Written by Yamada Kanehito and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, the award-winning Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End manga released its anime adaptation in September 2023 and immediately became a hit thanks to its unique and emotional storytelling. The first season ran for two cours with 28 episodes, setting the stage for Season 2 in January 2026. The first season ends after Fern passes the First-Class Mage Exam with flying colors. Now the party continues their journey towards Aureole, the land where the souls of the dead rest. Within the span of 28 episodes, the anime hits viewers with several emotional, heartwarming, and fulfilling moments as Frieren continues her journey to meet Himmel’s soul.
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The anime beautifully weaves present-day events with echoes of the past, creating a narrative where both timelines exist side-by-side, and that’s truly what makes the story so captivating. Instead of unfolding the story in a straight line, we see reflective glimpses into Frieren’s journey with Himmel’s party. Not only does it add emotional depth to the story, but it also affects her present decision to reunite with Himmel’s soul and understand him better to make up for her biggest regret. This narrative allows the viewers to feel the passage of time in a quiet yet nostalgic journey with Himmel being at the center of those memories. After rewatching the anime, these 10 flashbacks leave a much deeper impression on me than the first time.
1) The Reason Frieren Collects Spells (Episode 2)
Frieren lived for several centuries, and the one thing she never stopped doing was collecting magic spells. We learn later that, despite being apathetic towards life and everything about it, she did love to some extent. At first, she collected spells without reason, but after hearing Himmel compliment her magic, she became more passionate about it, and she didn’t even realize it. After her journey with Himmel’s party was over, she continued to travel alone for decades in search of new magic.
The second episode was only setting up the story, but we learn a little bit more about Frieren and the impact Himmel made in her life. She also remembers the time when she showed the flower spell to her companions, who enjoyed it more than anything else. The story also revealed that this spell is special to Frieren in more than one way.
2) Himmel Understands Frieren More Than Anyone (Episode 4)
Frieren never took pleasure in festivities or enjoying the simple things in life, such as watching a sunrise. She seemed indifferent to almost everything, but Himmel knew there was more to her than that. During their journey, they stopped in a small village and attended the New Year’s festival, where the town would gather near the beach to watch the first sunrise of the year. Himmel was upset with Frieren skipping the festival, but she didn’t seem bothered by it since she never enjoyed watching a sunrise in the first place.
However, Himmel told her she’d love it because that’s the kind of person she is. That memory stuck with her even after all those decades, and Frieren decided to watch the sunrise with Fern in her new journey. Initially, she thought that although the sunrise was pretty, it wasn’t anything special, making her doubt Himmel’s understanding of her. However, what made her happy wasn’t just the sunrise, but it was Fern’s smile. No matter how beautiful a view is, it’s meaningless if you’re watching it alone. Himmel’s words carry a much deeper meaning because he knew that even though Frieren cut herself off from other people because of her never-ending life, she was still a caring person deep down.
3) Himmel Leaves Traces of His Existence (Episode 7)
During their 10-year-long journey, Himmel’s party traveled all across the continent, fighting any monster they came across. Since the story is set in an era of peace, it’s easy to forget how broken the world was before the defeat of the Demon King. The party saved countless towns and villages, and they offered to make statues of them, especially Himmel’s, as a way of expressing gratitude. He never rejected their gesture and often joked about preserving his beauty. However, Himmel’s desire to be remembered wasn’t simply for fame; he wanted to leave behind traces of his existence, and Frieren was a part of his journey.
It’s easy for memories to become distorted after decades or centuries, especially if someone is burdened with an almost immortal life. Himmel wanted Frieren to remember that he, Heiter, and Eisen existed, and that they weren’t fairy tales whose names have forever been engraved in history. His wish came true because not only did Frieren carry their memories for all these decades, but everywhere she went, it reminded her of the time she spent with Himmel and his party.
4) A Real Hero Carrying a Fake Sword (Episode 12)
Despite all his power, Himmel never acquired the legendary sword of the hero. Although the anime has yet to reveal the true extent of his abilities, we can imagine how strong he must have been to lead a party that defeated the Demon King. All he had to show for himself was a fake hero sword and an unwavering determination to achieve his goal, and that was enough to engrave his name in history.
The world still believes that he used the legendary tool in the fight against the Demon King. However, Frieren knows Himmel didn’t need a legendary tool to be considered special. She reminisces about the time when he told the party about his sword and his conviction. Frieren’s gaze lingers on his smiling face, and in just a couple of seconds, the anime makes it clear she saw him in a different light than Heiter and Eisen.
5) Stark’s Tragic Backstory Explains His Low Self-Esteem (Episode 12)
Episode 12 features not just one, but two incredible backstories. The latter parts of the episode focus on Stark’s childhood, who was born and raised in one of the Warrior Villages of the Klee region. Even as a child, he was looked down upon by everyone in the village for his weakness, even by his father. The only person who was kind to him was his older brother, Stoltz, the hero of the village. When the monsters suddenly attacked the village, all the warriors died while fighting them, but Stark was the only one who ran away.
He carried that guilt all these years, which ultimately resulted in low self-esteem. Despite being exceptionally talented, he was always scared of monsters. Not to mention that he didn’t even realize he was much stronger than the Solar Dragon. His fears and unwillingness to fight weren’t simply for adding a comedic flair, but had a much deeper and tragic reason behind them.
6) Himmel Gives Frieren a Ring (Episode 14)
Himmel’s love for Frieren was quiet but unwavering. He never tried to claim her heart, but simply cherished her presence and the days they spent together journeying across the continent. Himmel knew full well that she might never realize the depth of his feelings, and he was content with that. However, there were times when he’d do something out of the ordinary, knowing Frieren would never think too deeply about it.
He gave her a ring with a pattern of a mirrored lotus that symbolizes eternal love. Despite his gesture of putting a ring on her finger, Frieren didn’t think it was his way of showing his feelings. Or perhaps she couldn’t comprehend that a human would ever show romantic feelings towards her. Compared to an elf’s lifespan, a human life passes in the blink of an eye. This is why she never wanted to form close-knit bonds with them, but she realizes too late that his gentle devotion changed the way she thought about life.
7) Flamme Always Knew Frieren Was Destined For Greatness (Episode 21)
Even a thousand years after her death, Flamme is still considered the greatest mage in all of humanity. She made Frieren her disciple after realizing the elf’s potential. She is the only person aside from Himmel who understood her completely. Despite having a long lifespan, Frieren never desired power or fame, but she enjoyed finding magic through searching. She wouldn’t simply want someone to hand over that knowledge to her, even if it’s Serie, a legendary mage who has been around for much longer than she has.
While Serie thrived in chaos caused by demons, Flamme knew that someone like Frieren was meant to live in an era of peace. It was her undying faith as Frieren’s master that convinced Flamme that her student was the one who would defeat the Demon King. Flamme’s words eventually came true, even if she’s not around anymore to see it happen.
8) Himmel’s Adventurous Side Explains More About His Character (Episode 23)
Although the journey to the Demon King Castle was full of danger, Himmel wanted to make the best of the short time he spent with his party. He particularly loved exploring every nook and cranny of a dungeon, and the fact that he got to do it with the people closest to him made the experience even better. Of course, his party always protested that he was wasting time, but he somehow managed to convince them with ease.
Convincing Frieren was the easiest since he could always lure her with the possibility of finding rare spells inside the dungeons. It worked every time, and before she knew it, Frieren began to love the dungeons just as much as he did. The flashback highlights yet another change Himmel brought in her, giving her one more reason to enjoy the things around her.
9) Flamme Is the Catalyst of the Era of Humans (Episode 25)
At some point in the story, Flamme died of old age, but only after she established an era where humans could learn and use magic freely. She influenced the Emperor to support magic research, enabling humans to develop the power to fight the Demon King’s army. Before this, humans using magic was considered taboo since it was something common in demons. Although Flamme sparked a new beginning in humanity’s history, she knew a lot of work needed to be done after that and required Serie’s support.
Serie tore up Flamme’s will in front of Frieren without realizing that’s what humanity’s greatest mage expected of her. While taking a walk with Frieren, Serie shares Flamme’s childhood, almost feeling nostalgic, but stops herself from showing any emotion. She also deduces that the era of humans will arrive in a thousand years, and when that happens, someone will be born with the power to kill Frieren. It could either be the legendary Demon King or just a human mage. The era of humans is finally here, and although Fern doesn’t have enough mana or experience as Frieren, she has more than enough talent to make up for it.
10) Frieren Meets Himmel For the First Time (Episode 27)
Up until almost the end of the first season, we believed that Himmel simply sought Frieren out because she was an elven mage and he sensed her true powers. It also made sense that he could’ve fallen for her during their journey, but the reality was something else entirely. As a child, Himmel was lost in the woods and met her for the first time. Frieren felt awkward in front of a crying child and didn’t know how to comfort him.
So, she used Flamme’s favorite spell, which creates a flower field in the blink of an eye. Frieren forgot about the child not long after, but that memory stayed with Himmel through his entire life. Serie always thought that the spell was useless, but that’s what changed Frieren’s fate forever.
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