It’s against their nature.
Summary:
- Frieren has a peculiar depiction of demons.
- They will never understand humans.
- That’s why no redemption is possible for them.
Demons are probably one of the most interesting beings in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren). There have been dozens of discussions as to why they are so unique in this series, but fans want to know if any of them can have redeeming qualities.
Interesting Depiction of the Demons
The thing is, demons in Frieren are not like demons in any other series. They don’t feel human emotions, and they can’t even properly understand them. Frieren’s demons know how to manipulate humans, but it’s impossible for them to fully comprehend them.
The demon girl Himmel and Frieren encountered in Season 1 was a great example. She knew that the word “mom” had an effect on people. She used the word to make them spare her. But the girl was incapable of understanding the concept of a mother, she just used the word to manipulate others.
Moreover, demons don’t even always know what malice is, either. They are these empty creatures, not capable of feeling human emotions. No love, no rage, no happiness. They have a mission, and will use the means they know to accomplish it.
No Redemption Possible
That’s why fans don’t believe that Frieren’s demons can have any redeeming qualities. Because if they did, they wouldn’t be demons anymore.
We don’t want to spoil you much, but the next arc of the manga that hasn’t been adapted in Season 1 of the anime will feature a demon trying to get closer to humans. No matter how much he tries, he cannot understand people and their emotions, it’s just not something that Frieren’s demons are capable of.
Demons can be nice to humans. If their goal is not to get rid of them, but to live in peace, they might actually try to integrate into their society. But as the aforementioned arc proves: they are meant to fail because they’ll never comprehend the depth of human beings.
Frieren’s demons cannot be sympathetic, it just goes against their nature, and they couldn’t change it even if they tried. That’s why Frieren was absolutely right when she said one could never trust a demon.
Even if a demon seems nice and peaceful at the moment, tragedy is unavoidable. Demons don’t think and feel the way humans do. They can coexist with humans for some time if that’s not against their beliefs, but there will always come a major misunderstanding that might lead to horrible events.