The third episode of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 arrived on April 22, 2026, and it delivered one of the most disturbing loops in the series’ history. Subaru Natsuki experienced a death that was not caused by a powerful enemy or a random trap, but by his own mind breaking under the influence of dark magic.
This episode, titled “The Keeper of the Watchtower,” pushed the psychological horror elements to the extreme. What makes this loop so terrifying is that Subaru did not just die. He lost control and hurt the people closest to him before dying by the jaws of his trusted dragon, Patrasche.
The animation studio White Fox continues to adapt Arc 6 of Tappei Nagatsuki’s light novels, and this episode marks a turning point for the season. The watchtower is not just a location, it is a nightmare designed to destroy Subaru from the inside out.
The Group Gets Separated Inside The Collapsing Dungeon
After the events of the previous episode where a spatial distortion caused everyone to fall, Subaru wakes up separated from Emilia and Beatrice. He finds himself deep underground with Ram, Anastasia Hoshin, and his loyal earth dragon Patrasche.
Ram immediately takes charge, waking Subaru up and explaining their situation. She tells him she can faintly feel the presence of her sister Rem, which gives Subaru some comfort but also makes him anxious. He panics and starts yelling, but Ram stops him and says that panicking will not help them find the others.
The four of them have no choice but to move forward through the crumbling dungeon. Anastasia managed to grab an emergency bag during the fall, which contains lights, a knife, and some rations. But they have no map and no idea how deep they are underground.
Soon they reach a split in the path. Subaru decides they should take the right turn. He convinces the group using his gut instinct. They walk through a long hallway and cross several magic gates. Everything seems fine at first, until the horror starts to creep in.
Subaru Loses Control As The Witch’s Miasma Takes Over
The walls they are passing through are not made of ordinary stone. They are layers of the Witch’s miasma, a dense dark magic power that cannot be properly absorbed. As the group moves deeper, the miasma starts to affect everyone’s mind.
Subaru begins to feel irritated by everything. Ram’s usual teasing comments, which he normally handles, start to feel unbearable. Ram is also affected and loses her usual calm. The tension builds with every step they take.
When they reach the fourth magic gate and cannot open it, Subaru completely snaps. He uses his Invisible Providence ability, the power granted by the Witch Factor of Sloth, to choke Ram. He does not stop until she passes out. The animation shows everything from Subaru’s point of view, making the scene feel suffocating and real.
Anastasia tries to stop the madness. But the miasma has already taken her too. She attacks Subaru, and in the chaos, Ram, who is somehow still alive, shoots magic at Anastasia. The attack cuts Anastasia’s body in half. As her upper body falls, she clings to Subaru and asks for mercy.
“This entire sequence was truly horrifying. Subaru literally chokes Ram until she passes out, and then Anastasia gets cut in half while clinging to him asking for mercy.” – FandomWire Review
Subaru, completely broken by this point, throws her body away and runs. But the nightmare does not end there. He finds Patrasche, who has also been consumed by the miasma, eating Ram’s body. The dragon then lunges at Subaru and eats him too, biting his head off while laughing.
The Reset And A Second Chance With No Safe Path
Death returns Subaru to the moment he woke up next to Ram. He sits up quickly, his mind racing. He now understands what caused the disaster. It was the miasma. He asks Ram and Anastasia about the Witch’s miasma, and they explain that it is dark magic that makes people lose their sanity if the density is too high.
This time, Subaru chooses the left path at the split. He puts extra effort into keeping everyone calm and happy. He knows that if tempers flare again, the same horror will repeat. The left path does not have the miasma walls, so the group stays sane.
But the left path has a different kind of danger. Subaru follows the smell of burning and ends up falling into a deep pit. Inside the pit, there are multiple small monsters that look like puppies compared to the creature in the center.
The Hungry Horse King is a massive witch-beast that looks like a blind centaur. It has no eyes and uses echolocation to find prey. It shoots fireballs and can regenerate lost limbs almost instantly.
Ram rushes in on Patrasche to help. But their combined attacks do nothing. The beast regenerates faster than they can hurt it. It seems like Subaru is about to die again, and this time he has no idea how to escape.
Shaula Finally Arrives To Save Subaru
Right when all hope seems lost, a bright light shoots down from above and destroys the Hungry Horse King instantly. The creature does not regenerate. It is completely gone. The dust settles, and a new figure appears.
Shaula, the keeper of the Pleiades Watchtower, has arrived. She is small and has a child-like personality, but her power is undeniable. She destroyed a monster that Ram and Subaru could not even scratch with a single attack. Her final words in the episode are “found you,” confirming that she was the one shooting magic needles at Subaru from the tower in the previous episodes.
Shaula is one of the most anticipated characters for this arc, and her entrance did not disappoint. Whether she will be an ally or another problem for Subaru remains to be seen. But for now, she has given him a chance to survive.
Release Schedule And Where To Watch
Re:ZERO Season 4 Episode 3 released on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The episode is available to stream on Crunchyroll for viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India.
Global release times for new episodes are:
- Pacific Time (USA/Canada): 7:00 AM
- Eastern Time (USA/Canada): 10:00 AM
- British Time (UK): 3:00 PM
- Central European Time: 4:00 PM
- Indian Standard Time: 7:30 PM
- Japan Standard Time: 11:00 PM
- Australian Eastern Time: 11:00 PM
The season will continue with new episodes every Wednesday. The first half of Season 4 will run until June 17, 2026. The second half, titled the “Recapture Arc,” will begin on August 12, 2026.
Fan Reaction To The Most Disturbing Episode Yet
Fans on social media and review platforms have called this the darkest episode of the series so far. The visual of Patrasche, the loyal dragon who has saved Subaru many times, eating him alive has stuck with viewers. One fan wrote on MyAnimeList that the emotional impact of this episode was “crazy” and that the voice acting and music were perfect.
The animation quality during the miasma madness scene received special praise. The decision to show Subaru’s death from his own point of view, watching Patrasche’s mouth come toward the camera, made the scene more terrifying than a standard death.
“Oh man Subaru is going to suffer so much in this season but its peak when he does.” – MyAnimeList User Review
The episode currently holds a rating of 8.82/10 on MyAnimeList. The only complaint from viewers was that the episode felt too short because it was so good.
Also Read: Sunim Sonim Soul Trip in India Release Timeline and Cast Details for Upcoming SBS Variety Show
Want more anime news and episode breakdowns? Keep checking VvipTimes for the latest updates on Re:ZERO and other popular series.
