Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has introduced a world full of powerful characters and heartfelt moments throughout Season 1 that often leave fans feeling deeply engrossed in this mystical fantasy setting. Along with the deep feelings of enjoyment comes the sense of character depth, and for much of the anime, the fans are made aware that Frieren is an exceptional, albeit quirky but exceptional mage. With Frieren’s moniker as the mage who was a member of the party that defeated the Demon King, it is consistently implied that she is beyond compare to just about every mage in the series. Not only is Frieren beyond many of her contemporaries, but they even revel in many of her magical displays and often leave fans as awe-struck as they are.
A perfect example of Frieren bringing a spotlight to her abilities during the series and causing the First-Class Mage, Sense, to deliver one of the best quotes about her in the entire first season was all done during the First-Class Mage Exam Arc. Throughout much of this arc, fans got to see Frieren use her knowledge of magic in different and exciting ways, making her and Fern the perfect candidates for passing these exams. But in the first test, the two protagonists were split and sent with other mages as teammates, and these teams are what inspired Frieren to do what most other mages deemed impossible and tear down the unbreakable barrier spell designed by Serie. As Frieren did the impossible, the other high-ranking mages looked on and began to understand exactly who she was as the elf secured her team’s victory against Denken’s team.
The Last Great Mage
During the first test of the First-Class Mage exam, all of the mages were tasked with being a member of a three-person team and with capturing a Stille. As the episodes marched on, fans got to see a series of impressive mages show off their skills as well as Frieren utilizing her adaptability and knowledge with a team to create a plan that would allow them to capture the elusive bird. After capturing their Stille, Frieren’s group was set upon by another team led by the Imperial Mage Denken. During the confrontation, Frieren faced off with Denken and showed off the disparity between the strongest mages of the current era and herself. Frieren pushed Denken to his very limits without breaking a sweat, and during their face-off, Denken continued to use flashy and destructive spells, leading to a discussion between the two First-Class Mages overseeing the test. It is revealed through said discussion that the barrier surrounding the test area is viewed as unbreakable because the spell was created by the elf Serie; however, it is soon shown that after analyzing the barrier, Frieren is capable of destroying it fairly easily.
Along with the destruction of the barrier, we also get a quote that defines Frieren within her series, fans watch as First Class Mage Genau says that he is certain the barrier will “never” break, Sense retorts, saying, “Then never is here” as the barrier fractures around the entire area. Frieren breaking the barrier and being represented as “never” in this moment exists within layers of the series and has a lot of implications for who Frieren is within the world at large. Just in the context of the test, Frieren’s destruction of the barrier helped her other two team members to defeat their opponent and securing the team’s ability to move forward.
Frieren, Never
“Never is here” is more than a tongue-in-cheek phrase in reference to what Sense is deeming a powerful mage, but is rather an assertion that Frieren is a mage who has the ability to and has already flipped the world on its head. In that capacity, she truly represents the impossible to the mages of her world. She, along with the party of heroes, managed to fully disrupt the status quo by putting an end to the threat of the Demon King, alleviating their world of a large portion of the demonic threats. Frieren also represents a mage who was born to exist in a time of peace, as mentioned by her master, Flamme, who believed that Frieren would be the mage to usher in a world of peace because she could envision a world of peace unlike the other battle and power-hungry mages of the era.
Frieren, from the very beginning of her journey, was positioned as the mage who would change the world and as the “never” that would inevitably arrive. She set Himmel on his path of heroism, and she would be convinced to join the party by that same boy whom she showed kindness. Frieren would face demons and other mages, all while looking forward to the end of these conflicts and the peace that followed. The Last Great Mage is completely enthralled in magic for the love of niche and interesting spells that do mundane and silly things, all while still being seen as one of the deadliest mages in history. Frieren is not just a Great Mage or a hero, but she is “never”; she represents the things that the rest of her world deems truly impossible.
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