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The main character doesn’t always have to be the most morally upright and mentally sane person.Mushoku Tensei’smain character, Rudeus, isn’t someone you’d consider a model citizen, nor does he seem like the best choice for an isekai hero. He has major character flaws and acts in morally questionable ways a lot of the time. However, that’s just a part of his charm.
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His flaws and issues make him that much more relatable to the average person. His life on Earth shaped him into what he is, and it affects who he is, even in a new world. What makes his character so compelling is that he constantly struggles to overcome his problems and acts in a very believable way considering his lifestyle on Earth. Though Mushoku Tensei is a very trope-filled anime, it manages to avoid making the main character an overpowered Chad that destroys everything in his way, something that distinguishes it from the many isekai clones it has inspired.
Appearance
Rudues is anoverweight man on Earth. Despite being 34 years old, he’s a hikikomori who stays at home all day and doesn’t even have a job. He has a very average face, sporting a shortcut for his black hair and a light mustache. He also wears glasses.
On the Six-faced World, Rudeus is born into the Greyrat family, a noble family in the Asura Kingdom. He takes after his father’s appearance, sharing a similar facial structure, hair color, and eye color with the retired adventurer, having blond hair and green eyes.
Personality
The most compelling thing about Rudeus' character is his backstory and its relevance to the current plot. Most isekai stories barely give any attention to the previous life of the reincarnated hero, preferring to put all their efforts into fleshing out the world they’re living in now. This leads to a kind of disconnect between the audience and the characters on screen, making them a lot less relatable.
On the other hand, Mushoku Tensei acknowledges the weirdness of the premise and embraces it wholeheartedly. Instead of rushing ahead with the plot, it emphasizes the downstream effects of a jobless neet being reincarnated into a magic world. Everything from his social anxiety to his perverted tendencies is a part of the overarching plot and plays into how his character acts.
On Earth, Rudeus was a 34-year-old overweight man who didn’t have a job and spent his days rotting away in his room. During his high school years, his career as the bright topper of his school was stripped away when he became the target of bullying because of his arrogant attitude. Due to the intense bullying, he refused to go to school, dropping out and not even talking to his friends anymore.
Twenty years later, his parents passed away, and his siblings, tired of his ridiculous attitude, disowned him and kicked him out of the house. This was when he encountered the high schoolers whose lives he died saving.
Six-Faced World
After dying to Truck-kun, Rudeus was reborn into theSix-faced World to Paul andZenith Greyrat.After overcoming the trauma of his death and subsequent rebirth, Rudeus figures out that he’s been reincarnated into a world full of magic. Once he has this revelation, he dedicates every moment he can to studying and mastering the arcane arts. Because of this, he develops a ridiculous affinity with magic and becomes one of the best mages that humanity has to offer, surpassing even his tutor in a very short period of time.
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After his growth stagnates under Roxie, Rudeus gets sent to his relative’s house in Roa of the Fittoa Region. Here, he teaches the mysteries of magic to his cousin, Eris, and his new swordsman teacher, Ghislaine. Sometime after he turns 10, he becomes a victim of the Metastasis event that ends up teleporting him and Eris to the Demon Continent.
Here, Rudeus forms an adventuring party with Eris and Ruijard,going on different quests and learning new skills along the way. The party eventually part ways, with Ruijard going to complete his own personal mission and Eris leaving Rudeus in order to become more powerful once she learns about her parent’s death.
Powers And Abilities
Next:Mushoku Tensei: Hitogami’s True Motives Explained
