Frieren Beyond Journey’s End episode 5 & 6 analysis

Stark in 8-mile

We’ve all been here before , the nerves before an important event ,palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy

There’s vomit on his sweater already

I’m just playing but we’ve all felt the nerves when doubts start to creep in and adrenaline fires. The way I used to conquer this as a kid is that I used to tell myself that I was shaking because I cared and wanted to do my best. That motivated me to push through despite the challenge. 

Stark is relatable in Frieren Beyond Journey’s End episode 5 & 6 analysis

We can all see a bit of ourselves in Stark. He is unbelievably powerful but he shakes and trembles at the prospect of engaging a powerful foe in battle. Stark has been living in the village for 3 years following his confrontation with a solar dragon that has set up a nest just outside the city. The dragon elected not to attack Stark and instead left the village alone. Stark viewed this as merely luck as he was terrified to face the dragon. Unbeknownst to him, the dragon was equally terrified at the prospect of crossing scales with such a foe. 

In Frieren Beyond Journey’s End episode 5 & 6 analysis he underestimates his own strength  but it turns out that the dragons of this universe are incredibly perceptive and choose not to engage in fights that pose a significant risk to their health. The dragon was just as scared of him as he was of it. When forced by Frieren’s party to engage the dragon as a distraction he ends up accidentally killing the beast with relative ease. This was an outcome that only Frieren and Stark’s master Aisen could see. 

Aisen and Stark parted ways in anger as Aizen had struck Stark with full force leaving the boy with a large facial scar. Later in episode 6 it is revealed that Aizen hurt Stark out of fear not anger. He was overwhelmed with the lad’s power and hit him in self defense. This one statement recontextualizes the entire character of Stark.

Recontextualize your own life

There is a lot we can take away from this arc to recontextualise our own life. We are all unknowably powerful and sometimes when an enemy or friend acts aggressively towards us it is out of fear for our capability. So next time someone strikes you or aggresses you and it seems unprovoked; know that this comes from a deep place of fear. Fear for what you could do if you chose to do it.  Also when it comes to being afraid and cowardly in the face of a tremendous hurdle like the dragon; 

Ill leave you with a quote from  Aisen himself ; he said :” Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It is the ability to act in spite of fear”. Remember this quote next time you are on a stage in front of people , when you are approaching a girl  to ask her out,  when you have to give a presentation at work or school and even when it’s your turn at the karaoke machine; Remember that even the greatest warriors shook and trembled before battle and your nerves just show that this matters to you. You are stronger than you will ever know. Go out there and do your best; be courageous on the front line in the face of your own cowardice like Aizen and Stark.