Summary
The third season ofRe:Zerodid not take long to introduce the nextSin Archbishop of the Witch Cultwho will carve a host of traumatic experiences into the unfortunate soul of series protagonist, Subaru Natsuki. A bandaged, mummy-like woman appears in the central square of the Watergate City of Priestella and strikes fear and contempt into Subaru’s heart when she introduces herself as Sirius Romanée-Conti, the Sin Archbishop of Wrath.
Her introduction is very well done and very brilliantly showcases her unhinged and dangerous personality. Just what are her abilities?
“Thank you! I’m Sorry!”
Sirius’s Abilities Are Reminiscent ofKiznaiver
The great thing about the way Sirius Romanée-Conti is introduced inthe third season ofRe:Zerois that her introduction also ties into the first exhibition of her terrifying powers. She suddenly appears at the top of a belltower in the busiest part of the town and addresses all who can hear her in a manner that is similar to a stage performance, where she has the role of the narrator. With humorous quips, Sirius opens up about her worldview, and thoughts on love, which is likely how she activates her ability. At some unknown point, the onlookers, who were a mixed bag of surprise, intrigue, and even annoyance at the strange woman who was interrupting their day with her nonsense, became fully enamored with her story, and even more so when she revealed a prop: a nine-year-old boy named Lusbel, whom she had tightly wound with her barbed chain.
This is where things get dark, as Sirius talks about “an embarrassing story of love” between Lusbel and another child named Lisa, whom he begged Sirius to leave be. Moved by his desire to protect her, Sirius took him hostage instead (in reality, she had kidnapped them both), and “displayed” his bravery to the town.
The citizens were responding positively to the situation, even though Sirius was holding a tightly-restrained, terrified child hostage, and playing the part of an engaged audience in her little show, but Subaru tried to break free from the situation to no avail. With her feelings running high, Sirius raises the child to the sky and then sends him hurtling to his death. As Lusbel’s head splits upon hitting the ground, the heads of Subaru and the countless other witnesses also burst open and he is sent back to just before he went to get snacks at the market. As the scene played out, it became more and more uncomfortable to see so many people respond so positively to the torture of a young boy, and it became apparent that there’s something very wrong.The answer is simple: brainwashing.
Sharing the Love
Can Sirius Also Transfer Her Mind to Other Bodies?
More specifically, Sirius Romanée-Conti is able to link the feelings of several people to each other and herself, thus “sharing the love”. Any feeling is shared among her targets, and any physical injuries sustained by one are sustained by all. In one of his attempts to put a stop to Sirius without getting his friends involved, Subaru enlists the incredible strength of Reinhart, who is impervious to her mind control abilities; however, at that point, Subaru doesn’t realize that killing Sirius while she is linked to others wouldn’t sever the connection, but lead to their deaths as well. Sirius’s ability stems from her immensely warped view of love, which she understands as “becoming one”. As such, calling it “mind control” or “brainwashing” feels like a description fit for something far less dangerous. What Sirius’s Authority grants her is “Soulwashing”, the ability to transmit her senses and emotions.
In addition, Sirius presides overthe deadly sin of wrath, which doesn’t seem to match her eerily cheery disposition at first; however, we see how she earned this title when she spots Emilia and is absolutely, literally incensed. Her singsongy speech pattern is replaced by an unhinged fury, which feels like it lines up perfectly with the feeling of discomfort she elicits. She is insane in a fashion reminiscent of Petelgeuse, with whom she was obsessed to the point of stalking, going as far as to declare herself his wife.
She seems frail and stringy, but she possesses immense physical strength, is adept at fighting using her trusty golden chain as a weapon, and even possesses fire magic due to her name being taken from the star Sirius, otherwise known as “the Scorcher” due to its reputation as the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius’s fire magic appears to be far more vicious than that of the average fire magic user, and she’s capable of setting her targets ablaze instantaneously with flames hot enough to freeze even Emilia’s ice – ice which has left Elior Forest frozen for over a century.
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Based on Tappei Nagatsuki’s popular novel series, Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World follows Subaru Natsuki, a directionless and self-conscious teenager who is summoned to a fantasy world and quickly becomes involved with a half-elf princess named Emilia. Blending action, horror, and comedy, Re:Zero is a challenging isekai anime that touches upon themes of perseverance, depression, and self-esteem.
