The point of this trap, however, is not Subaru\u2019s death. It is to mold him into a person who focuses entirely on Emilia and is willing to sacrifice everything else\u2014both people and ideals\u2014for her. In fact, it wouldn\u2019t be all that hard practically for Subaru to pass the trials and escape the forest at this point, especially with Echidna riding shotgun in his mind. Of course, such an escape would trample Emilia\u2019s feelings in the process, likely breaking her mentally and turning her into a codependent shell of a person who relies on Subaru for everything.<\/p>\n However, in the second half of the season, Subaru decides to bet his future on a hail marry\u2014that he will save everyone by relying not only on himself and his powers but the people who care for him as well. Realizing that he can call on his friends to aid him in both planning and execution is great character development for Subaru, but that simple realization doesn\u2019t really help him overcome the biggest issue he faces: Emilia\u2019s mental state.<\/p>\n The big stumbling point so far has been Emilia\u2019s complete inability to pass the first trial of the sanctuary: to face her past. It\u2019s not only that what she faces is devastating for her emotionally, it\u2019s that she has no way of preparing herself for the truth she uncovers there.<\/p>\n Theoretically, a person could confront their past outside of the trial, come to terms with it, and then pass the trial. However, the reason Emilia\u2019s doomed to fail is because she is unable to even remember her past much less confront it on her own terms. This is because of the nature of her contract with Puck which has sealed those memories away. Thus, the only way for her to be able to confront those memories is if her contract with Puck is broken.<\/p>\n When seeing that his partnership with Emilia is actively harming her in this way, Puck unilaterally breaks the contract. That in-and-of-itself is devastating to Emilia. A contract is a sacred promise.<\/p>\n Promises are vital to Emilia. Even if she doesn\u2019t remember why this came to be, the core of her being is centered around the need to keep promises. As we see from her past, her child mind took all the tragedy in her life and blamed it on herself\u2014that she didn\u2019t keep the promise she was supposed to and so her loved ones \u201cabandoned\u201d her. Puck also abandoning her is an incredible betrayal that shatters Emilia\u2019s world even as her memories start returning\u2014making her question who she really is.<\/p>\n Emilia, for the past seven years, has been heavily codependent on Puck. Without this connection, she immediately latches onto the person she is next closest to, Subaru. If he can keep one simple promise, to sit by her bedside all night, she will give over her self-agency to him\u2014believe without question that what he wants to do is the right thing for her.<\/p>\n While this is no doubt the situation Roswaal most wants, Subaru knows that this is not the best thing for her (or himself for that matter). So he intentionally breaks the promise to stay with her. Subaru doesn\u2019t want to be some kind of replacement for Puck\u2014i.e., because she needs to be codependent on someone and he was just at the right place at the right time. He wants her to be with him because she loves him for who he really is.<\/p>\n Of course, when she wakes up to find him missing she feels even more betrayed. All she asked was one simple thing and he couldn\u2019t even do that. However, Subaru, in his own not-so-eloquent way is eventually able to explain to her that he wants an equal relationship with her, not a subservient one. In the end, while he likes her, that doesn\u2019t mean she is perfect. And he wants her to learn to stand on her own\u2014needs her to, in fact. If she can\u2019t do that, she\u2019ll never be able to face her past or the future ahead of them both.<\/p>\n The result of all this is an Emilia with no guiding star but herself\u2014supported by people she can\u2019t ever 100% believe in. She doesn\u2019t know what she really wants but at the same time, she is finally in the correct headspace to look to the past in order to figure out what she wants from the future. And in the moments before the trial starts, she sees the words of encouragement Subaru has scrawled across the walls of the tomb\u2014proof that while she has to do some things by herself, that doesn\u2019t mean she is truly alone. The people you let into your heart are always with you, regardless of whether they are physically present or not.<\/p>\n Re:Zero can be seen on Crunchyroll<\/a> and\u00a0Animax Asia<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/ErDtmf3VkAEhubH.jpg?w=700&ssl=1\")
Image source: \u300eRe:\u30bc\u30ed\u304b\u3089\u59cb\u3081\u308b\u7570\u4e16\u754c\u751f\u6d3b\u300f\u516c\u5f0f<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/ErEDIygVEAEeqld.jpg?w=700&ssl=1\")
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Image source: \u300eRe:\u30bc\u30ed\u304b\u3089\u59cb\u3081\u308b\u7570\u4e16\u754c\u751f\u6d3b\u300f\u516c\u5f0f<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Erng3lCVoAMuL2x.jpg?w=700&ssl=1\")
Image source: \u300eRe:\u30bc\u30ed\u304b\u3089\u59cb\u3081\u308b\u7570\u4e16\u754c\u751f\u6d3b\u300f\u516c\u5f0f<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Ernvs04UUAAPCKP.jpg?w=700&ssl=1\")
Image source: \u300eRe:\u30bc\u30ed\u304b\u3089\u59cb\u3081\u308b\u7570\u4e16\u754c\u751f\u6d3b\u300f\u516c\u5f0f<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n
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