REVIEW: ‘Fire Force’ Season 3 Episode 8 — “Holy Mother Of Darkness/The Knight King’s Great Adventure”

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8, “Holy Mother of Darkness/The Knight King’s Great Adventure,” brings revelations as Princess Hibana (Lynn, Arcored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon) confronts her past. It also sees Arthur (Yûsuke Kobayashi, Go! Go! Loser Ranger!) set out on a grand adventure to find the means to craft a true holy sword worthy of the Knight King.

The opening story of this episode hits hard. As Hibana and her companions are confronted by Sister Sumire, the Fire Captain is forced to face some painful revelations about the convent and those she thought were trying to aid her and the other orphans.

The fire was no accident but rather the final step in the experiments being done there. This terrifying truth knocks the wind out of Hibana. That she and Iris seemed to escape their fate by pure chance only makes the possibilities of what might have been all the more chilling.

The visual presentation of Hibana and the various revelations this episode brings rock here continues to add an extra layer of power to the story. Her sagging body language and pained expressions convey the way her feelings reel and her mind races. She’s hanging on by a thread, and it shows.

Revelations about the convent fire rock Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8.

It also says something about the nature of Fire Force’s villains. That the exploitation of orphans for the profit of demons doesn’t feel like a step too far helps to highlight just how loathsome the antagonists in the show have become. When your end game is transforming the world into a new sun, what’s murdering some trusting children to you?

While these revelations would be enough to cement Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8‘s opening as a must-watch sequence, the episode doubles down on the reveals, revealing information about the nature of the Adolla, the Great Cataclysm, and human combustion.

These larger concepts turn the scene from an emotional one for Hibana to one of greater mainline plot importance. The truths imparted here don’t really change the situation but present creative reasons for the ongoing conflict, though they still leave some critical “whys” hidden.

The final element that helps cement the impact of the moment is the brief confrontation with Sister Sumire. Not only is the woman Hibana, who once looked up to in league with the White Clad, but she is also an Adolla wielder. The once kindly appearance that she wears becomes a chilling sight as she manhandles Huo Yan Li (Satoshi Hino, The Kingdoms of Ruin) and Karim (Kazuyuki Okitsu, Sakamoto Days).

Sumire proves herself formidable in Hibana in Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8.

The way the show’s goofy designs meld with Sumire’s matter-of-fact energy as she systematically dismantles the two Fire Force members leaves a far more potent impression than it feels like it should. Coupled with one last “gift” she gives Hibana, and Sumire easily skyrockets up the chart of “characters most needing a kick in the face from Shinra” list.

While Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8‘s opening half is fantastic and compelling, its back half struggles in a few moments. Shifting gears from the dire nature of the main plot, the narrative dives into the ridiculous as it focuses on Arthur and his current woes.

Having failed to defeat the dragon and seeing his sword, Excalibur, shattered has rocked the would-be knight to his core. Seeking to help his comrade regain his focus, Vulcan (Taku Yashiro, Honey Lemon Soda) sets up a “quest” for Arthur. This journey involves him going around Asakusa, receiving clues from shopkeepers as to where he may find the legendary metal he may forge a grander weapon from.

The classic video game RPG-style questing that this sequence harkens back to is very charming and humorous. The bemusement of everyone involved never gets tired. As Arthur’s enthusiasm for his adventure grows with each step completed, everyone around him becomes more concerned that the game is about to get out of hand. And it does.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8’s retro-gaming sequence looks messy.

Expecting a grand adventure, Arthur misreads the last clue. He thinks it’s pointing him towards the Nether instead of a nearby lamp post. To the terror of Vulcan, Lisa (Ayaka Asai, Zenless Zone Zero), and Yu (Shoya Chiba, 86), he immediately sets off, ignorant of the peril he is stepping into. The tone of this sequence, along with the clear homage to video game quest structure, is wonderful. However, the sequence is marred by some literally painful visuals.

Several shots are presented in a pixel art style, clearly trying to further the classic gaming presentation. However, these shots are rough. They look messy, and the blank white backgrounds create a harsh contrast with the flat black lines, causing a wince-inducing effect that hurts my eyes whenever they come on.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8 delivers many great elements. It builds narrative and tone while furthering Hibana’s reasons for risking the wrath of the entire empire to help Station 8. Its back half is one of the better displays of the series’ humor, despite some of the visuals bringing the overall effect down a peg.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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