'Frieren Beyond Journeys End' Ending Explained

The Big Picture

• Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a twist on traditional tropes and follows Frieren, an immortal elf mage, after the defeat of the Demon King.
• In the finale, Fern passes the First-Class Mage exams, but Frieren fails due to differing views on magic.
• The anime leaves the door open for more stories after the group leaves Äuberst, suggesting there is more story to tell in the future.

What happens when the party of heroes defeats the invincible villain, peace is restored to the world again, and the adventure is over? Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, one of the best newcomers to the anime scene, twists traditional narrative tropes by telling the life after the story! The anime follows Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki), an immortal elf mage, who decides to leave the royal capital, after defeating the Demon King beside her friends Himmel the Hero (Nobuhiko Okamoto), drunken priest Heiter (Hiroki Tōchi), and dwarf warrior Eisen (Yōji Ueda), in search for a new meaning of life and spells.

Based on Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe's award-winning manga, the slice-of-life series has gained worldwide popularity, proving that its one-of-a-kind storytelling approach to lore and magic is redefining the genre. Sadly, Season 1 of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End ended on March 22 after a 6-month run. Episode 28, "It Would Be Embarrassing When We Meet Again" is packed with bittersweet goodbyes as the results of the First Class Mage Exam are revealed and Frieren's party takes their leave of the majestic city of Äuberst to continue their journey north.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

An elf and her friends defeat a demon king in a great war. But the war is over, and the elf must search for a new way of life.

The First-Class Mage Exams Are Both Challenging and Tiresome

The main purpose of Frieren's jounrey north is to follow the advice of her late master, Flamme (Atsuko Tanaka) the Great Mage, who had an inkling her apprentice would want to seek out the soul of a dead friend. After bringing an era of peace to the world and experiencing Himmel's death, Frieren feels guilty for disregarding the precious time she spent with her dear friend. Her regrets inspire her to return to the Demon King's palace, Heaven, where the souls of the dead reside. Frieren takes her young apprentice Fern (Kana Ichinose) and Eisen's warrior apprentice Stark (Chiaki Kobayashi) with her on the adventure.

Through several years, the rag-tag trio travels northward, stopping to help others in need. The gang runs into all sorts of mischief as they encounter beastly creatures, conniving demons, a mysterious elf, royals, and long-time friends. Towards the end of Season 1, Frieren, Fern, and Stark have reached the crossing point to the northern lands, but the lands have had repeated attacks from violent demons. To cross, the Continental Magic Association requires all mages to be the highest rank possible — a First-Class Mage. Luckily for Frieren, the exams take place every three years, and it just so happens that the exams are set to take place very soon.

The group arrives in Äuberst, the magic capital, and Frieren and Fern register for First-Class Mage exam. Competing against fifty-two incredible mages, the first stage requires teams of three to capture a meteoric iron bird called the Stille. The second stage leveled up the stakes by challenging the examinees to reach the center of a labyrinth dungeon, Ruins of the King's Tomb, filled with lethal replicas of themselves. Although this conclusion feels like a tedious ending for the series, the "exam period" is a typical arc seen throughout the anime industry, like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen. But the final stage demands the surviving mages to pass an interview with the judgmental head of the Continental Magic Association, allowing fans to reconnect again with the greatness of Frieren's character.

Fern Passes, but Frieren Fails the Exams Because of Her Views on Magic

The head of the Continental Magic Association is the Great Mage Serie (Mariya Ise), who used to be the master of Flamme. Serie couldn't be any different from her gentle apprentice, but she shares the common personality traits of a cold, expressionless elf like Frieren. When it all comes down to the third stage of the exam, Serie fails Frieren almost instantly and Frieren expected just as much. Serie simply views magic as a tool for killing, whereas Frieren strongly believes the greatest enjoyment of magic comes only during the pursuit of it.

Serie harshly criticizes the exam takers, evaluating their worth based on their reaction to her mana, personalities, and stance on magic. With five other mages, Fern passes the exam solely because she rejects Serie's invitation to become her apprentice. Fern's loyalty and confidence in Frieren impresses Serie, and Fern is granted the "Privilege" spell upon obtaining a First-Class Mage qualification. In the market, Frieren runs into one of the passing mages, Wirbel (Kishô Taniyama). The two exchange a heartwarming moment as Wirbel shares that he was inspired to become a mage from the stories he heard growing up about Frieren's humble journeys with the Party of Heroes. But what moved him the most was Himmel's passion for helping others and the small deeds that made him a legendary hero

On the day of the Privilege ceremony, Fern invites Frieren and Stark to be her guests, but Serie forbids Frieren to attend. Frieren and Stark wait outside the hall, boasting about Fern's growth. Moments later, Lernen (Atsushi Mitauchi), a First-Class Mage and Serie’s apprentice, threatens to kill Frieren on a whim. He believes Serie is lonely without an apprentice she can remember and without one who can go down in history. Lernen demands a duel and attacks Frieren across the shoulder, although she quickly denies the fight.

In a flashback during the final exam, Frieren notices the garden surrounding them was cast with a spell to create a field of flowers — Flamme's favorite. Serie confesses she never regrets that her apprentices haven't surpassed her in power, and she appreciates every mage she teaches despite their failures. Frieren explains this to Lernen, relieving his worries. As the trio says their last goodbyes to the fellow mages in Äuberst, Fern reveals she chose the Privilege spell to make clothes clean and spotless. Frieren couldn't be more proud, and this heartfelt moment shows how much Fern has fallen in the footsteps of her simple-minded master.

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How Does 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' Follow Life After the Story?

Having earned the credentials, the end of Episode 28, "It Would Be Embarrassing When We Meet Again", shows Frieren, Fern, and Stark crossing their way toward the northern lands. Frieren reflects on a time Himmel always said short goodbyes to the people they met throughout their journey. He tells her tearful goodbyes would be embarrassing later if you happened to meet that someone again. With the conclusion of its smash-hit first season, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End demonstrates the power of brilliant pacing paired with characters who are just as easy to connect with as they are humbling. By using a fusion of non-linear storytelling, the show has re-imagined how to tell a magical, medieval story that is unique in the animated world.

Frieren's journey is an important game changer because of its unique deconstruction that follows life after the story where your typical anime focuses on the pursuit to slay a greater evil. Frieren has already won the day, and this dynamic makes the series stand apart from other fantasy anime like Jobless Reincarnation (2021) and Delicious in Dungeon (2024). Season 2 has not been confirmed yet for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. However, judging from the after-credits, the journey is far from over.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is available to stream now on Crunchyroll in the U.S.

Watch on Crunchyroll

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