Re:ZERO Season 4 Part 2: Shaula, the Zero-Star Connection, and Subaru Identity Theory Explained

When I first reached the latest episodes of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 Part 2, I expected incredible fights, emotional breakdowns, and maybe another painful Subaru death or two. What I didn’t expect was to spend hours afterward reading theories, rewatching scenes, and connecting tiny details that suddenly made the entire story feel much bigger than I imagined.

Arc 6 has always been considered one of the strongest parts of the novels, but seeing it animated by White Fox really changes the experience. The Pleiades Watchtower isn’t just another dungeon filled with difficult enemies—it feels like the center of every unanswered question the series has been building toward since Episode 1.

And honestly? Shaula completely stole the show for me.

She looks like comic relief at first. She’s playful, loud, constantly teasing Subaru, and behaves like someone who has known him forever. But after only a few scenes, you realize there’s something deeply tragic hidden beneath that cheerful personality.

Shaula Knows Subaru… But Doesn’t

One of the most unforgettable moments is when Shaula instantly calls Subaru her Master.

The strange part is that she immediately admits he doesn’t actually look like the legendary Flugel.

• Different face.
• Different voice.
• Different personality.

Yet she never hesitates.

Instead, she recognizes something else entirely—the overwhelming scent of the Witch’s miasma.

That tiny detail changes everything.

Instead of proving Subaru is Flugel, it actually creates even more questions.

If appearance doesn’t matter, then what exactly is Shaula sensing?

The Stars Aren’t Just Cool Names

One thing I’ve always loved about Re:ZERO is how carefully Tappei Nagatsuki chooses names.

Nothing feels random.

Once you notice the astronomical references, it’s impossible to ignore them.

What really impressed me is how the tower itself almost feels designed for someone from Earth.

Subaru solves puzzles because he already understands constellations that nobody else in Lugunica should even know.

That can’t be an accident.

Why Shaula Feels Like an “Impossible” Character

Something that fascinated me is how disconnected Shaula seems from everything around her.

Symbolically, she belongs to Scorpius.

The tower belongs to Pleiades.

Those ideas shouldn’t naturally overlap.

That’s why I like thinking of Shaula as a kind of “zero-point” anomaly.

She exists where she technically shouldn’t.

Her entire purpose was rewritten by Flugel.

Instead of following her own nature, she spends centuries orbiting one location and waiting for one person.

That makes her relationship with Subaru feel even sadder.

She isn’t choosing to believe.

She was built to believe.

So… Is Subaru Actually Flugel?

This is the question every fan seems to ask after finishing Arc 6.

Personally, I don’t think there’s one obvious answer yet.

The story deliberately gives us enough clues to support multiple possibilities.

Here are the theories I find the most interesting.

1. Subaru Eventually Becomes Flugel

This is probably the most famous theory.

The idea is simple:

• Subaru travels hundreds of years into the past.
• He creates the Watchtower.
• He prepares everything for his younger self.
• Shaula waits centuries for his return.

It explains the Japanese references and the tower surprisingly well.

But emotionally?

I’m not fully convinced.

It feels incredibly difficult to imagine Subaru willingly abandoning Shaula for 400 years.

2. Subaru Is Flugel’s Reincarnation

This theory feels more believable to me.

Instead of literally being Flugel, Subaru could simply carry the same soul.

His memories disappeared.

His personality changed.

But his spiritual identity remained.

That would explain why Shaula recognizes him while also admitting he looks completely different.

It also fits nicely with Re:ZERO’s themes of souls, memories, and identity.

3. Flugel Reset Himself

This is probably my favorite possibility.

Imagine someone carrying centuries of regret.

Imagine realizing you’ve completely failed to save the people you loved.

Instead of trying again as the same person, you erase everything.

• Your memories.
• Your identity.
• Your accomplishments.
• You begin again as an ordinary teenager from Japan.

That sounds incredibly tragic…

…and also feels exactly like something Re:ZERO would do.

Shaula Is One of the Saddest Characters in the Series

Before Arc 6, I honestly thought Shaula existed mostly to provide comedy and fan service.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The more we learn about her, the more heartbreaking she becomes.

She isn’t simply guarding a tower.

She has been trapped there for four centuries.

She follows rules she cannot break.

She attacks strangers because she literally has no choice.

She waits every single day for someone who never comes back.

Even her cheerful personality starts feeling less genuine.

To me, it looks like someone desperately trying to stay mentally stable after hundreds of years of complete isolation.

When she eventually transforms into her terrifying crimson scorpion form, the scene becomes even more painful.

She doesn’t suddenly become evil.

She’s simply following the programming that defines her existence.

That’s what makes the battle so emotional.

Subaru’s Journey Is Becoming Much Bigger

Early Re:ZERO felt like a survival story.

Then it became political.

Later it transformed into psychological horror.

Now it almost feels like cosmic fantasy.

Subaru isn’t only saving Emilia anymore.

He’s uncovering a mystery that’s been unfolding for centuries.

Many fans have noticed another interesting parallel.

• The Pleiades consists of seven major stars.
• Subaru continues collecting seven Witch Factors.

Whether that’s symbolic or literal remains unknown, but the connection feels too deliberate to ignore.

If Subaru truly becomes a complete Sage candidate, then Arc 6 might only be revealing the beginning of an even larger plan.

Re:ZERO Season 4 Part 2: How Did Louis Arneb Divide Herself? Arc 6 Gluttony Breakdown

My Biggest Takeaway After Watching Part 2

What impressed me most wasn’t the action.

It wasn’t even the massive lore reveals.

It was how every answer somehow creates three new mysteries.

• Shaula recognizes Subaru, but not his face.
• The Watchtower was seemingly built for someone from modern Earth.
• Flugel’s shadow hangs over nearly every important event.
• Satella remains deeply connected to Subaru.

None of these threads are fully explained yet, but together they create one of the most compelling mysteries I’ve seen in modern anime.

That’s why I think Arc 6 has become such a favorite among longtime fans.

It rewards paying attention.

Tiny details from years ago suddenly become important.

Characters who once seemed simple reveal incredible emotional depth.

Very few series manage to make their world feel this carefully planned.

Final Thoughts

For me, Shaula has become far more than one of Re:ZERO’s most memorable characters. She represents everything that makes this series special: hidden symbolism, emotional tragedy, layered world-building, and mysteries that refuse to offer easy answers.

Whether Subaru is Flugel himself, a reincarnated soul, or someone completely different, I think that’s almost secondary to what Arc 6 is really exploring. The story isn’t just asking who Subaru is—it’s asking whether a person can escape the weight of a destiny written centuries before they were born.

Season 4 Part 2 has already delivered some of the strongest storytelling in the franchise, and if the remaining episodes continue at this level, I genuinely believe this arc will be remembered as one of the defining moments in Re:ZERO’s history. And if there’s one character I’ll never look at the same way again, it’s Shaula—the lonely guardian who spent 400 years believing her master would eventually come home.