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| “ | A long time ago, I lost an old friend. Unlike me, he was straight as an arrow and he never abandonned anyone in need. If he'd survived instead of me, he would've saved alot of people. | „ |
| ~ Heiter describing Himmel to Fern |
Himmel is the overarching protagonist of the anime and manga series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. He's the leader of the eponymous Hero Party (consisting of Frieren, Heiter and Eisen) that saved the continent by defeating the Demon King and bringing forth an era of peace. Even years after his death, his heroism continued to inspire many in the world, including his fellow party member, Frieren, who decides to get to know humans better due to his influence.
He's voiced by Nobuhiko Okamoto and by Clifford Chapin in the english dub.
What Makes Him Love Exalted?[]
- He, alongside his Hero Party, together defeated the Demon King, bringing the continent into an era of peace.
- His heroism helped inspire many in his world, including his fellow comrades to become better people, even years after his death:
- His friendship with Frieren encouraged her come out of her shell and be more open about her feelings, despite her emotional detachment to humanity due to her old age. His eventual death of old age also served as a catalyst for Frieren deciding to connect with humans and get to know them better.
- His kindness helped inspire Heiter to become a better person, motivating him to continue helping people. It's also because of his influence that Heiter would save Fern from commiting suicide and take her under his care, stating that the reason he did so was because he felt like Himmel would have done the same.
- Despite his sword being a fake replica of the Hero's Sword, Himmel still managed to prove that he was a real hero, in spite of not being worthy of the sword.
- He deeply loved Frieren and would be willing to do everything he could for her, despite her not returning his feelings at the time. It's also implied that she was the reason that he never married, even years after the party had split up, showing the extreme loyalty he had for the elf.
- Although he's occasionally shown to be a bit arrogant and vain, frequently boasting about his own abilities and looks, he never let his pride get the best of him and remained a selfless hero to the end.
- While he occasionally teased his teammates, such as calling Heiter a "corrupt priest" because of his affinity for drinking, it was mostly just harmless banter and meant in good fun.
- He's shown to have saved countless villages in his journey from demon attacks. Most notably helping his party defeat the demon Qual who possessed an extremely powerful death spell, by sealing him with Frieren's magic.
- Although he's already dead at the start of the series, his presence and positive influence is still felt throughout the entire story, with him serving as the moral compass of most of the characters, especially Frieren.
Trivia[]
- To further highlight Himmel's status as a Love Exalted, on May 21, 2024, a Taiwanese man by the name Ruixian Xu helped stop a knife attack on a train, later citing on interviews that he was inspired by the character of Himmel, saying that "Himmel would have done the same" (in a similar fashion to Heiter) in his situation.
- Himmel has also ranked 1st in both of the official character popularity polls.