Re:Zero, Staring Life in Another World has firmly cemented its position as one of the best fantasy dramas of all time. The psychological thriller has the appearance of just another isekai anime, but the story is given a dramatic twist when Subaru’s Return By Death is revealed. But who else knows about Return By Death in Re:Zero?
In the beginning, it’s suggested that only Subaru is aware of what’s happening to him every time he dies. However, as the story develops, it’s clear that’s not true.
Re:Zero Return By Death Explained
When Subaru finds himself in the Kingdom of Lugnica, he appears to be terribly unprepared for what his new journey has laid in store for him. It’s only when he is killed for the first time that his mysterious, fate-changing ability is revealed.
Subaru is granted the ability referred to as Return By Death. This ability allows Subaru, when he dies, to return to a random point in the past. Subaru keeps all the information (and emotion) of his life up to his death, allowing him to retrace his steps and avoid meeting the same outcome again.
Subaru’s ability is incredibly powerful, offering him a form of immortality. He regularly relies on this ability to understand both his foes and his friends, building a strong collection of allies he and Emilia can call upon in times of need.
However, Return By Death does come with a catch: he is forbidden from telling anybody about his power. When he tries to explain, he is forcibly silenced or killed by a witch’s hand, while merely threatening to mention the ability is said to attract demons to his location.
Related: Here is the Current Status of the Re:Zero Light Novel and Manga
Who Knows About Return By Death in Re:Zero?
Despite not being able to tell anyone about his ability, there are people in the story who are aware of Subaru’s actions. Some know of Subaru’s ability, others know of it but don’t understand its full power, while some others are aware that Subaru has some sort of divine power through his actions.
Below is a list of characters in Re:Zero that know something about Subaru’s Return By Death:
- Satella
- Echidna
- The Witches of Sin
- Roswaal
- Beatrice
- Puck
The only people that are believed to genuinely know about Subaru and his ability are the Witches of Sin.
First of all, Subaru was granted this ability by Satella, the so-called ‘Witch of Envy’ that caused the Great Calamity. Her story runs throughout much of the show’s background.
It is believed that, by extension, the other Witches of Sin are also aware of Subaru’s ability. However, their interest in this fact varies. In Re:Zero Season 2, Echidna, the Witch of Greed, takes a keen interest in Subaru due to his ability.
From an early stage, Roswaal is wary of Subaru - after all, how does a stranger rise through the world as quickly as him? Eventually, he assumes that Subaru is somehow replaying scenarios. Roswaal also has a historic connection to Echidna, furthering the idea that he might know more than he gives away.
A similar argument is made concerning Beatrice and Puck. Not only are they both smart beings with beyond human abilities, but they also have unique attachments to Echidna, as explained below.
How Does Puck Know About Return By Death?
It’s never fully confirmed, but there are many people who believe that Puck does know about Subaru’s Return By Death. There are also a few different bits of evidence to back this up.
First of all, Puck isn’t a living being but an Artificial Spirit contracted to Emilia. Regularly throughout the series, Puck showcases a level of knowledge and ability surpassing most characters in the series; add to that the fact that we know Puck can read minds, and it’s quite likely that she has pieced it together.
However, another reason why people believe both Puck and Beatrice might know directly about Return By Death is that they are both spirits created by Echidna.
The relationship between Echidna and the Roswaal family goes back hundreds of years, which gives rise to the theory that they’ve shared information about Subaru.
Related: Where to Watch and Stream Re:Zero Online
Does Subaru Tell Emilia About Return By Death?
During season one, Subaru does tell Emilia about his cursed ability, but it goes about as well as you’d expect.
Distraught by memories of Rem being wiped from everyone’s minds, Subaru tells Emilia about Return By Death. However, Emilia almost instantly dies in his arms. Puck then saves Subaru from the Witch’s Cult, only to kill Subaru straight after as punishment. Subaru promptly activates Return By Death and returns to an earlier point in the story, before he had spoken to Emilia.
So far, Subaru hasn’t been able to successfully tell Emilia about his powers. However, fans are holding out hope for the future with the series likely to continue in either anime or light novel form!
Related: Re:Zero Season 3 Release Date, Renewal Status, News and Everything You Need to Know