Subaru faces a series of unexpected challenges as he searches for a way to overcome Reid. His journey takes a shocking turn when someone connected to his lost memories appears.
Masahiro Shinohara directs the fourth season, also known as Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 4th Season (Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 4th season) / Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World.
Subaru’s Cunning Plan to Defeat Reid
Subaru finally starts to come up with some great ideas on how he can tackle the problem in front of him. He realises the only way to defeat Reid was to find out more about him. Since the library contains books documenting the lives of those who have died, Subaru realises that Reid is likely to have a book of his own as well. If they manage to get their hands on what his past was like, they can actually come up with a proper weakness to exploit.
This was an idea that was very much like Subaru. Hardly anyone would think of coming up with something like this, and it just shows that even with his lost memories, Subaru is actually quite cunning in his own way.
Subaru Gives Julius the Confidence to Fight Again
However, Subaru does not just plan this out; he also gives Julius the much-needed confidence boost that he actually deserved. It was apparent that after he lost his battle to Reid, he did not think of himself as an excellent fighter anymore. Yet, Subaru tells him that he has the ability to face Reid and defeat him. The only thing he lacks is confidence. Even though Subaru himself is quite the scaredy-cat most of the time, he also comes off as a genuine cheerleader for others when they need it the most.
Subaru’s Lost Memories Don’t Change Who He Is
This episode also gives an insight into how great the storytelling is. First of all, we get a glimpse of the Subaru who slowly started to accept his weird fate in the very first season here as well. Even though he is not the version who has lost his life hundreds of times, he still has died enough times to understand the importance of his situation. He knows that he will have to come up with a solution to not just save himself but also the loved ones he found after losing his memories.
Reid’s Book Leads Subaru Straight Into a Trap
However, the biggest twist in this episode is hands down the fact that Reid’s book was nothing but a trap for Subaru. This was a place where our hero had already been in the past. This was exactly where he lost his memories, and the situation turned for the worse for him. Things get further complicated after we see Rui, one of the Sin Archbishops of the Witch Cult in the book. And then it becomes clear that it was this very person who took Subaru’s memories. Subaru tried to enter the book previously, and that’s exactly what caused him to completely forget everything.
Rem Reminds Subaru Why He Can’t Give Up
Subaru’s interaction with Rui was absolutely brilliant to watch as it took up most of the episode. The entire time, Rui tried to convince Subaru that he should just give up and let go of his own self. Rui also tried to scare Subaru into thinking that if he regains his memories, the current version of him would slowly fade away and the relationships that he built would also be lost. And Rui’s tactics actually started to work in the beginning.
However, that is when we see the unexpected entry of Rem, who comes at the nick of time to save Subaru. She becomes a pillar of support for Subaru, helping him find the strength to stand back up. By declaring him her hero, she gives Subaru exactly what he needs to continue moving forward on his hellish journey.