‘Re:ZERO’ Season 2: What Happens To Rem In ‘Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu’s’ Light Novel/Manga?

Emilia who? The wait for the Re:ZERO Season 2 release date just started and anime fans are already demanding to know what happens to the demon maid Rem. After all, Rem went MIA for most of the Season 1 ending and Team Rem fans were hoping there might be a Re:ZERO Episode 26 that filled in the gap. Unfortunately, Re:ZERO Season 1’s ending leaves us hanging, but the Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu light novel and manga can provide some answers — even if it is a cliffhanger.

Will There Be A Season 2 Of Re:ZERO?

As of this publishing, White Fox has yet to officially announce whether or not we’ll ever see Re:ZERO Starting Life In Another World Season 2 on our TV screens. This article will be updated when official news becomes available, although for details on the Blu-Ray/DVD and Re:ZERO light novel release schedule, please click through to the Inquisitr’s previous story on the subject.

Re:ZERO: Rem The Most Popular Character By Far For A Good Reason?

Team Rem was not exactly pleased when Subaru chose Emilia over Rem in Re:ZERO Episode 18. Now that we’ve all seen the Re:ZERO ending, it’s hard not to be suspicious about Emilia. Since Satella seems to be behind Subaru’s “Return To Death” powers, and we know the Witch Cult intends on making Emilia an unwilling vessel for Satella, who can say if Emilia won’t eventually become an enemy? We know that Roswaal wishes to kill the Dragon Borukanica, an entity that bound Satella to the Sealing-Stone Temple in the first place, so you have to wonder what his true motives are since he’s supporting Emilia for the throne – a position that would put Roswaal closer to slaying the dragon.

Regardless of speculation and predictions, there’s also another reason Team Rem can declare victory over Team Emilia: the fans have spoken. Team Rem won a recent CrunchyRoll poll for the best Re:ZERO character in a landslide victory. An astounding 50 percent of fans voted for Rem while Emilia did not even crack the top three. Even Team Ram, Beatrice, and Crusch almost caught up with Emilia.

Re:ZERO Episode 26 — Sort Of

Is Re:ZERO over just like that? Much of the recent Re:ZERO Episode 25 discussion has centered on the fact that the anime ended with an unexpectedly happy finale. Most predictions based upon the upcoming Re:ZERO light novel assumed the final events of Arc 3 would end Re:ZERO Season 1, not that Subaru would declare his love for Emilia in a field of flowers. Considering the dark tone for most of the anime, this ending was a welcome breather, but it’s not the true ending Re:ZERO light novel fans were hoping for. With Rem’s popularity, it’s understandable that fans want to know what happens next to their favorite blue-haired demon maid.

While some anime fans may hope for a Re:ZERO OVA to fill the gap, the freely available online Re:ZERO Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu novel serves this purpose while we’re waiting for Re:ZERO Season 2. In addition, an English Re:ZERO fan has translated the Arc 3 ending so English sub readers can read what happens next after Chapter 84.

Better yet, TranslationChicken has announced his intention to translate Re:ZERO Arc 4 at a rate of two chapters per week. However, Interlude I was skipped.

“Interlude I is composed entirely of unimportant banter and cuts off right at the cliffhanger in the end. After I saw that it wasn’t included in the Anime, I re-read everything and felt the story continues more beautifully without it, since Interlude I is more suited as a cliffhanger ending than as a beginning,” TranslationChicken explained. “Interlude II draws the reader’s interest since it’s about Rem, who we haven’t seen since she left a few episodes ago, so everyone would be wondering. Then half way through it explodes into action. The storytelling and the action of Interlude II is just pure brilliance, and is set in flashback so there is no worry of missing information, so I think it’s a much better introduction to the WN than Interlude I. Interlude III then ties everything together from the end point of the Anime (including Interlude I) to the present moment, so no information is lost.”

Re:ZERO Interlude II and III Synopsis

For the purposes of this article, these Re:ZERO chapters will be summarized until we arrive at the events concerning Rem. Feel free to skip ahead to the Re:ZERO season spoilers section below if you’d rather read the chapters in full on TranslationChicken.

Interlude II: Let’s Eat begins with Rem and Crusch riding in a wagon toward the capital. Rem is concerned about Subaru, but Crusch quiets her worries by pointing out that Lord Roswaal Mathers should have a plan.

Without warning, a dragon carriage ahead of them disintegrates in a spray of blood. A man can be seen amidst the destruction and Crusch orders the driver of their wagon to run the man over. But Rem senses the danger they’re in and leaps away with Crusch in tow.

The man destroys the second wagon merely by standing still. While the man does not appear to be anything special, he is able to easily resist attacks by Crusch even though she could pierce the White Whale’s armor with her sword. The resulting confrontation does not go well for Crusch and she loses a limb.

This entire time, the man has been ranting and raving in a winding monologue. While Rem and Crusch were mesmerized by this unholy sight, behind them a youth decimates the injured knights remaining in the wagons. Covered in blood, the youth announces himself as Sin Archbishop of Gluttony Ley Batenkaitos, while the man calls himself Sin Archbishop of Greed Regulus Corneus, a villain known for destroying entire cities and his 291 wives.

“Ah, really… I eat and I eat it’s still not enough!” the youth raved. “It’s because of that, we keep on living! Eating, chewing, biting, ripping, crunching, munching, sucking! GLUTTONOUS DRINKING! GLUTTONOUS EATING!”

The two Sin Archbishops banter while Rem struggles to determine a plan. The demon maid had drained her mana by preventing Crusch’s death, but fighting two Sin Archbishops was impossible even with her full demon powers revealed. Rem tried to distract Gluttony and Greed by asking them if they were there for the White Whale’s head, but the pair are dismissive, claiming they could instantly raise another White Whale if necessary.

Without any option but to fight, Rem summons her demon’s horn and prepares an ice attack. To her horror, Gluttony has the ability to eat names, to erase the existence of a person just like the White Whale’s mist.

And with that, Rem is gone. Riding in his own wagon, Subaru discovers what has happened when he’s talking with Emilia and she becomes confused, tilting her heard to the side and asking, “Who is… Rem?”

Interlude III To Each, Their Oaths is a somber affair, since Rem is now in a coma. Crusch managed to survive the confrontation with Greed and Gluttony, but at first she is described only as a “long haired girl” since her personal memories have also been eaten by Gluttony. Half of the White Whale expedition was killed on their return to the Capital and many fallen knights now suffer from amnesia.

Most of this chapter occurs in the Capital and deals with how the Alliance handles the aftermath of the battle and Crusch’s amnesia. Subaru returns to Crusch’s mansion, where Rem remains in a state of suspended animation since both her name and memory were eaten.

Only Subaru is known to remember Rem’s existence due to his Return By Death ability. In this case, Sabaru’s power only brings him pain since he commits suicide only to discover that his checkpoint is now set at a point in time beyond Rem’s redemption. This realization is crushing to Subaru, but it also gives him the deep resolve necessary to carry on for the sake of both Emilia and Rem.

Re:ZERO Season 2 Spoilers: Rem’s Ending Has Only Begun

So, here’s the million dollar question: what happens to Rem in the end? Unfortunately, based upon what can safely be predicted about Re:ZERO Season 2, you won’t like the answer.

We don’t know.

Even Re:ZERO Season 3 won’t answer the question, either, since the series creator, Tappei Nagatsuki, has yet to finish Rem’s story in his web novel. Worse, it may be a time before Tappei chooses to let the world know Rem’s fate since his work on the anime and light novels have greatly slowed his writing (how utterly slothful!).

It’s possible Tappei has not decided what to do with Rem. The Re:ZERO author often refers to Rem as a “sleeping princess,” giving hope to the idea that she may yet arise. A conversation that takes place at the end of Arc 3 also plants the idea that killing Gluttony will resurrect Rem.

“But we cannot remain idle while the offender roams free,” Wilhelm said. “Crusch-sama’s memories, when we defeat the Sin Archbishop, there is a chance they will return. To give up this early, is far too rash.”

“Defeating that bastard will bring the memories back?” responded Felix. “I say, Wilhelm, to think lost memories can be brought back by killing the thing that ate it… are you daydreaming or do you think this is some kind of fairy tale w—”

At this, Wilhelm commands Felix to stop speaking since Subaru’s hands are clenched so hard that they’re bleeding. Subaru’s hope for Rem is based upon killing Ley Batenkaitos, but even this hope is in doubt.

As of this publishing, Gluttony does not make his reappearance until Arc 5 in the web novel. Even in the unfinished Arc 6 Rem still sleeps and Gluttony is still alive, so Wilhem’s theory has yet to be put to the test.

Fans are divided on how, but not if, Rem will return. It’s assumed the author will not disappoint fans by killing off such a popular character. But fan theories differ greatly on how Rem’s resurrection will take place. Some believe Gluttony will be forced to give Rem’s name and memories back willingly, which gets complicated since there’s multiple Archbishops of Gluttony. Others ponder whether a name could be forcibly regurgitated or perhaps Subaru can return memories after absorbing Gluttony’s powers.

Another possibility is that Rem’s return will only take place if Subaru successfully helps Emilia become queen. By doing so, they would gain access to the Blood of the Dragon, a miraculous substance that may have the power to restore Rem.

One thing is for certain. For years to come, anime fans will be clamoring to know what happens to Rem. Even if it takes a Re:ZERO Season 4, hopefully we’ll be able to see the demon maid’s smiling face once again.

[Featured Image by Jombs24/DeviantArt]