In Re:Zero, Subaru x Emilia versus Subaru x Rem has been strongly contested in the shipping wars. But the Waifu Wars might be over since light novel creator Tappei Nagatsuki answered a question about Subaru and Emilia’s marriage by stating that Re:Zero would have a happy ending.
Is that booing in the background I hear?
This question was asked when the author held a Twitter Spaces to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the series on April 20, 2022. During that event, Tappei was reportedly asked whether Subaru and Emilia would end up being married to each other in a wedding. The writer merely responded by assuring listeners that Re:Zero would have a happy ending.
READ: Re:Zero: When does Rem wake up from her death-like sleep?
To be 100 percent clear, Tappei did not directly confirm that he’s planning a Subaru x Emilia wedding for the ending in Re:Zero Arc 11. He just stated that the entire story would have a happy ending in the context of a question asking about Subaru marrying Emilia rather than any of the other girls.
Is a Subaru x Rem wedding still possible for the Re:Zero light novel ending?
In light novel canon, Subaru may only have eyes for Emilia, but fans of the Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World anime and light novel series have long been shipping Subaru x Rem.
Re:Zero’s Subaru x Rem route was even officially given a Sloth What If? special chapter by light novel creator Tappei Nagatsuki. In this alternate reality, Rem said “yes” when Subaru asked Rem to run away with him. They even get married and have two children named Rigel Natsuki and Spica Natsuki
Heck, there are even people shipping Subaru x Priscilla, Subaru x Pandora, and Subaru x Crusch. Even the witch gets more love than Subaru x Emilia since Subaru x Satella fanfiction exists.
But the question is whether a Subaru x Rem wedding is even possible considering how Archbishop of Gluttony Lye Batenkaitos ate Rem’s name and memories. For anime-only fans, that’s a loaded question since even a simple response contains spoilers.
Warning: The next two paragraphs contain major spoilers!
The answer is “yes”, but if you wish to know more finish these full spoilers. As readers of the light novels already know, Rem was revived in Re:Zero Volume 25, which adapted the ending of the Re:Zero web novel Arc 6: Chapter 90: Heroes.
When Rem awakened, Subaru hoped everyone else would remember Rem immediately, but Emilia and Beatrice could not. Even worse, Rem has amnesia, does not remember Subaru at all, and runs away. The blue-haired maid even tries to kill Subaru by setting a series of traps for him in a reset loop!
Still, Team Rem is still holding out hope that Rem’s memories will be restored or that she’ll rebuild her faith and love in Subaru from zero.
Is a Re:Zero harem ending likely?
A “happy ending” could be a Re: Zero harem ending, where Subaru marries both Emilia and Rem. Earlier in the story, Rem’s defining character is basically her intense unconditional love for Subaru, but such a polygamy ending may come off as cheap and forced to long-time fans, especially after later plot developments in Re:Zero Arc 6 and 7.
It’s also debatable what Tappei means by a happy ending. In past interviews, when Tappei was directly asked, “Will Re:Zero have a happy ending?” he supposedly replied, “Define happy.”
It’s also said that the author likes bittersweet endings, so fans will just have to wait until Re:Zero Final Arc to see what he means by a happy ending. Who do you want to win in the end: Emilia or Rem?