Natsuki Subaru is one of the most memorable and best isekai protagonists today; however, not because of his charm. Subaru has proven from all those times he did and resurrected how well he handles the misery of the parallel world he was put into. Throughout Re: Zero, Starting Life in Another World, Subaru has suffered more than peace or comfort. This made him stand above the other isekai main characters and more.
Natsuki Subaru is hailed as one most relatable characters, particularly in the isekai genre. The reason for this is both unusual and surprising. Fans had always been divided about Natsuki Subaru’s personality. Some say him too weak to be the protagonist, and some say it’s just right.
Well, it turns out that his popularity relies mainly on the fact that he isn’t the usual overpowered character willing to take any challenges that come forward. In fact, a Twitter fan expressed that being ordinary makes Natsuki Subra more admiring:
Subaru is an isekaid protagonist with a cheat skill (his return to death ability), but aside from that, he is more of a human than a hero based on the series. However, being the most normal hero isn’t the only thing interesting about him. To know more, here are ten interesting facts about Natsuki Subaru that will make you watch the series:
Read More: From Niche to Popular: The Remarkable Evolution of Isekai Anime
10. Subaru Was a Shut-in Neet Like Most Isekai Heroes
Natsuki Subaru is similar to famous isekai protagonists like Kazuma Satou (KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!) or Rudeus Greyra (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation). Like them, Subaru was a shut-in who didn’t have the energy to attend school and would prefer to play all day. However, Subaru had deeper reasons why he started to lose hope in education or life as a whole.
Young Subaru was popular, active, and was an achiever. As a kid, he made his parents proud by winning almost every contest he joined and was surrounded by friends looking up to him. In episode four of season two, it was revealed that Natsuki had everything when he was a child. But, as he grew older, he felt he was being left behind. Thus, to maintain what he had, he set his ambition and high standards to satisfy himself until he realized that he was alone and didn’t want to attend school anymore.
9. Subaru Wasn’t Reborn as a Baby
Natsuki Subaru is not one of the characters who was reincarnated into a parallel world with a new identity or as a baby. In fact, he didn’t even become a victim of one of the biggest tropes in isekai, which involves the classic but deadly Truck-kun. Everything seemed normal for the Re: Zero protagonist. He was buying groceries during a peaceful evening. However, he magically got transported into a magical world with his smartphone and grocery bag.
This is why most viewers thought the series would again be one isekai series with a clichés plot. But, as the story progresses, Re: Zero slowly fades from the common plot of the said genre and proves from each episode that its main characters are unique and well-written, and the plot is immaculate.
Read More: Rem Voted Cutest Anime Character of All Time
8. He is Capable of Resurrecting Himself
Natsuki Subaru’s cheat skill may seem incredible, but it mostly brought him misery and pain. At first glance, the ability that the Witch of Envy gave him is something to be envious of. Just imagining that you can improve every situation by dying sounds easy, right? However, Natsuki Subaru has cried many times and almost went crazy because of his Return to Death ability. When Natsuki Subaru discovered his ability, he was confused but later became ecstatic as he slowly accepted it.
But he didn’t realise how much it affected him mentally and emotionally. Subaru can indeed kill himself and be killed infinitely and will still be able to come back to life. But, as he uses his ability, the consequences of his action gravely make his mind go crazy. Moreover, his resurrecting isn’t that convenient because the people and all the memories he shared with the people around him before his death dies along with him, and will need to start all over again depending on the phase he is put into.
7. Rem Will Likely Become His Second Wife
In the first episodes of the series, it was obvious that Natsuki Subaru’s heroine, Emilia, would possibly be the one he would end up with. But, it turns out that another woman fell for the former NEET, and fans began to love her more. Rem, one of the maids of Roswall, became Subaru’s closest ally and best friend throughout the series. In the absence of Emilia, Rem never left his side. She supported him with every decision he made and was there to comfort him when he had a breakdown.
Thus, with the close relationship they both formed, Subaru is willing to make Rem his second wife. However, this will only be possible if Emilia will agree to it. It is no news that Rem has feelings for him and is even willing to sacrifice everything just for Subaru to achieve his goal: to go back and save Emilia. Subaru also asked Rem to move with him to the country and settle there with just the two of them and the family they possibly will have. However, Rem knew better. Instead of agreeing, he encouraged Subaru to be stronger, which made their bond deeper and made her as crucial as Emilia.
6. Subaru is Madly Smitten with Emilia
Yes, Subaru may have two women in his heart, but we all know who takes up most of the love he has. Many fans have longed to give up on the Emilia and Subaru shipped because of how deserving Rem is for him. However, it is Subaru who will make the final choice, and as of now, his top priority is Emilia’s sake alone. From the moment these two met, the chemistry they had was apparent.
Emilia is innocent, kind-hearted, and no doubt possesses a beauty like no other. Therefore, it didn’t come to much surprise how fast Subaru’s feelings deepened for the young lady. But, what came too much shock for the viewers was how willing he is to go to any lengths for her. In order to save Emilia from death or her position as one of the candidates for the throne, Natsuki Subaru has accepted death over and over again just for her sake. Furthermore, in the last episodes of season two, Subaru finally confesses his feelings to Emilia and is confident enough to kiss her.
5. Natsuki Subaru and Senku Ishigami Shares the Same VA
Natsuki Subaru shares the voice actor shares the same voice actor as the brilliant scientist Senku Ishigami. There have been plenty of occasions when one watches a series and easily recognizes the voice of the character. The success of Natsuki Subaru’s character is not only because of how the plot or he was written. One of the most significant things that greatly contributed to making Subaru well-known is his voice actor. Yusuke Kobayashi is the Japanese voice actor of Natsuki Subaru which he even gained an award for.
During the 2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, the series got nominated and was able to win. The awards that Re: Zero includes Yusuke Kobayashi garnering first place in the Best VA Performance (Japanese) category of the said award show. Kobayashi won against the voice actors of popular anime characters like Satoru Gojou (Jujutsu Kaisen) and Daisuke Kambe (The Millionaire Detective: Balance – Unlimited). Yusuke Kobayashi is also the artist behind Arthur from Fire Force and Su-Won from Yona of the Dawn.
Read More: 10 Reasons Why KonoSuba is the Funniest Isekai Anime
4. Subaru is a Weak Fighter
Subaru maintained his active lifestyle despite being a NEET before being reincarnated. Whether it is hard to admit, Subaru is not that good in physical fights. Although his Return to Death ability can give him the advantage, dying is never the right solution for every problem. Unlike other isekai heroes capable of breaking the chains with their hands or possessing great swordsmanship, Subaru never had the luxury to train himself when he arrived in the parallel world. Instead, he was instantly bombarded with problems connected to her beloved Emilia.
Subaru may have surpassed all the challenges that came his way. However, it wasn’t that easy for him. From assassins and knights to magical beasts, he has chosen death not just once in order to defeat them and save his friends. If Subaru only had the physical prowess to fight on the battlefield like most Isekai heroes, then his chances of using the deadly cheat skill could have been lessened. Nonetheless, Subaru gradually learns to combine his powers, reflex, and wits, allowing him to make the right choices whenever he resurrects.
3. He is a Hero Beyond Selfless
Natsuki Subaru is one, if not the most, of the selfless anime characters who are always willing to sacrifice to protect and save the people he loves. Throughout the series, he probably did nothing but let himself be killed for the sake of the people he cares about, particularly Emilia. As mentioned above, Subaru isn’t that strong in terms of physical fights. However, the powers he gained when he got transported into the parallel world were not put to waste.
Through Emilia, Subaru met other people who later became an essential part of his life, mainly Rem, Ram, Beatrice, Puck, and even Roswall. Though it may not be long since they met, he cherishes them dearly and is willing to do anything for them. Subaru’s ability to resurrect and change the situation happened many times, even at the beginning of the series. Because of not know much about this ability, he almost went insane because of trying to sacrifice himself for them. It even got to the point where he got traumatized by Rem, who tried to kill him, but this didn’t become a reason for him not to befriend her.
2. Subaru Gained Two Authorities – Sloth and Greed
Aside from his Return to Death ability, suspected to have come from the Witch of Envy, Satella. Natsuki Subaru also gained other authority from two other witches that gave him the power to fight using these types of magic. First, his Authority of Sloth. This power was passed down to him after defeating Petelgeuse, a Sin Archbishop who represented the Sloth.
Subaru replaced Petelgeuse as the current holder of the Witch Factor of Sloth and the invisible providence power previously named unseen hands by Petelgeuse. In addition, Subaru also became the holder of the Witch Factor of Greed after his battle with the oldest Sin Archbishops in the Witch Cult, Regulus Corneas.
1. Subaru Has Met the Seven Witches
Many haven’t met the witches in the world where Natsuki Subaru got reincarnated. Most do not wish to encounter a witch, particularly the Witch of Envy, Satella, mainly because of the terror in their hearts brought by her bloody rampage called “Great Calamity.” However, during the quest that Subaru and Emilia had to finish to free the sanctuary, Subaru was given the opportunity to meet the Witch of Greed, Echidna. The Witch of Greed is the master and the one who sealed the sanctuary.
Subaru returned to Roswall’s mansion to ask for Beatrix’s help. However, things don’t always turn out to be what we want them to be. Subaru had difficulty figuring out how to protect everyone because every method he tried failed. However, he was again summoned to Echidna’s castle of dreams when he was on the verge of giving up. Aside from Echidna, the Witch of Greed, six more witches have appeared, Sekhmet (Sloth), Typhoon (Pride), Daphne (Gluttony), Carmilla (Lust), Minerva (Wrath), including Satella (Envy). The witches have appeared because they want to help Subaru for their own reasons.
