow to him. She isn’t lying out of malice but to reassure him and sever their bond, pretending to share his ideals. Wilhelm, however, sees through this and to him, her pretense disrespects the sword’s beauty, a weapon he reveres. His outburst shows not only how much he cares about swordsmanship, but also how frustrated he is that she won’t admit what she really wants. The tragedy lies in their opposing relationships with the sword: for Wilhelm, it’s a purpose; for Theresia, a prison. This is like a comment about an episode in season 1 that I thought would be interesting to share now.
Adel
2025-05-16 02:05:32 +0000 UTCTo the first 4 sentances you said xD Kinda sounds familiar to someone we know, the protagonist in S1 perhaps? I do agree with you i dont like Heinkel either but that was my first thought xD And i do feel sorry for him after seeing the backstory so i do get it, i mean i wouldnt mind a redemption arc for Heinkel.
Snor
2025-05-16 01:53:18 +0000 UTCI sincerely hope that the author was trolling with Heinkel. I just can't deal with characters that have (seemingly) zero redeeming qualities. [Edit: especially when they're inarticulate] 18:10 "You're nearly fifty" --> and she has a grandson old enough to become the Sword Saint. Different times, different times. I hope this comes across in the English translation, but Reinhard speaks to Heinkel in a way that would only be appropriate addressing a superior officer, not his father. For example, when he says "I don't know what you're saying," he says "nani-o ossharareteiru no ka wakarimasen." That's actually a form called "2-juu keigo" or "double honorifics," (ossharu + -areru) and it's typically considered in poor taste because it sounds sarcastic or like he's overdoing it. Reinhard usually speaks in normal honorifics to everyone, but he doesn't do the double form normally. In a similar vein, the way Wilhelm speaks to Reinhard varies. When he says "You are right. And I am wrong. So I have nothing more to say to you," it's in a normal speech pattern appropriate for talking to his own grandson, but then right after that, it switches to a very formal pattern, including using the -dono ("lord") title. I think that's one additional, small part of why Reinhard is visibly hurt by Wilhelm telling him to go off to the battle where he's needed. 0:20 Young Wilhelm is voiced by Ishikawa Kaito, the same as Kageyama in Haikyuu (or Iida in MHA / Genos in One Punch Man), which is fitting since the sort of 'not-reading-the-room-unintentional-coldness' is definitely reminiscent of Season 1 Kageyama, haha.
Ryan
2025-05-16 01:48:19 +0000 UTCPeak:Zero day! I didn’t wanna build up too much hype in comments during previous weeks, but this is actually my fav episode of the season personally. I love all of this second half of S3 pretty equally, but this one just barely edges out the others. It’s emotional, beautifully put together, and one of the most important eps for the future of the entire narrative imo. Sorry in advance for the yapping, this is probably gonna be a long one lmao. “How surprised would you be if you got to know, that it was actually love at first sight?” Just wanna say, I loved all your reads on this episode. There’s so much implicit stuff going on just under the surface, and it was awesome seeing you dig into it, especially all the connections between Therasia and Reinhard. Wilhelm. We begin with the fight between Wilhelm and the corpse of Therasia. The animation is so crisp for their sword clashes, and I particularly like the “camerawork” that’s utilized and how it’s storyboarded. The way Wilhelm’s dialogue is written is just so heartbreaking. His words, and the way his VA excellently delivers them, carry deep sadness, anger, love, and above all, a deep longing. His wish for he alone to handle this battle, keeping both Reinhard and Heinkel in the dark about the whole situation, ends up being a mistake imo. Wilhelm, in his sincere desire to handle this tragic situation, rests this terrible burden of defeating his wife, on his shoulders alone. A stark contrast to the rest of the cast this season, who only prevail due to their bonds with one another, and their ability to trust and lean on each other. And then Heinkel enters the scene. I’ll be talking more about him in a bit (I have a TON to say) but just the very notion of a son, because that is what he reverts to in this moment, a son and a boy, seeing his long deceased mother in front of his eyes, is devastating. There’s so many extremely complicated and deeply sad feelings that arise from the simple scenario of this family being within the same area as one another. And that only increases when Reinhard enters the fray. I love the way they portray the dragon sword being drawn. The power and history it evokes is portrayed wonderfully. It’s only the second time we’ve ever seen it drawn in the series, the first being in one of Subaru’s unthinkable presents in S2 Ep 12, in which Puck is destroyed by Reinhard after the events of S1 Ep 15. And the way Wilhelm reacts is so sad. All the VA’s in this episode give truly exceptional performances. His true feelings come to the surface. Is it that he cannot truly bring himself to strike down his beloved? Even this reanimated version? Or is it that he alone wanted to be the one to strike her down? I think it’s closer to the first one. And I think the reason is made clear if you pay attention to previous episode’s dialogue. Wilhelm expected to die here. He says multiple times he didn’t expect to last this long in their battle. In fact, I think he wanted to die here. And I think the reason for that is the same for all three generations of Astrea men. Guilt, shame, and deep, unprocessed grief. Wilhelm, for allowing Therasia to participate in the Whales subjugation, and for how he destroyed the family bonds after her death. Heinkel, for suggesting that Therasia go on the subjugation herself, due to his own fear and shame. And how he’s now drowned himself in self-loathing and hatred. Reinhard, for feeling responsible for the sapping of his grandmothers power as a child, leading to her death, and drawing the ire of his own father and grandfather, of no fault of his own. I’ll get back to these three in a bit, but now’s a good time to talk about Therasia, the woman who loved flowers. I see Therasia as a microcosm for humanity itself. The heart of the “universe” that is the Astrea family. Her story is equal parts heartbreaking, and beautiful at the same time. A girl who loved flowers, things that grow, being forced into a role of violence and war. We’ve learned throughout this season, something truly devastating about Therasia. Her divine protection. Something that you are born with, and can have a massive effect on your development and self image, as we saw with Otto in his backstory in S2. We learned from Wilhelm that it is “The Divine Protection of the Death God” an ability that causes wounds made by the wielder to never heal fully, and to reopen whenever in close proximity to her. A complete contradiction of her wants and desires, yet still an inextricable part of her being. Add onto this, her role as the Sword Saint. Seemingly cast on her by chance, bad luck, or fate. A role that would require her to be a symbol of power and security, and during wartime, of death. A girl who wants no part of violence, of war, and yet is called to it nonetheless. And everything that she fears comes to pass. Her family dies, she is forced to take up the sword, and participate in a bloody war waged against its own citizens by the kingdom. “Fate” has ruined her. And what better way to represent this than with Pandora. The Witch who can seemingly rewrite reality itself to suit her desires. Wilhelm couldn’t believe during the first season that his wife could’ve fallen to such a thing as the whale, and he was right. It was something far worse. (Also want to note, I love how eerie Pandora appears whenever she’s in a scene. She’s properly horrifying, but in a really strange way. Don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a character quite like her.) I absolutely love how they portrayed the civil war and Therasia’s past through the visuals. The colors, the direction, animation, visual storytelling, it’s all incredible imo. I also adore the OST during this whole episode. But, something unexpected happens. Wilhelm enters her life. Someone who lives by the sword, the complete opposite of her. And now we have a greater understanding of how important it was to both Wilhelm and Therasia that he take the burden of the sword away from her by defeating her in battle. (Rewatching the S1 episodes “Wilhelm Van Astrea” and “A Wager That Defies Despair” are absolutely incredible after this episode, they feel like true companion pieces) It’s a true fairy tale love, through and through. Or at least that’s what it appears to be. There is still an issue at the heart of their relationship. The saying of “I love you.” This might seem simple or trivial, but it so clearly shows the problems in the relationship, despite the beauty. Wilhelm’s inability to express his feelings, and Therasia’s inability to express what she wants. They are both unable to express their wants and desires. Thats where the balance of Beauty and Tragedy comes into play. Despite this situation, Wilhelm finally gets to express what he’s wanted to say, and Therasia gets to hear what she’s wanted to hear. Their love found each other after all this time. Tappei does this a lot during this arc. The twist on the “Fairy Tales” we’ve come to know. The damsel kidnapped by the evil king, the flighty bard who only cares about surface level pleasures, the warrior on the heroes journey. All of these have been subverted in some way, or been explored differently. And now we have the tale of true love. But it’s a fantasy that doesn’t get a perfect happy ending, even if they desired it, the world would not let them have it. But, she was still happy, nonetheless. And this whole reconciliation of love, and getting to say goodbye? It was only between the two of them. The other two men present had much different experiences. Oh Heinkel. He’s another one of my fav characters in this entire story. We get introduced to him as a drunken asshole (which he is) but a lot of his words are self-deprecating whenever he speaks. When Subaru adds the “Van” honorific to his name in the first ep, Heinkel gets angry and says that he doesn’t get that honor. He doesn’t think he’s worthy of it. And this self-deprecation carries into everything he does. You’ve actually mentioned how terrible Heinkel must feel being between Wilhelm and Reinhard in the lineage. I think it’s a direct parallel to Therasia and her brother. The sword saint blessing passed over her brother, the one who desired it. Now imagine, as a father, knowing the terrible burden of the sword saint. Your own father worked tirelessly to make sure your mother didn’t have to carry that weight. And now, that “curse” or “blessing” hasn’t fallen on you. “Fate” passed you over. It’s fallen onto your young son. And it came at the perceived cost of your mother’s life. Add onto that, Reinhard’s mother (Her name is Louanna. We see her in the ep, but her name isn’t given like it is in the novel) doesn’t seem to be in the picture for some reason any more. And so you have all this complex trauma, guilt, and grief that is being projected outwards at all times. It hurts him deeply to say these things clearly, but his son doesn’t even seem to react to his words. He’s completely stone cold. And for the terrible cherry on top, he has no idea what’s happening. Wilhelm deliberately did not inform either Reinhard or Heinkel about the corpse manipulation. It’s only brought up by Rein after he’s killed her, and who’s to say Heinkel even believes him. So for Heinkel, this is like, the single most traumatic moment of his life. His mother, a specter of her youth, is battling his father, injures him, and then turns around to kill Heinkel, before she gets killed by his son, and then everyone just expects him to be fine. It’s just a mess. The family is repeating the cycles of violence, pain, death, and grief within their own hearts, constantly. (Honestly, it makes complete sense that the author said Heinkel would be the protagonist if we didn’t follow Subaru. Their self loathing, destructive behaviors, they are more similar to each other than at first glance) Reinhard. You poor boy. I feel so deeply for him. I wanna bring up a few things about Reinhard’s characterization from seasons 1&2 before getting into this. In S1 Ep 2, upon first meeting Subaru, one of the first things he does is express to Subaru the feeling of being crushed under the expectations of his family. He does it casually before quickly changing topics. He also notes to Subaru that he feels hurt by his calling him a Monster in Ep 3 of S1 (A stark contrast to his acceptance of this title when Regulus calls him a monster during Ep 12 of this season) During Ep 13 of S1, when Felt is revealed to be a candidate for the Royal Selection, Rein has some very choice words. “This was something far greater, guided by fate.” And finally, the unthinkable present. During their exchange, Puck says something very interesting. “I could never resent you, Reinhard. You are a true hero. And a hero is all you can be.” Later, during the “Future Trial” one of the things Emilia hears is Subaru repeating that exact line to Reinhard. To which he replies, “I…” And I think all of this is important in the context of Therasia’s last line when she attacks Pandora. “You don’t need to be tied down. I pray you will have more encounters in your life with more than just the sword, as I did.” This final desire, and plea. I think it is addressed to Reinhard. Her final wish for the next of the sword saint lineage. Reinhard has had these cycles of generational trauma passed down to him. From his family, but also (As Re: Zero tends to do with its “magic system” being intrinsically tied to the themes) literally from the blessing of the sword saint itself. I find it hard to see all of Rein’s happy, do gooder attitude as a pure expression of who HE is. It might seem like throwaways, but there’s multiple lines in S1 and 3 where Felt seems to see through this, and calls him out for his dishonesty. Because when faced with his family, he completely shuts down. We saw it in Ep 1 of the season, and now here. He doesn’t truly know how to handle it. And so he enters an almost trance-like state, purely carrying out the duties of “The Sword Saint” instead of Reinhard, the son and grandson. And then, at the end of it all, Heinkel continues to berate him, and Wilhelm closes the distance once again. Referring to him by his title as the sword saint, and the honorific “dono”. It’s a mess, and while I might not agree with the responses, I think they’re all very human ones. Grief still remains locked in their hearts. This is where I wanna get into a little speculation on the future of Reinhard’s arc, specifically in relation to Felt and Subaru, who I think will be vital to his path to healing. The Sword Saint, saddled with a fate far too heavy for one persons shoulders. Felt, the revolutionary girl from the slums. She’s one of the only people who speaks to Rein as a regular human, and is able to emotionally ground him. Plus, who better to challenge fate than someone who wants to break down the system? The same goes for Subaru. He is not bound by “fate” itself, so who better to reach the unreachable than him? So I personally think that these two rebels are the only ones who can help him to connect. Whether that be finding new meaning in the sword saint role, or something new entirely. And so we end this family reunion, with them feeling more disconnected than ever. A true contrast to the rest of this season, which has been filled with danger and peril, but has often been triumphant. I have a lot more to say on this episode, but I’m gonna stop myself here. I love this ep, everything about it. Awesome reaction and commentary as always, super excited for next episode and sad that the Re: Zero journey is coming to an end. (For now. I’ll put the current info we have on S4 in a comment next ep, but we likely won’t have to wait that long. Maybe not even a year.)
Vali Sippola
2025-05-16 01:34:31 +0000 UTC"I wanna say this but keep in mind its just my opinion" Ive said this before in a previous video and again i dont wanna come across as being negative (and feel free to disagree) but this episode is a great example on why i dont like Reinhard's power. He just came along and one shot her even tho everyone else struggled so much, and its with power he didnt even earn. I dont hate Reinhard and im fine with him being the strongest charachter i mean someone has to be but when its this effortless for him while for everyone else its a life or death situation doesnt sit well with me, i never did like the charachters that got special treatment. Its the same with Theresia almost, she didnt work for her power and boom just like that she became one of the strongest characters with no work put into it even tho her brothers worked so hard to be in her position. With that being said I do think it teaches a good lesson that "There are people around you who are just more talented than you, but that doesn't make you weak, because you should always aim on being the best you" Don't get me wrong its a good lesson but imma be honest its one of the things i dont favor so much about this show. I don't wanna say spoiler stuff about Reinhard but the author has stated several times that Reinhard is the strongest even without his blessings and sword which also just adds salt to the wound because he doesnt need these powers yet he still has them. Ik what people are going to say in response "yeah but Reinhard doesnt have a good life and is treated unequally" and to that i do agree and i do love Reinhard as a charachter but its just his power that i think is overkill and does lower the stakes of the show. Some of the best scenes for me in this show are scenes without Reinhard in them, because ik if he's there, theres nothing to worry about really, and in my opinion ReZero is a show all about escaping impossible situations, but that gets downplayed when the solution is Reinhard everytime and the only way to have him there is to put him against charachters that cant die (or just flat out not have him there) (I havent read the novels but im calling it now the fight with greed is gonna be recreated with pandora, reinhard is gonna kill her over and over again until subaru finds the solution and then beat her) Oml ive gone on a rant huh... xD i do like Reinhard i PROMISE i SWEAR!! but his powers? maybe not... xD
Snor
2025-05-16 01:28:05 +0000 UTCPeak Zero Day!! This episode was an emotional one for sure. I will admit a part of me wished that she would regain her conscious and she could live with Wilhelm again but alas this is ReZero, theres no such thing as a happy ending lol. Loved this episode tho it actually made me tear up at the end there. A few things to note about this episode is that Tappei the author of ReZero thought the fans would hate Reinhard after this episode because he was forced to kill Theresia and showed little emotion, but the fans loved him even more after this and still cheered for him which suprised Tappei, in his mind "woaw...that didnt go as planned xD" Also in this episode i think its implied that Wilhelm and Heinkel wont forgive Reinhard for what he did to Theresia this episode but he did the right thing and Wilhelm did acknowledge that. Great reaction and commentary!! Excited for the season finale and then maybe s4 in a year or two.
Snor
2025-05-16 01:27:33 +0000 UTC
