Overlord III

Episode 12

Though they have been used relatively sparingly, mind-boggling displays of power have always been one of this franchise's big draws. That they come infrequently has actually been to the franchise's benefit, however. Ains and his Nazarick minions are so much more powerful than everyone else that no one can even challenge them, so too many displays of naked awesomeness could actually turn the content into a yawner. (See Kaze no Stigma.) That Ains' outward confidence has always been at odds with his inner voice has also helped keep him from being just an arrogant bastard.

But sometimes story circumstances allow for a big batch of aggrandizement, and this is one of those times. The Empire has asked Ains to launch his most powerful spell as the signal to the beginning of battle, in part so that the Emperor can get a gauge on what Ains can actually do and thus formulate a strategy against him around that. So what's the best way to deal with such backbiting? Just be so overwhelming in your display of power that you leave even allies literally shaking in their boots. That's exactly what we get when Ains drops a spell which almost instantly kills off tens of thousands of Kingdom troops, and then for a kicker uses their “sacrifice” to summon these massive, Cthulhu-esque masses of mouths (what we've been seeing all season in the opener) that sprout tentacles and immense hooves and bay like goats; in fact, Ains even refers to them as such. He then lets then run rampant across the field and intimafates even allies into applauding his greatness, to say nothing of what the display does to the Empire force's commander; I have to think that this display will serve its purpose and convince the Emperor that he wants no part in opposing Ains. Even the most boisterous Kingdom forces who survive the initial onslaught certainly take the hint and flee the battlefield.

This all leads to the episode-ending confrontation that we all knew had to be coming: Gazeff Stronoff once again standing before Ains, this time as an enemy. The respect and congeniality going both ways is clear, with Ains even offering Gazeff a position as a subordinate in exchange for sparing the lives of others on the battlefield. Ains had to know that it was an offer that Gazeff couldn't accept and that he'd put Gazeff in a position where he had no choice but to call for a duel. Likewise Gazeff knows full well that he probably can't even scratch Ains, but it's a confrontation he cannot avoid without sacrificing his well-justified loyalty to his king. Essentially it's a display of honor but without all of the baggage which all too often comes with honor duels, and that's why watching Gazeff fight his doomed fight next episode is still going to be a treat.

On the downside, yeah, the CG of massed soldier movements isn't any better than last episode, and the gooey muck which oozes out over the fallen soldiers didn't look good, either. The scene involving evacuating the king was also executed in too relaxed a fashion for the situation, thus sapping much of its urgency. The sheep-creatures were more impressive, as were movements and actions by human characters and the final little bits of character-building here and there, including Climb being ribbed about marrying the princess (which is ironic because Brain has no clue how badly Renner actually wants that). Ains also leaves us with a semi-mystery about who the “three, no four” which couldn't be targeted were and why; past precedent strongly suggests that Climb is one, and Ains' offer to Gazeff seems to indicate that he's another, but is Brain also one? If we presume Renner is the third then who's the fourth?

That just adds something else to look forward to for the final episode.

Rating: B+

Overlord III is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.