Freeren and Friends

Heiter is a human priest and a member of Himmel's hero squad. He has a weakness for alcohol. He and Himmel grew up in the same orphanage. After the squad disbanded, he became the bishop of the Holy City. He found, adopted, and raised Fern (he later died of old age, and also appeared in the memories of Freeren and Fren).

Appearance:
A short, stocky man with reddish hair and freckles. He has a good-natured, slightly comical expression. He is rather casual in his attire: he can often be seen in a worn trench coat, shirt, and simple trousers. His appearance emphasizes his informality and easygoing nature.

Character:
Cheerful, a little chaotic, but incredibly kind. He easily defuses tension with a joke and strives to maintain a lighthearted atmosphere in the squad, even during difficult moments. Heiter doesn't like to overdramatize and believes that "everything will work out somehow" if we stick together. This relaxed demeanor conceals sensitivity: he notices when someone is struggling and helps discreetly, without fanfare.

Aizen is a dwarf warrior and a member of the hero Himmel's party. Dwarves are not as long-lived as elves, but they still live significantly longer than humans. However, despite his longer lifespan, he has already passed adulthood and has grown old. At the beginning of the story, he declines Freeren's invitation to embark on a new adventure, preferring to spend his remaining days in peace, and advises her to take Stark in her place.

Appearance:
A short, muscular man with a stern demeanor. He has dark, often tousled hair and a piercing gaze. Scars are often visible on his face, the marks of past battles. He is practical in his attire, wearing armor or combination outfits that allow him to move freely in combat.

Character:
Rough on the outside, but dependable to the core. As a seasoned warrior, he's accustomed to relying on strength and discipline over emotion, which can make him seem abrupt. Aizen dislikes long conversations and prefers to get straight to the point. At the same time, he's deeply loyal to those he considers "his own," willing to protect them even at the cost of his own comfort. His concern manifests itself in simple things: offering advice, stopping someone in time, and backing them up in battle.

The story takes place in a fantasy world. In the past, a group of heroes, including the elven sorceress Friren, after many adventures, defeated the Demon King and saved the world. Half a century has passed since this feat, and the ageless Friren sets out on a new quest to the "resting place of souls" to bid a final farewell to her comrade Himmel, who died of old age. This quest partly echoes the previous adventure—traveling to the sites of her own glory and reminiscing about the past, Friren learns more about the human world, her former companions, and herself.

Freeren is the main character of the manga and anime series, an elf and sorceress, and a member of the hero Himmel's squad who defeated the Demon King. Although she appears young, Freeren is of the long-lived elven race and is over a thousand years old. One of the most powerful mages in the world, she hates demons and mercilessly kills them. She is known as the mage who has slain the most demons in history, earning her the nickname "The Last Slayer." Because her sense of time differs from that of humans, Freeren tends to devote months, even years, to a single task. After Himmel's death, Freeren regrets not having gotten to know him better during their ten-year adventure. Therefore, she embarks on a new journey to get to know humans better. She now travels with human protégés: Fern, whom she took on as an apprentice at the suggestion of her old comrade Heiter, and Stark, a warrior apprentice of Aizen.

In the distant past, the elven village where Friren lived was massacred by demons, she was saved by the great mage Flamme and became her apprentice.

Despite her age, she sometimes acts childishly. She likes to sleep late and has a hard time waking up in the morning. As a hobby, she collects magical grimoires. She loves to climb through treasure chests, which is why she constantly gets stuck in the mouths of Mimics.

Appearance:
A petite elf. She has long silver hair, parted in the middle and braided into two high ponytails. Her eyes are green and her eyebrows are thick. Like all elves, she has large, pointed ears. She usually wears a striped black and white shirt, a white jacket with gold trim, a skirt with a black belt, and a short cape with decorative inserts and red gemstones on the shoulders. Black tights, brown boots, and gold earrings with red teardrop-shaped stones complete her look. In cold weather, Frieren wears a white dress with a high collar and long sleeves, a beige coat, and a blue scarf. On her travels, she carries a magic staff (red with a gold crescent-shaped tip) and a small suitcase.

Character:
She appears calm and even detached, but this is due to a difference in their sense of time: for an immortal elf, decades seem like a blink of an eye, so she doesn't always understand the importance of "small" human moments. Frieren is inquisitive, especially about magic: she collects spells almost like memories. She lacks tact; she can accidentally offend with a word and not immediately notice. At the same time, she develops genuine attachments, she just realizes it belatedly—which is why, after Himmel's death, she decides to better understand people. She has a childlike spontaneity and stubbornness: if she's interested in something, she'll take a risk for the chance to get it.

Fern is a human sorceress and Freren's apprentice. She is an orphan from a southern country who lost her parents during the war and was about to commit suicide by jumping into a ravine, but was saved by Heiter. As a child, Fern began learning magic to become more independent. She later met Freren, who visited Heiter when she was nine years old, and he asked Freren to teach her magic so she could become an independent mage. When she turned fifteen, after Heiter's death, she set out on a journey with Freren as her ward.

Appearance:
She has short pink hair pulled back into a ponytail and pink eyes. She looks significantly younger than her age. She prefers practical but neat clothes—she can often be seen in her apprentice mage uniform or in a white and pink outfit.

Character:
Practical, collected, and highly responsible, Fern often takes on "adult" tasks, making her seem older than her years. She's patient with Freeren's eccentricities, but has little tolerance for irresponsibility and empty promises. Fern doesn't like being the center of attention, but when it comes to protecting her friends or pursuing justice, she stands firm. She has a deep inner kindness, which she hides behind a stern exterior, and she's gradually learning to trust her feelings, not just logic.

Stark is a human, a young warrior raised by Aizen, who replaces him in Freeren's new adventure. Since Aizen declined the invitation due to his advanced age, Stark becomes a front-line fighter in battles—a role for which Freeren and Fern, being mages, are unsuited. He is timid, but he is an incredibly strong and skilled warrior, devoted to his comrades.

Appearance:
A young man with red hair (with black roots) and orange eyes. He has a strong build. He has a noticeable scar on his forehead—he received it when Aizen struck him out of fear. Stark usually wears a black sleeveless shirt with a collar and white buttons, baggy black pants, black boots, a white belt, and bandages wrapped around his arms. When outdoors, he wears a red coat with cream lapels and cuffs and black fingerless gloves. He carries his large, double-headed gray-silver axe with a shoulder strap on his back. He wears a silver bracelet on his wrist (a gift from Fern for his eighteenth birthday).

Character:
At first, he seems simply "strong and silent," but in reality, he is very sensitive and loyal. He is afraid of letting down those who have trusted him, and because of this, he sometimes acts abruptly to hide his anxiety. Stark is straightforward and doesn't like to play tricks, but he knows how to care in his own way: fetching firewood, making sure everyone has eaten, standing guard when the others need a break. He has a sense of humor, but it is quiet, almost imperceptible. In the group, he is the one who holds everyone together, not with loud words, but with actions.

Zain is a human, a village priest, who eventually joins Freeren's party. Despite being a gifted priest, Zain has several vices, including a love of alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, and older women. He travels with Freeren for a time, but then temporarily leaves to search for his best friend, who long before him set out on his own adventure.

Appearance:
He has long dark hair, which he often wears in a ponytail, and dark eyes. His face is elongated, with prominent cheekbones. He prefers dark colors in clothing, which emphasizes his mysterious and serious nature.

Character:
Calm, observant, and somewhat reserved, he prefers to listen rather than talk and draws conclusions based on facts. Zayn doesn't seek to be at the center of events, but he often notices important details that others miss. He has a strong sense of duty and responsibility, carefully weighs decisions, and dislikes acting on emotion. At the same time, he is a loyal friend and is ready to support others when he feels it's truly needed.

Himmel is a man, a hero, and the leader of his squad, as well as a self-proclaimed handsome man. Friendly and calm, always striving to help people, he's not without a sense of self-irony. His death prompts Friren to set out on a new journey. (This character will only appear in Friren's memories.)

Appearance:
A tall, stately man with noble features. He has light (often golden) hair and blue eyes. His appearance exudes confidence and kindness. He prefers practical yet elegant armor and cloaks, suitable for adventuring.

Character:
A charismatic and warm leader who knows how to inspire without overpowering. He genuinely wants people to feel needed around him and strives to smooth over conflicts. Himmel isn't perfect: sometimes he takes on too much to avoid disturbing others, and he hides his fatigue. His strength lies in his ability to see the best in everyone and help them to blossom. That's why his death hits Frieren so hard: he was the one who showed her the value of human connections.