Note: This article contains spoilers for episode 12 of Mushoku Tensei III.
The summer anime Mushoku Tensei III: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu aired its 12th episode, “Owari to Hajimari” (Beginning and End) on September 13, 2026 at 24:00 JST. Following the cliffhanger from episode 11, where the mysterious old man appeared, fans were bracing for impact—and this episode delivered a tense, dialogue-driven tour of a grim future.
When the old man confronts Rudeus (CV: Uchiyama Yumi), the young hero is stunned. “You’re… me from the future?” The stranger replies, “Yes, I am you from about 50 years later.” He knows Rudeus’s past name and even mentions Hollywood movies—a concept that doesn’t exist in this world—confirming he truly is from another timeline. He warns Rudeus not to go to the basement, because he was fooled by the Man-God (Hitogami).
Roxy’s Fate: A Snack That Changes Everything
To Rudeus’s question, the old man drops a bombshell: “If you go to the basement, Roxy will die within a few weeks.” The reason? A sick rat in the basement has gnawed on leftover dinner food, and a hungry Roxy later snacked on it. Fans of the series were taken aback: “Roxy dies from snacking?!” “So she dies because she’s a glutton?!” The disease, called “maseki-byou” (magic stone disease), gradually turns the body to stone and is usually rare in humans, but Roxy was infected through the rat. The old man adds that the events will connect 30 years later through the words of the Man-God, and warns Rudeus not to be fooled by him.
The Letter to Ellis and the Three Tasks
The old man pleads with Rudeus to write a letter to Ellis right away. He reveals that Ellis was the cause of his impotence, and they fought many times, even leading to near-death experiences. Yet she also helped him on many occasions. “She was like a prince from a vegetable country,” he recalls nostalgically. This line, which fans of the original novel know, was preserved in the anime, to the delight of many. (In the original, he compares her to a certain famous character, but that analogy is omitted here.) He also mentions Nanahoshi and Sylphiette, then gives Rudeus three directives: 1) Consult Nanahoshi, 2) Send a letter to Ellis, 3) Doubt the Man-God, but do not oppose him.
The Diary and a Final Vision
Before collapsing, the old man hands Rudeus a diary he has kept for years. With his last strength, he focuses his clairvoyance on the door, where he sees Sylphie and Roxy. Fans were moved, noting that he at least got to see the two women he loved before his death. “He wanted to see them one last time,” one comment read. After returning to his room, Rudeus asks Sylphie and Roxy to stay in their rooms for the night, then checks the basement to confirm the rat’s presence and opens the diary.
Rudeus opens the door to find Sylphiette and Roxy, who heard voices and came to check on him. He manages to convince them to stay in their rooms, then heads to the basement alone. Confirming the rat’s existence, he returns to his room and begins reading the old man’s diary.
Sugita Tomokazu’s Performance as the Old Rudeus
The entire episode rested on the shoulders of the voice actor playing the elderly Rudeus—and Tomokazu Sugita, who also voices Rudeus’s “previous life” man, delivered a masterclass. Fans flooded social media with praise: “His acting was truly godlike,” “Sugita’s voice work is incredible,” “I could feel the exhaustion in his voice,” and “That painful performance made me cry.” The episode’s tense atmosphere, driven entirely by conversation, was highlighted as one of its greatest strengths.
Broadcast Details and Staff
Mushoku Tensei III airs every Sunday at 24:00 on TOKYO MX and BS11, at 24:45 on KBS Kyoto, at 25:30 on Sun TV, and on AT-X every Tuesday at 22:30. Streaming is available on ABEMA and d Anime Store starting simultaneously with the broadcast, plus sequentially on other platforms. The opening theme is “Ketsui no Uta” by Oohara Yuiko, and the ending theme is “Inori, owareba” by Nakashima Mika.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Original Work | Rifujin na Magonote (MF Books / KADOKAWA) |
| Character Design | Shirotaka |
| Director | Shibuya Ryosuke |
| Series Composition | Shibuya Ryosuke, Taniuchi Naoto |
| Character Design | Shimada Masae, Furukawa Ryota |
| Chief Animation Director | Nakano Keiichi, Shimada Satoshi |
| Art Director | Miyake Masakazu |
| Color Design | Doi Makiko |
| Director of Photography | Tonsho Shinji |
| Editor | Mishima Akinori |
| Sound Director | Aketagawa Jin |
| Sound Effects | Ueno Rei |
| Sound Production | Magic Capsule |
| Music | Fujisawa Yoshimasa |
| Animation Production | Studio Bind |
| Produced by | EGG FIRM |
Cast
| Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Rudeus Greyrat | Uchiyama Yumi |
| Sylphiette Greyrat | Kayano Ai |
| Roxy M. Greyrat | Kohara Konomi |
| Lilia Greyrat | Lynn |
| Aisha Greyrat | Takada Yuki |
| Zanoba Shirone | Tsuruta Satoshi |
| Ariel Anemoi Asura | Ueda Reina |
| Cliff Grimoire | Aisaka Ryota |
| Elinalise D. Grimoire | Tanaka Rie |
| Nanahoshi Shizuka | Wakayama Shion |
| Old Rudeus / Previous Life Man | Sugita Tomokazu |
Next week’s episode is titled “Nikki” (Diary). Fans of the original novel are already bracing themselves, with comments like “If this episode was shocking, next week will be hell” and “This is where the real story begins.” The anime adaptation continues to push its narrative toward one of the most critically acclaimed arcs in the series.
© Rifujin na Magonote / MF Books / Mushoku Tensei III Production Committee
