REVIEW: ‘Fire Force’ Season 3 Episode 16 — “Savior”

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16, “Savior,” sees the final pillar arrive, and with it, one last titan. The founder of the Tokyo Empire himself, Raffles I, arrives to mete out a fiery judgement upon his subjects’ descendants. While others cower in fear of this brutal apparition, Shinra (Gakuto Kajiwara, Romantic Killer) and his allies move to once more save the people. Though the cost will surprise them. 

Blind faith is never good. To be unable to accept the truth that is laid out before your eyes because it contradicts a doctrine you have grown up believing is a dangerous fallacy that too many fall into. The temptation to fall into the comfortable knowledge that someone else knows what’s “right” so you can relieve yourself of the responsibilities of judgment always leads to pain. A fate the citizens of the Tokyo Empire are bringing upon themselves.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 delivers a truly shocking twist.

There has been much to be critical of in the run-up to Fire Force’s big finale thus far. But while there have been stumbles, this episode shines by not only delivering action and drama, but also by delivering a shocking twist that is completely believable once it occurs. While other reveals have existed purely for the surprise, this one runs much deeper, as it speaks to much of humanity’s nature. 

Shinra’s confrontation with the returned Raffles I hits the ground running before the hero even enters the fray. As huge beams of light streak from the Eight Pillar at his command, the nation’s founder unleashes death upon his subjects, without an utterance beyond the familiar single word prayer, “Látom.” 

This onslaught stands in stark contrast to the kaiju-style monsters that have emerged with previous pillars. But while the attacker’s stoic nature creates an ominous energy around the moment, what makes the scene most disturbing is the response of many people.

With the Adolla closer than ever, Shirna’s powers have increased substantially.

Rather than flee in terror or cry out for help, they instead beg forgiveness. They ask what they have done to enrage their savoir and how to make amends. It feels like an abusive relationship on a national scale. If their “savior” is angry, it must be their fault. Right?

Despite much of the populace being willing to accept Raffles’ cruel judgment, Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 sends in the true saviors who put themselves between the ignorant and the instrument of their destruction. With the Adolla closer than ever, Shirna’s powers have increased to the point where he can dispatch his foe with ease. However, when the dust settles, Shinra’s heroic stand is exactly what the White Clad wanted.

As the monstrous Raffles I sinks into the seas, the populace of Tokyo wails with horror and despair. Their appointed savior has fallen. Now what will they do? Rather than question the comfortable beliefs they’ve held their whole lives, as that would require they admit they were wrong in doing so, they turn their ire on the one who has slain their “god.” Declaring him a devil, the cruelest label they could saddle him with, Shinra blinks from existence. 

Iris shines through her strength of character in Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16.

The people’s betrayal of the one who was willing to fight the hardest for them is especially cutting. He had been labeled a devil his whole life. And now, at the moment when he would prove everyone wrong, and does, they reject what their eyes have seen. 

Making the blind faith and cruelty of the masses even more staggering to process are Sister Iris’s actions. The most devout member of the main cast, Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 never shows a sliver of hesitation as the sister uses her newly awakened adolla burst to support Shinra’s efforts. Iris shines, not only through the gorgeous aura created by her protective barrier, but also through her strength of character, as she refuses to put blind belief before the truths that her eyes can see. 

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 delivers a powerful entry in what has been a struggling season.

The only notable stumble in this powerful sequence comes from a bit of poorly timed humor. As Shinra prepares to launch his grand attack, the imaginations of himself and those cheering for him impact the world, transforming him into a more comic book-like version of himself. While the transformation makes sense, it injects a distracting element into a moment that truly does not need it.  

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 delivers a powerful entry in what has been a struggling season. The brief conflict at its core is used masterfully to create an impactful narrative that truly surprises in a way that makes one think. 

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

Previous Episode | Next Episode