Akame ga Kill! (Episode 24) – Akame ga Kill!
Tatsumi is dead! Esdeath stands beside his lifeless body as the revolutionary army charges forward. Annoyed at their interruption, she freezes them with a flick of the wrist, leaving her and Akame to finish it, once and for all!
What did you watch?
Here we go. This is episode 24 of Akame ga Kill and it’s time for the final battle. Esdeath and Akame stand in the dissolute remains of the Emperor’s palace, a wall of ice shielding them from interference. I’m not sure I’m ready for this, even knowing what’s coming. Even writing this review is going to be hard enough, so let’s just get into it. There will be spoilers, heartbreak, and tragedy… you have been warned!
What happened?
Esdeath wiped out thousands of revolutionary soldiers in one attack, leaving her to battle Akame without disruption. She had accepted that Tatsumi was weak, but then why did she still have feelings for him. Akame hoped for Esdeath to give up, but she knew better. The battle began without warning and it was epic. Esdeath appeared to have the upper hand thanks to her Imperial Arms, but Akame still had her trump card to play. She sliced her own skin with Murasame’s blade, activating the curse on herself, but as the wielder, it gave her incredible power at the cost of the memories of all who had been slain by it.
The battle shifted. Now, Akame had the advantage and even managed to cut Esdeath’s hand. However, before the curse could spread, Esdeath cut off her own arm and continued to fight. Finally, Esdeath was forced to use her own trump card and freeze time. She attempted to stab Akame, but it was an afterimage. Esdeath spun around searching for the real Akame, but she couldn’t maintain the freeze and Akame struck a killer blow. Esdeath was surprised that she had been beaten and before she could die, she ran to Tatsumi’s body and embraced him, freezing them both and then shattering into ice crystals that scattered in the wind…
Meanwhile, Minister Honest tried to sneak away but Leone found him. He had one last card to play, however. His Imperial Arms has the ability to break other Imperial Arms, taking away Leone’s strength and healing ability. He quickly followed that up by drawing a gun and shooting her. However, Leone wasn’t about to lay down and die. She jumped him, knocking him to the ground, and pounding his face until he was no more than mush. With Esdeath and Honest gone, the revolution was complete. Leone said her farewells to Akame and then disappeared, taking a stroll through her neighbourhood for the last time.
What did you think?
I’m not crying, you’re crying…
Seriously though, this episode kills me. Every time it leaves me numb as the end credits roll by. Of all the deaths in this series, Leone’s hit me the hardest and I’ll get into that more in a moment. I’m going to mention the manga very briefly here as both have a slightly different ending and contrary to what appears to be the popular opinion, I prefer the ending in the anime. I think it does a great job of tying up the various threads and providing the conclusion that I think the story needed.
What was your favourite moment?
Well, it has to be the fight between Esdeath and Akame. It took up half of the episode and it was epic from beginning to end. Both of these characters are fearless warriors, willing to do whatever it takes to win. They both knew their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and used that to their advantages, but both were so good it was hard to see where the opening would appear. Then, Esdeath used her trump card. It was only a matter of time and we all knew how powerful it was. But that was the problem, Akame knew too and was doing everything she could to force Esdeath to use it, knowing that her speed would give her the chance to strike.
Akame landed the final blow, sending Esdeath to her death. She accepted her fate and then stepped past Akame, rushing to Tatsumi’s body. Before Akame could react, Esdeath put up a wall of ice between them, allowing her to spend her dying moments with the one she loved. Then, before the curse could take her, she froze herself and Tatsumi together, encasing them in ice. The ice shattered seconds later, scattering them in the wind as one. Esdeath may have been violent and crazy, but this was such a pure moment of love and I think this is why she is one of my all-time favourite characters.
What was your least favourite moment?
It had to be really. Leone had killed Minister Honest but took on more damage than she could cope with, especially without her Imperial Arms. She’d bandaged her wounds and had the strength to see Akame and Najenda one last time before saying her goodbyes and vanishing into the city. Leone visited her old neighbourhood and watched as they talked about the potential of the new regime. Some of her old friends asked to come and have a drink with them, but when they turned back she had gone again. Moments later, down a dark alley off the main street, Leone collapsed to the ground and lay there. She died from her wounds alone and in the dark, but she won…
Seriously, stop crying will you!
Who was your favourite character?
This just isn’t fair. How can I possibly choose between Leone and Esdeath? Sure, I like Akame, but she doesn’t have the personality that either Leone or Esdeath have. Honestly, I can’t choose between them, they’re both my favourite characters in the series and both of them died in the final episode. On top of that, they didn’t just die, they did it the most heartbreaking ways possible. Seriously, this series is incredible and I think it did an amazing job of developing the characters, setting the possibility of death, and then keeping us on the edge of our seats as we watched the characters we love, give everything they had for their own causes.
Who was your least favourite character?
This one is a little easier and that’s Minister Honest. He was the mastermind behind the Empire, manipulating the Emperor and abusing the people for his own gain. Had he been a little bit cleverer he could have done so without becoming a clear target, but he got greedy and always wanted more. As they say, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. On top of that, Honest shot Leone several times, which ultimately led to her death. I’ve seen criticism of the gun he used and how it couldn’t have fired so many shots, which is frankly absurd. There are Imperial Arms that can bend time and space and you choose a gun to get upset about. I have no time for arguments that try to apply logic as they choose.
What have you learnt?
I feel like I have to talk about the ending and how everything was wrapped up. I don’t see any loose ends and it was the ending I was expecting. As I said in the last review, a band of assassins will not be needed in the new world and as such, they were paving the way to their own demise. I’m a huge fan of endings and if it doesn’t finish well, a story can undo all of the good that it’s spent so long building up. Similarly, a great ending can change the perception of the entire story. It’s a good idea to always have the ending in mind and work your way towards it as you write. Pacing is key too, I’ve seen a few series lately, where the ending was rushed and it changed the way I felt about what had been an exceptional show. I don’t think you can put too much importance on the ending. It has to be the best part of the story.
Other posts in the series
Anime
- Season One
- Episode 1 – Kill the Darkness
- Episode 2 – Kill the Authority
- Episode 3 – Kill Your Cares
- Episode 4 – Kill the Imperial Arms User
- Episode 5 – Kill the Empty Dream
- Episode 6 – Kill the Absolute Justice
- Episode 7 – Kill the Three Beasts – Part One
- Episode 8 – Kill the Three Beasts – Part Two
- Episode 9 – Kill the Lust for Combat
- Episode 10 – Kill the Seduction
- Episode 11 – Kill the Mad Scientist
- Episode 12 – Kill the New Recruits
- Episode 13 – Kill the Hindrance
- Episode 14 – Kill the Giant Dangerous Beast
- Episode 15 – Kill the Religion
- Episode 16 – Kill the Dolls
- Episode 17 – Kill the Curse
- Episode 18 – Kill the Demons
- Episode 19 – Kill the Fate
- Episode 20 – Kill the Pandemonium
- Episode 21 – Kill the Despair
- Episode 22 – Kill the Little Sister
- Episode 23 – Kill the Emperor
- Episode 24 – Akame ga Kill!
Manga
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Volume 3
- Volume 4
- Volume 5
- Volume 6
- Volume 7
- Volume 8
- Volume 9
- Volume 10
- Volume 11
- Volume 12
- Volume 13
- Volume 14
- Volume 15
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