Overview
- Fern’s impressive growth as a mage garners admiration, yet Frieren’s vast knowledge and experience remain unattainable for now.
- With remarkable mana control and swift spellcasting, Fern has established herself as a formidable First-Class mage.
- Despite her potential, Fern’s journey to surpass her legendary mentor, Frieren, is still in its infancy.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End explores profound emotions and the human experience. Amidst its narrative on feelings, the themes of knowledge and power are also prominently featured. Fern, as Frieren’s dedicated student, exhibits significant growth and potential—raising the question: Will she eventually surpass her formidable mentor?
Following the death of Himmel, Frieren sought to deepen her understanding of humanity through a personal journey. Two decades later, she embarked on a quest to locate Heiter, mistakenly presumed dead, only to find him alive and caring for an orphan named Fern. Heiter, whose dying wish was for Fern to apprentice under Frieren, faced resistance due to Frieren’s concerns regarding Fern’s safety and her own ability to mentor effectively. Heiter cleverly persuaded her to teach Fern by involving her in the interpretation of a book on immortality, investing six years into this endeavor while tutoring the young mage in her spare moments. As Heiter reached the end of his life, he implored Frieren to take Fern under her wing, as the young mage had matured sufficiently to be a companion rather than a burden.
Why Did Frieren Choose Fern as Her Apprentice?
Initially, Frieren hesitated to accept Fern as a student due to the potential risks involved. However, after completing her work with the book and witnessing Fern’s substantial mana control, she began to reconsider. In the first episode, when Fern inquired whether she was hard to find, Frieren acknowledged her own struggle, recognizing Fern’s exceptional talent for her age.
Determined to demonstrate her abilities, Fern successfully blasted a distant rock using her magic, ultimately convincing Frieren to take her on as a student at he request of Heiter, who emphasized that it was in alignment with the heroic values upheld by Himmel.
Assessing Fern’s Current Strength
Throughout Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Fern’s capabilities as a mage have been showcased multiple times. In Episode 9, she demonstrated exceptional skill by defeating Lugner, who noted Frieren’s rapid spellcasting abilities that he struggled to counter. Notably, even Frieren acknowledged that Fern was quicker at casting spells than she was. Throughout Episode 19, during the preliminary rounds of the First-Class Mage Examination, Fern showcased her agility and prowess by easily capturing the Stille and deftly deflecting a surprise attack from Wirbel.
In Episode 27, when Fern crossed paths with Serie, she astutely noticed Serie’s suppressed mana fluctuations—an ability no one had demonstrated before. This impressed Serie significantly, leading to an offer for Fern to become her apprentice, although Fern declined while still being recognized as a First-Class mage.
Will Fern Surpass Freeze?
By the conclusion of Season 1, Fern has emerged as a powerful First-Class mage, marked by her proficient mana control, detection skills, and unprecedented casting speed. Serie acknowledged that if anyone could challenge Frieren, it would be either the Demon King or a human mage—pointing towards a promising era for human mages, Fern being a prime example.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge Frieren’s legendary status, fortified by over a millennium of wisdom and experience. In Episode 26, even with Frieren’s assistance, Fern proved incapable of defeating an imitation of her mentor, who employed an undetectable attack that Fern could not respond to, illustrating the enigma surrounding Frieren’s strengths. Currently, Fern is not yet able to best Frieren.
As their adventure unfolds, Fern’s growth will significantly shape her magical prowess, and she may very well ascend to become the preeminent human mage. Yet, drawing direct comparisons between her and Frieren—or even Serie—remains a formidable challenge.
For fans of fantasy and magical adventures, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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