He definitely deserves more love.
Summary:
- Denken is one of the strongest participants of the first-class mage exam.
- He is a former Imperial Mage with a tragic past.
- It’s not strength that makes him a good character — it is his personality.
There is no shortage of good characters when it comes to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sousou no Frieren). Many of them were introduced in the First-Class Mage Exam arc. A lot of fans like Übel, for example.
That said, one of the most underappreciated characters in that arc — and in the entire series — is definitely Denken.
Denken Is Incredibly Strong
Denken is among the strongest candidates that take part in the exam. He is an Imperial Mage — well-versed in politics and presumably very cunning. He’s also a second-class mage at the time of taking the exam, which is a higher class than that of most other examinees.
He’s a very formidable fighter, and he passes all the exams — proving once again that despite his age, he’s very strong. In fact, his age even fooled Serie at first, and she almost wanted to fail him — but decided to pass him in the end because he still had “youthful flame” in his eyes.
It’s Not Only About Strength — He’s Also a Good Person
Despite his strength and position, Denken acts very humble. He doesn’t flaunt his title of an Imperial Mage, and most of the time, we see him act calm, deeply analyzing the situation. That said, when needed, Denken can be a good leader as well — he’s arguably the best first-class mage candidate out of everyone who took the exam.
Denken was renowned for his talent and passion, and over the years, he didn’t lose them. He might look old, but he still strives to achieve more. Despite his tragic past — his wife died years ago due to poor health — he still hasn’t lost the passion for life, proving that he still has something to live for.
He’s Just Very Likable
Denken’s interactions with others are also really indicative of his personality. During the first stage of the exam, he bluffed against Frieren to protect her teammates from Richter, his own teammate. Denken might be ambitious, but he knows that ambition is not worth innocent lives — he’s wise as well.
Overall, Denken’s likable personality makes him akin to a friendly grandpa. A really overpowered friendly grandpa, but still. We will probably see him later in the manga (or in S2 of anime, if that ever comes out), and fans will be happy about his potential return.