Sousou no Frieren › Season 1

Chapter 16 — Episode 16

The episode opens 29 years after the death of Himmel the Hero, as Frieren leads her party to the Klar Region in the Northern Lands to visit Old Man Voll, a dwarf warrior who has been protecting a village for nearly 400 years — well beyond the typical 300-year dwarf lifespan. Upon arriving, Voll pretends not to recognize Frieren, but she sees through his act, and he swiftly demonstrates his combat prowess by knocking Stark off his feet without drawing his blade, prompting Frieren to ask Stark to train under Voll during their stay. During the week-long visit, Frieren and Voll reminisce about the past, and Voll reveals he can no longer remember his late wife's face, voice, or gaze, yet continues protecting the village for something important to him. A poignant moment occurs when Voll asks about their destination — Aureole in Ende — and assumes they are going to defeat the Demon King, unaware the Demon King is already dead; Frieren chooses not to correct him fully, instead promising to carry his memories into the future. After the party departs and the scene shifts to the Rohr Road, Sein reveals his true goal: to find his childhood friend known as "Gorilla Warrior," who left on a journey ten years ago. Following leads northward, the group encounters a village with an ancient statue of a priest and warrior, which triggers a flashback showing how Sein's friend adopted the name "Gorilla Warrior" and gave Sein the nickname "Goatee Priest." At the end, Sein learns his friend's trail leads to Tür, a trade city farther east — in the opposite direction from Äußerst — leaving him torn about what to do