Anime fans have been anticipating a new season of Re:Zero for nearly four years and the wait is just about over. After unfortunate delays, the first half of the second season is set to premiere on July 8th, with the second half scheduled for a January 2021 release.
The second season will introduce new characters and give the viewers more potentially jaw-dropping and heart-wrenching moments. Subaru, Emilia, Rem and the others will have their hands full of new challenges this coming season. Here's a refresher on the series so far heading into Re:Zero Season 2.
Return by Death
The aspect that sets Re:Zero apart from other isekai anime is the protagonist Subaru Natsuki's ability to restart from a certain point every time he dies. This undoes what had happened between that save point and his death. This ability is called "Return by Death." It was bestowed upon him by Satella so that he would have a chance to save his loved ones. It's not a flawless power, though, as it has several drawbacks.
There are three penalties if Subaru tries to reveal the ability to anybody. First, he will be silenced by the witch's hand. This causes him immense pain in his chest and forces him to stop speaking, but if he resists, he could die due to the force of the witch's hand. Second, anyone who is told could die. For example, in Episode 17, Subaru attempted to tell Emilia about the power, only to discover that she had been killed. Finally, it will attract Demon Beasts to his location and they will attempt to kill him. This happened several times during the first season and it didn't just put Subaru in danger, but other characters as well, like Rem and Ram.
Royal Selection
At the end of the first season, the Kingdom of Lugnica was in the middle of its Royal Selection to elect a new ruler or king. There are five candidates to become the new king: Emilia, Crusch Karsten, Priscilla Barielle, Anastasia Hoshin and Felt. Karsten, Barielle and Hoshin have wealth and power on their side, putting them at a big advantage despite their less than stellar attitudes for the most part.
Felt is said to have royal blood as well, but that has yet to be confirmed. As for Emilia, while she is being endorsed by Lord Roswaal L. Mathers, she is still met with disdain from the public due to her being a half-elf and bearing a striking resemblance to Satella, the Witch of Envy. Emilia hopes to rebuild the relationship between humans and demi-humans by becoming king.
Witch of Envy
As previously mentioned, the Witch of Envy is infamous among the citizens of Lugnica. This is because she swallowed the other six Witches of Sin along with half the world. She caused a lot of pain for the kingdom -- pain that is still being felt in the current timeline. So much as mentioning the witch's name in public could be viewed as treason. She was also a half-elf, which is what caused the rift between demi-humans and humans. This is what Emilia is fighting to fix, but it's proving to be a difficult task.
The Witch of Envy has also been shown to be fond of Subaru. She was the one who summoned Subaru to her world in the first place. This has also been shown through the power that she bestowed upon him. At this moment, though, it's not fully clear as to why she has these feelings for him.
Witch Cult
The Witch of Envy is not without her loyal followers. These followers are simply known as the "Witch Cult." The cult has existed for over 400 years since the witches were active. Not a whole lot is known about the cult but knights are ordered to take them out immediately if spotted. The members usually hide in order to survive. The group also follows the teaching of their text, the Witch Cult's Gospel, which shows the followers how to achieve their ideal future. It was revealed that only the holder of the book was able to read it.
The group is made up of the followers and the Sin Archbishops. Each Archbishop represents a different sin and the main head of the cult in Season 1 was Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, the Archbishop of Sloth. Peteleguse was defeated on multiple occasions throughout Season 1, but he had the ability to possess different bodies with his spirit. He possessed fellow cult members as well as Subaru at one point. He was killed at the end of the first season by Subaru and Julius Juukulius, but the Witch Cult is still active and will likely continue to be a threat heading into Season 2.