Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow.
DISCLAIMER: This article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Frieren
Fast Facts
Frieren is the titular main character of the animanga Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. We meet her as an exceptionally gifted elven mage who, despite her 1,000-year age, hasn’t quite learned to appreciate the short lives of humans or the little time she has with them.
This changes when she reunites with her old party, some 50 years after their defeat of the Demon King. Himmel, the once-young and compassionate hero of the bunch, has passed in his old age. Alongside Eisen, the warrior, and Heiter, the priest, Frieren and her remaining party members gather to lay their late friend to rest. It’s in this moment that she comes to understand just how precious human life truly is.
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To celebrate Himmel and the memories he and Frieren shared, the mage embarks on a new journey to relive the adventure she now holds dear. By Heiter’s request, she mentors an aspiring mage named Fern, accompanying the young girl following the priest’s passing. Joined by the budding warrior Stark, Frieren has found a new party to journey with. This time, she vows to make it count.
She still has a lot to learn when it comes to human connections and the mundane, though. These quirks have led many series fans to speculate that Frieren is autistic-coded (myself included). An avid collector of grimoires and odd spells, to boot, she’s far more well-read than the average mage. But this innocuous hobby also gets her into trouble. Frieren can’t resist a magic chest when she sees one, and she’s known to fall for many a mimic. Her penchant for small treasures and even the most seemingly useless spells is the very reason she fails her first-class mage exam, despite her obvious ability.
The Limits of Time
As an elf, Frieren is generally unfamiliar with the limits of time. When you’ve got thousands more years to look forward to, it’s easy to lose sight of the day-to-day. But if she’s learned anything from Himmel, Heiter and Eisen, it’s that our relationships with one another and the memories we share make life worth living.
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At the heart of Frieren’s story is her connection with Himmel, lost to time and taken for granted. He showed Frieren, in many ways, what it is to be human. The great mage is reminded of Himmel and the loved ones she’s lost as she makes new memories with Fern and Stark. Given the circumstances, it would be easy to spin a tale of grief. But Frieren chooses instead to honor Himmel and Heiter at every turn, oftentimes paying respect to her old friends by caring for new ones in sickness or choosing the perfect birthday gift. This way, the two will live on with her.
The Real Deal
Frieren is the real deal. In-universe, her mana is nearly unmatched. Not only that, but she’s also a pro at keeping this ace close to her chest, so to speak. This makes her a most formidable opponent to all, but especially to the demon race. For centuries, demons have conned their way to power, almost wiping out the elven population in its entirety.
By concealing her mana, Frieren is able to trick her enemies into believing they hold the advantage. This strategy led her to victory over Aura the Guillotine and, eventually, the Demon King. Alongside her party members, she’s widely recognized as the great mage who’s killed more demons than anyone else in history.
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These feats aside, Frieren’s mastery of magic is another for the history books. Her lengthy lifespan as an elf lends her the privilege of time, which she spends practicing magic. Through combat experience and her personal studies, she’s made invaluable contributions to humanity’s analysis of Zoltrak. This offensive magic technique, though once all-powerful, is now standard practice among magic-users thanks to Frieren.
Why She Matters
Why does Frieren matter? She might be one of the most powerful mages around, but she also teaches us that real strength isn’t solely defined by skill or technical prowess. It’s refreshing to see a female character reach such heights in anime, as many are often relegated to roles beneath their male counterparts.
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Through Frieren’s decades-long journeys, we learn that human relationships, no matter how short-lived, are inherently meaningful. They give us the insight we need to reach our fullest potential by seeing our quirks admired, our shortcomings accepted and our daily accomplishments celebrated. Love makes us strong. It also makes our time in this world worthwhile. These are worthy lessons for us all to learn, and Frieren makes a great teacher.
Beyond the canon, Frieren also sets an example for neurodivergent fans. It’s not often that autism is represented thoughtfully in media. This goes doubly so for autistic girls and women, who have found a role model and comfort character in the titular mage.
So, be like Frieren. Take every chance you get to appreciate the people you love, and open yourself up to the possibility to be loved in return. Your quirks and idiosyncrasies — the things that make you you — is the stuff worth loving the most. Sure, there’s strength to be found in standing on your own two feet. But when we open our arms to others, they can help us learn and grow in ways we never imagined possible on our own. Unless we’re talking about demons, of course. They’re best kept at a safe distance.
The first season of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
E-mail professional inquiries to [email protected]. You can also find Olivia on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
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