Edens Zero Chapter 193 – Weisz VS Killer: Sacrifice

June 5, 2022 by Syphin 1 Comment

The manner in how Killer entrapped Weisz mentally, emotionally and physically deserves acknowledgement. He understood Weisz intimately and exploited that knowledge expertly to carve out a moment of doubt which in turn opened Weisz up to the defeat he ultimately suffered. Battles aren’t just reduced to a derivation of numbers. It often embodies a subtle process of understanding your opponent and employing more than the weight of your fist. Killer in this situation, emotionally staggered Weisz and took advantage of his vulnerable mind to corner Weisz into his trap. The love Weisz felt toward his mother became the choice that led to his defeat in this situation.

Based on the flashback, Weisz and his mother were a family of two with the father rumoured to have ran away from his family with another woman. It is unclear if this is the truth or not but if Weisz’s father wasn’t present on Norma on the day the Chronophage returned Norma to when it consumed its time, we will likely not be seeing him in the future (discounting flashbacks). As a single mother, Weisz’s mom, became the provider, carer and dual parent. Taking on such a responsibility alone must not have been easy, especially with the guilt Weisz’s mother would have felt. Guilt toward having your partner run away with someone else (if the rumours are to be believed). Regardless of Weisz’s mom being blameless in the father’s choices, the weight of such a reality would have borne itself down on her. This can be recognised in the apology she expressed to Weisz. She understood the implication of her marital status and how it played a part in Weisz’s pain. And yet through that distress, she was still able to promise Weisz that she would never make him feel alone, that she would love him enough to make up for the love both parents have for their child. I thought was incredibly cool and a display of strength so rooted in the bond a parent has with their child that is hard not to be moved by it. Weisz became someone his mother was willing to sacrifice anything for. Even the anxiety consuming his mother was overwhelmed by the love she had for him.

The love Weisz’s mother had for him in turn reflected off of him. Weisz may not be an emotionally open person but he has a heart that deeply cares for those he loves. This is why Weisz wields his Arsenal Suit. More than representing a power, he wishes to be a hero of justice. Undeniably, the person Weisz loves the most in the world is his mother. Before encountering the Edens Zero crew, she was his only family. The thought of his mother being alive reacted acutely within his heart, a heart that was and still is being constantly embraced by the memories of his mother. Weisz subconsciously understood the sacrifices his mother made for him and in response to that affection, he chose to sacrifice his own self to protect his mother in front of him regardless of whether the substance of the form was deception. Killer may have knew that love between a parent and a child existed but I don’t believe he was cognizant of the extent Weisz adores his mother. Even though Weisz was defeated in this battle, he was not killed but likely captured like Rebecca. When Ziggy and the Four Dark Stars use Shiki’s friends against him later in this arc, that will be when Weisz and Rebecca can continue their resistance.

As for whether Weisz’s mother is real, I still believe that is actually her inside the tank. There is genuine story implications for Weisz’s mother being alive. At present, Weisz does not have a substantial reason to find Mother. This lack of narrative drive lessens the relevance Weisz has to the end story of Edens Zero. Once the crew find Mother, what will Weisz get out of it? What reward will be waiting for him at the end of the journey? Shiki has his unknown history, the broken Granbell planet and his desire to be friends with Mother. Rebecca has awareness the of desolate timelines existing across the universes, her fragmenting self the more she uses her powers and the desire to be the number one B-Cuber. Pino wishes to become human. Homura wishes to see her mentor again and after her encounter with Creed (Seiji Hojo) and his death, thoughts of helping reform the customs and class system within Oedo may be crossing her mind. The Four Shining Stars have their past lives which they cannot remember that Mother may be able to help with at the end of their journey. If Weisz’s mother is alive but dependent on a constant flow of life force provided by a medical capsule, Weisz would have a reason to seek out Mother. A sincere and emotionally resonant reason. Also, the capsule containing Weisz’s mother wasn’t a hologram, it was physical and there. Rather than the capsule phasing into the subdimension, it dropped in. Unless Killer used a fake to fool Weisz, the person inside the capsule is Weisz’s mother. Killer did know the history of Weisz’s mother and how she looked and sounded based on the earlier hologram he used. Would such information have been derived from mere records of a person?

Regarding Weisz and Rebecca/Happy/Pino being defeated, I don’t mind that all. Unlike Shiki, who is a completely unnatural being with the weight and responsibility of captaincy weighing down on him, the others do not have the same pressure suffocating them. The desperation to breath forced Shiki to push much further ahead than anyone else aboard the Edens Zero. Shiki is the captain and with Valkyrie and Witch not present, he has taken it upon himself to be both the Sword and the Shield of the Edens Zero. This expectation, weight and gravity Shiki has imposed on himself has allowed him to attain a strength far beyond the other Edens Zero members. The title Shiki holds as a member of the Oracion Seis Galactica isn’t just for show, he wields power to match it. Rebecca and Weisz have yet to show the full extent of their capabilities, so even though they were defeated, they weren’t defeated when operating at 100%. Plus, if Rebecca/Happy/Pino and Weisz being defeated means we get to see Clown and Killer face off against Sister and Hermit, I am all for it! This is what I wanted all along and I am excited to see if Clown and Killer being aboard the Edens Zero means they will face their Shining Star counterpart.

Shiki is free from his restraints but with him currently in the subdimension, will he be able to return without the ability being cancelled by the Four Dark Stars? Potentially, Shiki may be able to use his Satan Gravity to attract himself back to the base reality. It is also possible that Shiki will find Weisz and/or Weisz’s mother within the current subdimension he is in. Amusingly, in the scene where Shiki tripped from the remaining binding attached to his leg, I couldn’t help but think of Moon Knight episode 2 when Steven fell on his face after failing to remove his bed restraint. I wonder if Mashima-sensei had that scene in mind when scripting this moment for Shiki (I assume he watches the Marvel Disney+ shows as he is an MCU fan).

Turning to Homura, she may currently be overwhelmed by Brigande, but based on her measured approach to facing him, she appears to be analysing him first before going on the offense. The lack of Overdrive is very telling. Homura understands the strength and restriction of Overdrive and before revealing her whole hand, she wishes to see what Brigande has to offer. On a narrative level as well, Mashima-sensei is carefully progressing this battle to conclude when the other climatic battles with the arc take place such as Holy VS Deadend Crow and Shiki VS Ziggy. We can also derive importance from the purpose Brigande was assigned when he was revive i.e. eliminate Homura. There is significant stakes and relevance wrapped up within this battle. Homura IS the opponent Brigande 2.0 was designed for. She will defeat him. And if other Dark Stars engage in battle against their Shining Star Counterpart, we will also get a Hermit and Sister battle within this arc. Clown and Killer’s true purpose is to eliminate Sister and Hermit respectively after all. It will also be interesting to see how Labilia is weaved into the conflict about to take place. Will she also be sent into a subdimension? If she is sent to the one containing Rebecca, Labilia could assist in helping Rebecca accomplish the mission.

I am incredibly excited to see Holy face off against Deadend Crow and how she will incorporate her Ether Gear through the Edens Zero Knight Gear. Will Holy find a way to breach inside Deadend Crow and destroy the core processing unit/device/entity controlling the massive construct? She is now activated and I can’t wait to see how she dismantles Deadend Crow. Very much looking forward to the next chapter.

Enjoyment level: 8/10