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As the highly anticipated third season of Re:Zero anime approaches, fans are eager to see Emilia, Subaru, and the rest of her camp embark on a new journey to the Water Gate City of Priestella.
This voyage isn’t just a casual visit; it’s prompted by an invitation from Anastasia Hoshin and revolves around acquiring a high-quality magic crystal—an endeavor that has everything to do with Puck, Emilia’s cherished spirit companion.
But what exactly happened to Puck?
Table of Contents
What Happened to Puck?
To answer in short, Puck broke his contract with Emilia and is now resting within a crystal that she wears around her neck.
Puck has always been more than just a contracted spirit to Emilia. Acting as a surrogate father and steadfast ally, he often proclaims that no one loves Emilia as much as he does—not even Subaru.
His unwavering support had been a cornerstone of Emilia’s life, making his sudden disappearance all the more impactful.
The Trials of the Sanctuary and Roswaal’s Interference
During the Sanctuary arc (Season 2), Emilia faced a grueling trial that required her to confront her past. Struggling immensely, she found herself unable to recognize or accept the traumatic memories presented to her.
Surprisingly, Puck was unable to come to her aid during these trials, despite being her contracted spirit. This absence was not due to any reluctance on Puck’s part but was the result of Roswaal’s meddling.
Before heading to the Sanctuary in Season 1 (Arc 3), Roswaal had tampered with the contract between Puck and Emilia, effectively preventing Puck from manifesting when Emilia needed him most.
This interference was revealed during a confrontation involving Puck, Ram, and Roswaal. The latter admits that he had cast a spell on Emilia when she was at her lowest.
Puck was only able to come out thanks to Subaru, who in a desperate attempt, pretended to strangle Emilia. Puck immediately was able to manifest—likely due to a residual protective clause in their contract.
The Decision to Break the Contract
Realizing that the contract was now more of a hindrance than a help, Puck came to a difficult decision. In Season 2 episode 14, Puck unilaterally broke his contract to lift the seal on Emilia’s forgotten memories.
The contract, initially designed to protect her from past traumas, was now obstructing her ability to face the first trial of the Sanctuary.
Without access to her memories, Emilia couldn’t recognize the events shown to her, causing her immense suffering and repeated failures.
Subaru and Puck recognized that the only way for Emilia to succeed was for her to regain her memories. Breaking the contract was the key to unlocking them.
While this decision was difficult, it was made with Emilia’s best interests at heart. Puck believed that facing her past was crucial not only for passing the trials but also for her quest to claim the throne of Lugunica and ultimately rescue the frozen inhabitants of the Elior Forest.
What happened to Puck after the contract broke?
When Puck broke the contract, there was a significant risk involved. Puck needed a lot of mana to maintain his form. And since he was no longer contracted to Emilia, it would have resulted in him absorbing the required mana from the nearby atmosphere.
This naturally meant that the Sanctuary would have been sucked dry out of mana, putting everyone’s lives there at risk.
Remember Puck’s monstrous form? And all the destruction that he caused, freezing the entire area around him? Well, that’s how bad the situation would have been.
And if Puck didn’t get the required mana, he would have dissipated into nothingness and eventually been reborn elsewhere in the world, possibly in locations significant to him.
The Role of the Crystal and Puck’s Hibernation
Understanding the stakes, Subaru devised a plan to prevent Puck’s complete disappearance. He provided Puck with Frederica’s crystal to reside in.
The crystal essentially contained Puck from being in contact with the outside world, and in that way the Sanctuary and everyone in close proximity to Puck would be safe.
Puck explained to Subaru that without a proper vessel, he would dissipate and be reborn elsewhere, which might separate him from Emilia indefinitely. Prepared for this outcome, Puck was ready to make the sacrifice.
However, Subaru’s quick thinking circumvented this by offering the lab’s crystal, ensuring Puck remained close, even if dormant.
This information was not immediately apparent in the narrative. Initially, it appeared that Puck had vanished entirely after breaking the contract, adding emotional weight to his departure. It was later revealed during the battle with Garfiel that Subaru had orchestrated this plan off-screen.
The mana that Puck had sucked out of Garfiel helped him manifest once again for a short time in order to aid Ram in her fight against Roswaal.
After that encounter, Puck completely drains his mana, and has been in hibernation since then.
The Search for a High-Quality Magic Crystal
The crystal that Puck currently is in is relatively weak and low-grade, insufficient to support Puck’s full power.
Since then, Emilia’s camp has has been in search a high-grade magic crystal thanks to Anastasia’s help. The hope is that this new crystal will allow Puck to awaken from his hibernation and potentially reestablish a new contract with Emilia.
Emilia’s acceptance of Anastasia Hoshin’s invitation to the Water Gate City is driven by this mission. Acquiring a suitable crystal is not just about bringing back a powerful ally; it’s about reuniting with a cherished companion who has been instrumental in her life.
The high-quality magic crystal is essential for Puck to safely manifest.
As far as the contents of the novel are concerned (spoilers ahead obviously), Puck is still in hibernation. Emilia’s camp gets the crystal, and the only thing left for Emilia to do is to gather a lot of mana in order to make a contract with the kitty spirit.
However, that has not come to pass yet. Part of it could be because Emilia has been constantly involved in multiple events across the map, making it hard for her to just save up enough mana, I suppose.
Also, once Puck is back, it will give everyone an easy pass, and might hinder the development that Emilia is going through right now. After all, the spirit is very overprotective of his daughter. That could be another reason why Tappei is delaying his entry in the story.
For now, the cat continues to sleep!!
