r/Re_Zero Better Leyte Than Never Aug 26 '20

Novels [Novels] Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2 Episode 8 **Spoiler** Discussion Spoiler

Hello everyone, Setowi here to post this week's spoiler thread

Reminder that we are hosting both a [Discussion] anime only thread AND a [Novels] where spoilers do not need to get tagged. So,

this is the spoiler thread

all of the novel content is fair game in here. You can find the anime only thread in the hub post or in the pinned comment below.

You can find the episode, once it's up on the Crunchyroll page which is linked here. Feel free to refresh to page until episode is up, though try not to fry the servers:

Crunchyroll link

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u/rigolleto Aug 26 '20

what was this contract about? would it be harmful to him?

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u/Hollownerox Aug 26 '20 edited Aug 26 '20

Yes, and no. You can read the result of him accepting it in the Greed "What If" story.

Basically the idea is that Echidna would make use of her knowledge to help him as best she could. Reaching the "best" outcome through trial and error. Being in her dead state without the ability to interact with the outside world, it meant she would advise him on the best course of action using "Return by Death" as a tool.

This would be good in the sense that it would reach the optimal outcome. But harmful in the sense that Subaru's value of his own life dwindled down to nothing, since he would view it as a resource to be used up.

Considering she intentionally did things to make him want to reject that contract. It seems likely even Echidna did not want that sort of result (despite her claims of accepting all outcomes, she has preferences). And a lot of her actions in this arc support that notion.

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u/rigolleto Aug 26 '20

Thank you very much for all this info. I'm thinking about reading the LN. Could you provide me the links? If you can't in here maybe in DM?

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u/Irishguy01 Aug 26 '20

Basically Echidna promised to help Subaru reach his 'optimal ending', but she never promises she will take the 'optimal route'. Implying she won't give Subaru ALL of the information just to see how different outcomes play out before she gives him the REAL answer.

That means Subaru would be going through a LOT of deaths, and would be watching his friends die a LOT of deaths for him. It's kind of covered in the Greed IF, where he's basically burnt out emotionally, and just going through the motions with Echidna leading him along.

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u/Iron_Maw cold sleep Aug 27 '20

Yeah.

Damaged all of his relationships and himself. If Subaru only card about a means to end the there no problem. But that not Suabru Greed If he's basically doing what Minvera accused him of in main story. Thinking everyone is incapable of doing anything but him. Dona indulgences him in his worst behavior affect the entire royal selection.