Witchbeast

Witchbeasts (魔獣, Majū) are any number of organisms that are able to sustain themselves off of mana and have origins of creation by the Witch of Gluttony. Under most conditions, they are larger and stronger than regular fauna and typically possess often hazardous magical abilities.

Information[]

In folklore, witchbeasts are creatures rumored to have been created by the Witch of Envy with the purpose of wiping out humanity. In actuality, witchbeasts were artificial beings created by the Witch of Gluttony in a benevolent attempt to eliminate starvation from the world. "Born" from her "thoughts", they were made to consume mana as to not require nutrients, habitats, ecological niches, or anything else that could strain the world's preexisting resources. The reasoning for their unusual physical sizes, at the fundamentals, is the thinking of "bigger = more meat = less hungry people."

In theory, artificially created animals with no needs for sustenance and larger biological masses for higher yields of meat would've been a truly groundbreaking for the world had a little more foresight been put into their creation. Because of these two traits, witchbeasts unfortunately ended up becoming a plague of their own on the world, only exacerbating the threat they were created to end, not to mention their taste is vomit inducing, meaning they could not be consumed even if one is about to starve to death.

As they were thought to be attracted to the miasma of Witches, witchbeasts were long thought to have a connection with the Witch Cult; Eridna, however, claims that witchbeasts actually try to avoid miasma because they loathe it.^[1] The White Whale who is under the control of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony is the sole exception as the Witch Cult's activities often intertwine with its appearance in order to keep interferences away.

Witchbeasts that have their horns broken follow whoever broke it. There are numerous witchbeasts on the Gladiator Island Ginunhive that are tamed in this way to work like prison guards. Likewise, someone who bears the Divine Protection of Demon Manipulation, such as Meili Portroute, can use it to act as a surrogate horn for said witchbeasts and control them, and it is potent enough to work on witchbeasts as strong as a Guiltylowe. That said, while it would have at least some small effect on them, the Divine Protection would be unable to control witchbeasts like Shaula and the Three Great Witchbeasts.

In addition, some witchbeasts have also been shown to possess a state known as an Attack Hue (攻撃色, Kōgeki-iro), which amplifies their ferocity and bloodlust, rendering them several times more aggressive and dangerous. A prime example of this would be the Crimson Scorpion; when it "activates" its Attack Hue, the scorpion changes color to a bloody red hue, becomes several times more aggressive and explodes in a white luster, blowing everything in its vicinity away. Another example would be the Hungry Horse Kings; when entering their Attack Hue state, they start to produce red flames on their backs and as mentioned with the Crimson Scorpion, they enter a more aggressive state.

Apparently, most witchbeasts seem to be located in the Kingdom of Lugunica, whereas in other countries, witchbeasts are uncommon and considered extremely dangerous, to the point that the Vollachia Empire’s soldiers were willing to burn down the Buddheim Jungle after discovering the existence of Elginas within it.

Three Great Witchbeasts[]

Not all witchbeasts were of the same type, as there were at least three that were completely one of a kind, colloquially known as the Three Great Witchbeasts (三大魔獣, Sandai Majū). Each of the three known unique witchbeasts were created by Daphne for a specific purpose of ending world hunger. Although not an ironclad rule, the unique witchbeasts tended to be more imposing than their non-unique counterparts. The Three Great Witchbeasts were the White Whale, the Black Serpent, and the Great Rabbit. Each one is a title given to three witchbeasts that caused the most damage to humanity and were feared around the world for their unstoppable rampages that rarely left any witnesses. Additionally, these beasts were known to possess an eternal lifespan, although this may have just been a trait shared by all witchbeasts. They are recognized to be a type of disaster and are given special caution when they appear.

White Whale[]

Main article: White Whale

The White Whale (白鯨, Hakugei), infamously called the Witchbeast of the Mist (霧の魔獣, Kiri no Majū), was one of the Three Great Witchbeasts. The White Whale was a ginormous whale-like beast capable of flight, and it was created by Daphne to feed the starving with the sheer quantity of meat it could provide. The Witch Cult often used the witchbeast as a way to cover the evil deeds committed by them. Lye Batenkaitos was so fond of the White Whale that he considered it a pet. Whenever the White Whale wasn't being used by the Witch Cult, it would rest in the Great Waterfall located at the edge of the world. The White Whale ultimately met its demise by the hands of Wilhelm van Astrea during the Subjugation of the White Whale 400 years after its creation.

Great Rabbit[]

Main article: Great Rabbit

The Great Rabbit (大兎, Ōusagi) is one of the Three Great Witchbeasts. The Witch of Gluttony created the Great Rabbit to act as a food source for starving people, believing the large number of rabbits garnered from the replication ability of the Great Rabbit was capable of would provide a bountiful meal for anyone talented enough to defeat the Great Rabbit. Because it was imprinted with its creator's endless hunger, the Great Rabbit's primary concern at all times was satisfying the insatiable hunger it felt. It considered anything or anyone as suitable food and would devour the flesh, bones, and blood of its targets, leaving nothing behind. Despite being made up of numerous singular rabbits, the Great Rabbit functioned as a singular consciousness. Because of this, the entire collection of Rabbits would always stick closely together, and it was so difficult to get rid of all of the rabbits that it became almost impossible to kill entirely. During the Sanctuary Incident, 400 years after its creation, it was drawn to the Sanctuary of Kremaldy, where the combined efforts of Emilia, Natsuki Subaru, and Beatrice resulted in the entirety of the Great Rabbit was sealed away in a separate dimension via Al Shamak, where it endlessly continues to devour itself.

Black Serpent[]

Main article: Black Serpent

The Black Serpent (黒蛇, Kurohebi), alternatively known as the Vilest of Witchbeasts (最悪の魔獣, Saiaku no Majū),^[2] is one of the Three Great Witchbeasts and is currently the only one of the three that is still roaming the world of Re:Zero. It is considered the worst of the Three Great Witchbeasts, as, unlike the other two, it was almost completely uncontrollable, its actions were usually unpredictable, and its kill count was astronomically higher than either of the other two Great Witchbeasts. As such, even among the Three Great Witchbeasts, the Black Serpent is a being that could be referred to as the singular Great Witchbeast.^[3] Unlike the other two Great Witchbeasts, the Black Serpent was created solely to kill rather than to eventually become a food source. It was created under the logic that if there were less humans, starvation rates would drop, and as such, it was given abilities that would result in anyone who touched it being inflicted numerous diseases and any land it traverses becoming corrupted and uninhabitable.^[4] At present, its current location is unknown.

Unique Witchbeasts[]

Besides the Three Great Witchbeasts, there are two other unique witchbeasts known as the Crimson Scorpion and the Centipede Coffin. The Coffin was only partially alive and acted as the obedient method of transportation for its creator Daphne who fueled the witchbeast with secretions from her own body. The Crimson Scorpion had the power to take the form of a human and exhibit an actual intellect whilst doing so. The Crimson Scorpion was even capable of complex feelings like love and was able to maintain its human form indefinitely, only transforming back when it was forced to.

Crimson Scorpion[]

Main article: Shaula

The Crimson Scorpion (紅蠍, Benisasori) is a unique, powerful witchbeast created by Daphne. Unlike the other four unique witchbeasts, the reason why Daphne created the Crimson Scorpion is currently unknown. However, it is stated that the Sage created the Crimson Scorpion alongside Daphne. The Crimson Scorpion was a scorpion-like witchbeast with a black carapace and orange underbelly. It had the power to regenerate, project beams of light from its tail, and self-destruct certain parts of its body. It was far larger than any ordinary scorpion, having a large profile around the size of an elephant but shorter. Although not as formidable as the Three Great Witchbeasts, it was more powerful than any known ordinary species of witchbeasts. It was also uncontrollable to the likes of Meili Portroute despite her power to control most witchbeasts. Through unknown methods, the Crimson Scorpion was able to take the form of a human woman who called herself Shaula. Notably, the Crimson Scorpion was capable of complex thoughts and emotions while in human form and felt none of its natural impulses to devour living creatures, and the time that she could remain in this human form was seemingly without limit. Though, upon returning to her original form, all semblance of her intelligence was gone.

As Shaula, the Crimson Scorpion became the apprentice of the wise Sage Flugel. She was tasked with overseeing the Witch of Envy's imprisonment in the following years. For four hundred years, Shaula dutifully guarded the Pleiades Watchtower that overlooked Satella's prison while awaiting her beloved master's return. Eventually, members of the Emilia and Anastasia Camps made their way to the Watchtower, and she instantly mistook Subaru for her master. After one of the rules of the tower was broken during the soon-ensuing attack, Shaula was forced to turn back into her scorpion form, at which point her consciousness was lost. Following her defeat at the hands of Subaru and his group, her massive scorpion body was reduced to little more than a small and instinctive scorpion, and she instinctively latches herself onto Meili, as she is heavily attracted to her by her Divine Protection of Demon Manipulation. While in this form, she is still capable of lethal attacks with her stinger.

Centipede Coffin[]

Main article: Centipede Coffin

The Centipede Coffin (百足棺, Mukade Kan) was easily the most unique one-of-a-kind witchbeast, as it was the only known witchbeasts that was completely incapable of thinking. The only actions the Coffin could complete were those that were mentally commanded by Daphne herself, and it had no desires to consume or anything of the sort. Unlike the other four unique witchbeasts, the Centipede Coffin was not suited to combat and hunting as its sole purpose for existence was to act as a method of transportation for the Witch of Gluttony. The reason that Daphne employed the Coffin was because of her insatiable hunger. She believed that movement expended too much energy that made her hungrier, so she used the Coffin to move around. As it had no real cognizance, the Coffin was immune to the Authority of Pride used by the Witch of Pride Typhon.

Physically, the Coffin resembled a black iron maiden with purple and pink decorations. The Coffin could open and close its doors to reveal the Witch inside, who rested within the padded pink interior bound by black chains. Perhaps the most peculiar and unnerving feature of the Coffin was the set of crab-like legs that would sprout from the Coffin's base on the command of its operator. The Coffin, thanks to its legs, could move surprisingly fast. Daphne used the Coffin during her life, however the fate of the witchbeast after her demise is unclear. A copy of the witchbeast existed in the dream world of the Witch of Greed Echidna where it was operated by the soul of its owner. Its primary source of sustenance were the bodily fluids that Daphne secreted including sweat, spit, and urine.

Others[]

Guiltylowe[]

Guiltylowe (ギルティラウ, Girutirau) have the head of a lion, the torso of a horse or goat, a snake-like tail, and a large body capable of blocking a wide passageway. They are known to be a "boss" like beast, often living deep within forests with a high concentration of mana, with some preferring not to needlessly roar like other witchbeasts. Contrary to their large stature, they lightly move around, silently killing their prey with one blow to their vitals and are skilled at ambush and assassination like hunting. The names Jet Black King of the Forest (森の漆黒の王, Mori no Shikkoku no Ō) and Shadow Lion (影獅子, Kage Shishi) are also given to Guiltylowe.

During the events of Arc 4, a Guiltylowe appeared in Roswaal Manor but was set on fire by Otto Suwen and Petra Leyte, causing him to rush Natsuki Subaru and fall through the window, several floors to his supposed death. In truth, the witchbeast survived and later chased Subaru through the burning mansion but was intercepted by Elsa and was sliced apart. Later in Arc 7, a Guiltylowe was the witchbeast used during Subaru and his unit’s Sparka on the Gladiator Island Ginunhive. Another appeared under Meili's command during the events of Arc 9, though it was killed by the Black Serpent.

Wolgarm[]

Wolgarm (ウルガルム, Urugarumu), originally known as Juggernauts (ジャガーノート, Jagānōto) in the web novel, are large wolf-like creatures with brown and black hide, protruding razor-sharp fangs, a set of spikes jutting out of their backs, red eyes, and a single spike like horn on their snouts. They are around one meter in length, weigh 30 to 40 kg, and move in packs which are typically led by a leader that could shapeshift into an unassuming adorable puppy capable of earth magic, aptly referred to as a "Boss Wolgarm" by Subaru. By biting a target, a Wolgarm could inflict their victims with a curse that could only be dispelled by a talented mage or by killing the Wolgarm responsible. This curse is cast through the bite of a Wolgarm witchbeast. It drains a bitten target of their mana and absorbs it into a Wolgarm’s body, essentially making the curse's target their fuel.^[5] When the curse is activated, the functions of the target’s body become weaker, they feel nauseated and sluggish, their breathing gets heavy, and the draining of their mana makes them feel as if their insides are melting. A larger pack of Wolgarms served as the secondary antagonists of the second half of Arc 2.

A pack of Wolgarms lived inside the forest surrounding Arlam Village, although they were unable to enter the settlement due to a magic crystal barrier set up around its perimeter. Meili Portroute, a young assassin who had been hired to cause chaos in the village, had the Divine Protection of Demon Manipulation, which allowed her to control witchbeasts, and employed the assistance of the Wolgarm. Meili used the disguised "Boss Wolgarm" to lure the village children into the woods. The servants of Roswaal L. Mathers' mansion were able to save the children, but only after Subaru was implanted with several curses. The next day, Rem once again journeyed into the forest to exterminate the witchbeasts to free Subaru from the curse, and with the help of Roswaal himself, they were successful in defeating a majority of the pact. Currently, the woods surrounding the village still retain a small number of them, though no precise numbers were given. Some remaining Wolgarms reappeared in Arc 3 in one of Subaru's failed loops, attacking one of Petelgeuse's fingers. In the following arc, a couple Wolgarms also appeared during Elsa and Meili's attack on the old Roswaal Manor, as they were led by the young assassin. Later on in Arc 9, other packs appear under Meili's command during the battle against Roy Alphard, and many of them were killed.

Snow Blight[]

Snow Blights (雪荒らし, Yuki Arashi) are gorilla-like beasts that live in snowy environments such as Elior Forest. Their bodies are almost entirely covered by white fur save for their faces, chests, and inner arms that are left bare. A Snow Blight's bare brown skin turned red when filled with murderous intent. They had yellow eyes and a single slightly curved horn adorning their foreheads. They are over three times the size of regular people and are capable of taking on several armed humans with little to no effort. Like gorillas, their legs are short and stubby, and their arms are thick and as large as tree trunks. They tend to operate alone rather than in groups.

Besides their incredible physical power, Snow Blights are skilled at using the snow in their environment. They craft massive snowballs with astonishing speed that they use to crush their prey from afar. Snow Blights have been typically avoided by people due to their overwhelming power and ferocity. That being said, Emilia encountered two in Elior Forest on two separate occasions. The first one she came across was attacking a defenseless family, prompting her to step in and kill it. She later faced a second one that she drained the life essence of in order to protect a group of criminals.

Orthrus[]

Orthrus (オルトロス, Orutorosu) are enormous witchbeasts, with two canine heads with fangs lining their mouths. The only Orthrus displayed in the story thus far had a horn on each of its two heads, which had been broken in two. They stand at around about 4 meters tall, and their bodies are covered by jet black fur. Their eyes within its two heads are described to be devoid of sanity. They have sharp forefeet pointed-like claws that can easily slaughter human beings.

Black-Winged Mouse[]

Black-Winged Mice (黒翼鼠, Kokuyoku Nezumi) are mice that have black wings and red eyes, making them similar to bats.

Double-Headed Serpent[]

Double-Headed Serpents (双頭蛇, Ākarubu), also known as Abonsconda (アボンスコンダ, Abonsukonda) according to the author,^[6] are snakes with red eyes and a dark body as thick as a human arm.

Rock Pig[]

Rock Pigs (岩豚, Iwa Buta), also known as Wagpigs (ワッグピッグ, Waggupiggu), have round red eyes and jet-black skin that's thick and hard like rock. They have a large mouth, seemingly capable of swallowing a Giant whole, and flat teeth. Their short but thick legs are capable of flattening almost everything, if enough force is exerted. Their belly area is of a lighter color, indicating their weak spot.

During Arc 4's climax, a Rock Pig appeared alongside Meili Portroute and fought with Frederica Baumann. Later in the fight, the Rock Pig was killed by Garfiel Tinzel after being gutted by him.

Elgina[]

The Elgina (エルギーナ, Erugīna) is a snake witchbeast with a ten-meter-long body in length, green scales, a torso as thick as a bundle of logs, and a tail powerful enough to cause fatal injuries with a mere graze. It also produces a poison that is easily capable of killing at least a full-grown man, and like regular snakes, it uses a pit organ to see with heat vision. According to Vincent Vollachia, "El" means giant, so Subaru deduces that "gina" means snake.

Numerous Elginas reside within the Vollachia Empire’s Buddheim Jungle. One such beast was used during the Shudrak Clan’s Lifeblood Ritual and was killed by Subaru and Vincent, while another appeared before a unit of Vollachian soldiers and was slain by them.

Rat-Type Witchbeast[]

This witchbeast is a very large rat with soft-looking fur, bird-like wings growing out of its arms, and a sharp tail to attack with. Apparently, its aggressiveness is comparable to a Guiltylowe. This witchbeast was used during a Sparka event for Ginunhive.

Sturdy Ape[]

Sturdy Apes (剛猿, Tsuyoshi Saru), also known as Lauda (ラウーダ, Raūda), are large, powerful, and wild ape creatures. Its arms are as thick as a human torso, and the sound of its roar is comparable to the exhaust of a large truck.

Possum[]

Possums (袋鼠, Fukuronezumi) are opossum-like creatures can change their body size based on their anger level. They leave traps at dead ends and strike the moment their prey becomes careless. They can harass their enemies by inflating themselves until they explode, showering them with their blood and guts. Other Possums will flock towards the source of the stench and repeat the same process.

Spotted King Dog[]

Spotted King Dogs (斑王犬, Madara-ō Inu) have four legs with sharp claws and thick fur. They have spotted fur and are similar to hyenas, however they are twice as large as humans.

Misfortune Bird[]

Misfortune Birds (凶鳥, Kyō Tori), also known as Knickerbockers (ニッカポッカ, Nikkapokka) according to the author,^[6] are beasts that moved into the forest near Roswaal Manor after the Wolgarms were killed.

One-Horned Mouse[]

One-Horned Mice (一角鼠, Ikkaku Nezumi), also known as Dimril (ディムリル, Dimuriru) according to the author,^[6] are beasts that moved into the forest near Roswaal Manor after the Wolgarms were killed.

Aquatic Witchbeasts[]

Though not seen in certain bodies of water, such as the lake in which Priestella is located, there are dangerous witchbeasts that do reside in the waters of some certain lakes, such as Ginunhive’s Lake Violane, which acts almost like the island’s prison guards, and anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in these waters tend to be devoured. There are other such witchbeasts in the area of the Godlait Waterfall in Vollachia.

Majira[]

Majira (マジーラ, Majīra) are one-horned monkeys that are about half the size of an average human. According to Beatrice, they have some level of intelligence as they are skilled fighting as a group in forests. They appeared in chapter 11 of the Aganau IF in Re:Zero Lost in Memories.

Boss Majira[]

Boss Majira (ボスマジーラ, Bosu Majīra) are large one-horned monkeys that about the size of a human with two horned knuckles on each hand. According to Subaru, they presumably serve as the pact leaders for the majira, bearing incredible strength. They appeared in chapter 11 of the Aganau IF in Re:Zero Lost in Memories.

Augria Sand Dunes[]

Due to its close proximity to the Witch's Shrine, the Augria Sand Dunes has a high concentration of miasma, making it an ideal place for witchbeasts to live. Witchbeasts that live here are larger than normal, tend to become violent, and some only live in the area. It is due to this fact that the Augria Sand Dunes are considered one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Unicorn[]

Unicorns (一角獣, Ikkakujū) are rumored to be an endemic species that live in the Augria Sand Dunes. They have only been mentioned by a bartender in Mirula.

Hungry Horse King[]

Hungry Horse Kings (餓馬王, Gabaō), dubbed Centaurs (ケンタウロス, Kentaurosu) by Natsuki Subaru, are an endemic species located underground in the Augria Sand Dunes and are one of the strongest species that live there. They are six to seven meters in length. They are described to be similar to a deformed centaur: they have the body of a horse with a humanlike torso instead of a head, the human torso in turn has a curved horn growing where the head should be and a mouth stretching vertically from chest to belly, with no eyes, and a cry similar to a human baby's. In exchange for not having sight, their hearing is above average, using echolocation to see their surroundings. The fur on their back is constantly burning and keeps on burning even if it is pulled out, allowing them to launch fireballs at their prey or create weapons for close combat.

Unlike other witchbeasts, Hungry Horse Kings are able to regenerate a broken horn, making them unable to be tamed, and can also regenerate any lost body parts in addition to adding limbs or hardening their body, effectively enabling them to make themselves stronger after they meet their opponents. Despite their strength, one of them was easily defeated by Shaula when its internal organs were completely obliterated. Its regeneration is also limited in that cauterized wounds cannot be healed, which becomes a problem if it accidentally burns itself with its own fire attacks.

Though they usually reside within the sands, another one appeared under Meili's control during the events of Arc 9.

Courtesan Bear[]

Courtesan Bears (花魁熊, Oiranguma) are bear-shaped witchbeasts. They have flowers all over their bodies and live in flower gardens that exist in certain areas of the Augria Sand Dunes. Courtesan Bears are two to three meters in length and have short legs in exchange for long arms, black fur, and hook-like claws. The flowers on their bodies are actually parasites that suck moisture and nutrients from their hosts, and any places that don't have any flowers have withered. Their faces are mummy-like.

Sand Earthworm[]

Sand Earthworms (砂蚯蚓, Sunamimizu), also called Earth Serpents (土蛇, Tsuchihebi), are an endemic species located in the Augria Sand Dunes. Though there are native ones as well, the endemic ones are mentioned to be up to several thousand times larger. They have no backbone, no eyes, no arms or legs, and has a body that is made to live under the surface. Their mouths are capable of swallowing four to five people whole at once and have teeth that help distribute saliva that melts their victims.

Feathered Mole[]

Feathered Moles (羽土竜, Hanemogura) are an endemic species located in the Augria Sand Dunes. They are covered in something which resembles bird wings, and the greater part of their head has transformed into a horn. Feathered Moles can fly with their wings, but when their horn breaks, they die.

Trivia[]

• Like the three Sin Archbishops of Gluttony, the Three Great Witchbeasts are each likely inspired by or represent the respective constellations that the Sin Archbishops are named after, with Lye Batenkaitos and the White Whale coming from the constellation Caelus, Roy Alphard and the Black Serpent coming from Hydra, and Rui Arneb and the Great Rabbit coming from Lepus. Likewise, Shaula's name and shape are inspired by the constellation Scorpius.
  • The White Whale may also have been loosely based off of Moby Dick, the white whale from the book of the same name by Herman Melville.
  • The Black Serpent having multiple heads is also likely inspired by the Nemean Hydra, a beast in Greek mythology that is said to have multiple heads.
• The author stated that when the White Whale wasn't rampaging throughout the land, it was situated near the Great Waterfall.
• In Elsa and Meili, Assassin Sisters' Dark Diary, Meili uses the body part of a witchbeast to change their hair colors for a time and claims this could only be used while a witchbeast was alive. It is unknown what kind of witchbeast she used, however.
• Both the author and Volume 7 denote that the White Whale has two types of mist, and both consistently use "annihilation". However, the mist types of "mental contamination" and "diffusion" were different between sources. Despite this, each of the mists' effects are present among the White Whale's abilities.
• There is a theory that animals that take in magical miasma stones become witchbeasts.^[7] However, this has never been proven.

References[]

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