How Much Has Ram Changed Since Season 1?

Key Takeaways

• Ram’s loyalty and love for Roswaal deepens in Season 2.
• Ram tragically forgets about her sister Rem.
• In Season 3, Ram only has a minor role, but fans can expect her return in Arc 6 with a new outfit.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Re:Zero, Season 3, Episode 1, “Theatrical Malice”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

In season 1, Re:Zero‘s Ram was defined by her loyalty and unrequited feelings for Roswaal, love for her sister Rem, and a superiority complex whenever she was around Subaru. However, some of them, for better or for worse, have changed since then.

Ram was once thought to be the second coming of the Oni God, and now she’s one of Roswaal L. Mathers’ loyal maids. She’s not in the spotlight as much as her twin sister Rem, although she’d probably love to, but she’s vital to the story of Re:Zero nonetheless.

Ram’s Relationship With Roswaal

A Prime Example of “I Can Fix Him”

Ram and Rem were always shown to be loyal to Roswaal in Re:Zero season 1, but season 2 took Ram’s loyalty to a whole new level. It’s not that her loyalty has changed, season 1 simply didn’t have any opportunities to show just how deep it went. One thing that was shown in season 1 was Ram receiving mana infusions from Roswaal, meaning she doesn’t just rely on him emotionally, she also physically needs him to supply her with mana. Ram needs occasional mana infusions because her body could not gain sufficient mana since she lost her horn.

As seen in season 2 though, calling Ram’s feelings for Roswaal “loyalty” is downplaying them. Ram genuinely loves Roswaal, second only to her love for Rem in season 1. She saw Roswaal’s unwavering commitment to Echidna’s gospel as wrong, but was afraid to do anything about it for the longest time. In Re:Zero season 2, episode 21, “Reunion of Roars”, Ram, inspired by Emilia’s determination in trying to pass the trial, finally gains the courage to stand against Roswaal’s adherence to the gospel. She begs Emilia to take Lugunica’s throne, since doing so will help Roswaal achieve his goals without following the gospel.

Later in the episode, Ram even directly disobeys Roswaal’s orders to stay put and, instead, goes to confront him with Puck. The fight ends with Ram burning Roswaal’s gospel, finally setting him free from its instructions. During the battle, Ram finally confessed her love to Roswaal, which he initially fiercely rejected, since he couldn’t understand how she could love him. After the battle though, it seemed like Roswaal’s heart was starting to thaw, as he showed some signs of caring for Ram.

Some fans consider Ram’s love for the man who helped with the destruction of her clan to be a case of Stockholm Syndrome. Others argue against it, saying, she probably wouldn’t have gone against any of Roswaal’s wishes and commands if she truly was blinded by toxic love. Someone with Stockholm Syndrome is more likely to support their host regardless of how toxic and self-destructive either of them is being.

Memories Of Rem Now Gone

Poor Whatshername

Incredibly depressing, but the biggest change to Ram’s character since season 1 might be that she no longer remembers her sister Rem. It’s not just her either; pretty much everyone in the world except for Subaru forgot about Rem’s existence after her encounter with Lye Batenkaitos, the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony.

In season 2, episode 6, “The Maiden’s Gospel”, Ram sees Rem comatose for the first time in the season, and she later mentions that she can feel the same blood flowing through her is also flowing through Rem. However, she clearly doesn’t care for her as much as she did in the past, as she was willing to leave Rem behind when things got dicey. It’s heartbreaking seeing the once inseparable twins now reduced to strangers.

Some have speculated that the loss of Rem from Ram’s life is what led to her having an increased dependence on Roswaal in season 2. Losing Rem left a giant hole in her being, a hole that Roswaal quickly filled since he was the second-closest person to her. This is merely speculation though, since Ram was shown to be very close to Roswaal even before Rem was erased.

Ram’s Role In Season 3

Unfortunately, Ram Doesn’t Appear In It Much

Re:Zero season 3 will be covering Arc 5 of the light novels, titled “The Stars That Engrave History”. Based on the arc’s plot, it’s highly unlikely that Ram will play a significant role since she isn’t part of the group that went to the Watergate City of Priestella. She makes an appearance during the start of the season, but no noticeable changes to her appearance or characteristics from season 2 are seen. She’s still the same sassy Oni maid with a depressing backstory and incredibly rocky love life.

For the Ram fans out there, keep your chin up and endure because Ram does come back in Arc 6, “The Corridor of Memories”. She’ll actually be playing a decently important role in that arc, so just hang tight. Although there haven’t been any official statements regarding whether season 3 will also cover Arc 6, an official poster for season 3 features a character that first appears in that arc, so there is a possibility. To avoid spoilers about their name and role, it’s the character in the upper left.

Design Changes/Improvements

The changes to Ram’s design throughout the three seasons have mostly been subtle quality improvements rather than a change of outfit or look. However, that’s about to change in Arc 6, where she’ll be rocking an aqua-green and white outfit consisting of a long-sleeve dress, boots, and cloak, along with black leggings.

Re:Zero is now available to stream on Crunchyroll, Muse Asia, MeWatch, and several other streaming platforms. The release date for the next episode, Re:Zero season 3, episode 6, is set to be November 6, 2024, at 7:30 AM PT.