Episode 13 – Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation III

Having seen this abridged version of Future Rudeus’ life, we are left with the question: Who is truly responsible for Rudeus’ misfortune? Of course, the knee jerk reaction would be to blame the Man-God for it all. After all, he is the one who took advantage of Rudeus’ trust and used him to kill Roxy (and her unborn child) in a Rube Goldberg fashion. But while both the inciting action and malicious intent begin with the Man-God, there were numerous chances—numerous points of no return—where better choices from Rudeus would have stopped the chain-reaction of despair in his life.

Rudeus didn’t need to steal from the Church, branding himself a pariah and resulting in Cliff’s death. He didn’t need to turn into a drunk, sleep with prostitutes, and drive his remaining wife to take part in an ill conceived coup. He didn’t need to go on a killing spree, making him an enemy of an entire kingdom. He didn’t need to ignore his friend’s problems when their despair was even greater than his own. He didn’t need to drive Eris away at every possible turn.

Or to put it another way, other people lose loved ones and don’t turn into apostate war criminals. However, the fact of the matter is that Rudeus, despite his growth, is still an inherently selfish individual. His joy and his pain are what matters most to him—even as he claims that his family is the most important thing in the world.

Luckily, with years of distance (following the decades of self-loathing and revenge-seeking), Future Rudeus can see his mistakes for what they are. This is why he not only gives Rudeus the information to save Roxy but also tells him to look after Nanahoshi and make peace with Eris. Moreover, he makes sure to pass on that attempting to get revenge on the Man-God is futile. The only real way to strike back is to deceive him—to aid those with the lifespan needed to get revenge in his stead on the down low.

And all this leaves us wondering, can modern day Rudeus learn from his future self’s mistakes? Is seeing himself die and reading the diary enough for him to make the changes he needs to in the present? Can he forgive Eris? Can he keep his cool around the Man-God? Can he be the friend that Nanahoshi needs? Can he be less self-centered the next time tragedy inevitably strikes?

…Or are these all lessons that can only be learned the hard way?

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation III is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.