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Frieren anime episode 5 was released on October 6, 2023, at 11 pm JST on Nippon Television's Friday Anime Night timeslot. Under the production of Madhouse, the episode animated some of the iconic moments from Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe's manga.
Embedded with visually stunning frames, the fifth installment continued Frieren's journey to the Aureole, as he confronted the phantoms of the dead. The episode also marked the debut of one of the fan-favorite characters. Additionally, the episode covered chapters 9-10 of the manga series. This article delves into the key moments of the recently released episode.
Frieren anime episode 5 highlights
The Elfen Mage embarks on her journey with Fren and faces the Phantom Demons
Picking up the events from the previous episode, Frieren anime episode 5 commenced with the Elfen Mage Frieren, and her mage apprentice Fren, embarking on their journey. They are on their way to find the elusive place known as Aureole where the souls of the departed rest. Eisen bade them farewell and wished for their well-being.
The episode then took the audience to a flashback featuring Heiter and Fren. Wearied by the constraints of time, the old priest advised Fren to be a good girl and listen to Frieren, or else he would haunt her after his death. Fren then asked Heiter slyly whether he would visit her as a ghost if she remained a bad girl.
The old priest quickly retracted his previous words and assured the young mage that he might consider visiting her if she remained the good girl that she was back then. Frieren anime episode 5 then saw Frieren and Fren arriving at a village in the Wille Region.
Upon their arrival, the mages heard from the village locals that several people had gone missing in the mountain pass. Apparently, the rumors circulating around the village suggested that it was the ghosts who took them away.
After summarizing everyone's stories, it was revealed that the villagers witnessed the ghosts of their deceased relatives or close ones they knew. All of these deceased relatives and close ones appeared looking exactly the way they did before their demise. As such, Frieren surmised that it wasn't the work of either the undead or the zombies.
In other words, a completely different monster was behind all the disappearances. While the Elfen mage didn't want to deal with those monsters, she eventually gave in to Fren's insistence on helping the villagers. Frieren anime episode 5 then saw the duo crossing the Mountain Pass the following day.
At the mountain pass, Fren sensed phantom magic. Having read the book of magical ecology, the young mage knew about the monsters that attracted their prey using illusions. Frieren confirmed Fren's suspicion and revealed that the Phantom Demons named Einsam were perhaps behind the disappearance.
According to Frieren anime episode 5, these phantom demons lure their prey with the illusions of the deceased. Since people see the illusion of someone dear to them, they easily fall prey to their tricks. That said, Frieren also mentioned that those monsters could be easily taken out by magic spells.
While continuing their journey through the thick forest area around the mountain pass, the duo confronted the phantoms of the dead. For Fern, the phantom demon Einsam took the form of Heiter, while for Frieren it was none other than Himmel. Fren was surprised that the phantom could tap into her precious memories.
On the other hand, the Elfen mage remained unfazed as she blasted the demon away with her magic, prompting Fren to do the same. As they cleansed the phantom demons, the duo brought safety to the village. Additionally, Fren and Frieren refused to be bogged down by the "imposters", and continued their search for the Aureole to see the "real" ones.
Frieren and Fren confront the Solar Dragon and meet the Eisen's apprentice for the first time
The Elfen Mage's journey with Fren to find Aureole continued in Frieren anime episode 5, as the duo arrived at the Riegel Canyon, located in the central lands. The mages then saw a Solar Dragon sleeping peacefully near its nest. Frieren then drew Fren's attention towards the nest and pointed at a grimoire which she wanted to grab hold of.
Frieren anime episode 5 revealed that dragons usually use objects infused with Mana to build their nests. The elfen mage mentioned how the solar dragon had eaten numerous adventurers, thus expressing her desire to eradicate it. As such, Fren blasted her magic at the dragon, but it was of no avail.
The dragon woke up from its slumber and chased after the mages. After much deliberation, Frieren realized that playing tag with a dragon wasn't the ideal way for a mage. So, she felt the need to recruit a warrior into their party. A flashback featuring Frieren and Eisen revealed that the latter was looking for a front-liner.
Eisen then told the elfen mage that a warrior named Stark lived in a village near the Riegel Canyon and advised her to recruit him for her journey. The old warrior also revealed that Stark was his apprentice. Frieren anime episode 5 then saw Fren and Frieren arriving at the village that Eisen mentioned.
Upon seeing the duo at the village, an old woman welcomed them and intimated that "Master Stark" would like to meet them. The woman explained to Frieren and Fren that the solar dragon they previously encountered had attacked their village three years ago, and it was Stark who saved them.
Since then, the young warrior stayed in that village. Fren felt they could use Stark's help to defeat the dragon. Frieren anime episode 5 then finally introduced Eisen's apprentice, Stark. He explained to the mages how ferocious the dragons were, revealing a scar he received from his battle with a shadow dragon.
Frieren then introduced herself, prompting Stark to ask whether Eisen was angry at him for leaving without saying anything. The Elfen mage then offered Stark to join her party, provided he helped them defeat the dragon. The mage asked Stark to hold off the dragon for thirty seconds.
However, it was revealed in Frieren anime episode 5 that Stark had zero experience in battle. While it's true that he faced the dragon three years back to save the village, in reality, he was so terrified that he couldn't move. He figured that the dragon had spared his life on a whim, and fled.
Since everyone in the village was "super nice" to him, he just couldn't leave them. Despite everything, Frieren still believed in Stark and that he could pull it off. As such, he gave the warrior a night's time to think over. A flashback in Frieren anime episode 5 revealed that Stark was just like Eisen.
He was a coward who ran away when his village was ravaged by the demons. That's why Eisen hammered everything he knew into him and made him ready to fight for others. While returning from a restaurant, the mages heard a sound coming from afar. The elfen mage mentioned that it must have been Stark, and asked Fren to go and look if she was curious.
The young mage then went to the place where they met Stark for the first time and noticed the red-haired warrior wielding his axe to practice. The giant fissure was actually the result of his training. The episode ended with Stark determined to face the dragon and help the villagers.
Be sure to keep up with more anime news and manga updates as 2023 progresses.
