Back Arrow

Episode 21

The battle with Rudolph's Briheight intensifies as Bit and the transformed Granedger unleash a barrage of attacks. Everyone else joins the fray as well, and Rudolph is delighted as all the intense emotions will feed God. Rudolph exits the Dreadnought to fight in his Briheight, but continues to control the vessel using cables. Everyone attacks to try and break the cables, and though they take damage the princess emits healing beams to keep them going.

Things further escalate when Bit allows the Granedger to combine with the Dairekka dreadnought to create an even larger mech. Not to be outdone, the Emperor and Back Arrow give their all in a series of blistering offensives that culminate in a giant Martial Arrow attack that pierces Rudolph through the heart.

But that does not stop him. He grabs the Briheight and helps Arrow remember his true form. He then stabs the Emperor through the chest. The others try to intervene but Dissonanza returns, her conviction keeping her alive during the last fight. Zetsu falls from the Arrow blade and lands on Rudolph's Briheight, in his final moments taking Rudolph's power and yanking free a long chain of Bind Warpers that resided within his chest. With his final breath, he tells the people of Lingalind that they need to chart their own destiny.

The battle draws to a close, and everyone gathers to give the Emperor a proper burial. But no trace of Rudolph, the Emperor, or Back Arrow was ever found. After receiving reports that Back Arrow is rampaging near the Pretty Boys, Ren and Kai set out to defeat him in their Briheights. Arrow is worn out and has resigned himself to hopelessness. A desperate fight breaks out, with Kai able to deflect Arrow's attacks. He even uses dark conviction particles to harm Arrow's Briheight. But just as things are about to heat up again – Shu returns! And he's as tall as a Briheight?!

Well, Back Arrow continues to surprise.

We don't quite get to full deicide levels, but we do have a lot of high octane battles going on. The supercharged Martial Arrow was a treat, and seeing those kinds of attacks is really exciting. Bit also gets to take the super combining transforming battleship and combine it with another super combining transforming battleship, which scores even more points on my “Yes this is what I want” o'meter.

It is a shame how quickly everything seems to wrap up though. I expected the battle to take a bit longer to resolve in terms of screentime. And we don't even get much of a breather before we are right back at it with Arrow and Kai/Ren battling (Arrow was only “missing” for the span of one on-screen sentence). It feels like this could have used another half episode of fighting and fallout if I'm being perfectly honest. But then the pace of the series has been accelerating the past few episodes anyway, so maybe it is warranted.

Shu returning and being a giant is yet another mystery. As always, I am eager to see what the show has for us next week in terms of high profile dramatic reveals.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Back Arrow is currently streaming on FUNimation Entertainment.