Warning: The following contains spoilers for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2, Episode 17, "My Older Brother's Feelings", now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

In the previous episode of the Mushoku Tensei series, fans saw that Norn is antisocial, unlike her brother and sister. In the new episode, the reason for Norn’s antisocial tendencies is revealed to be an inferiority complex she has due to always being compared with her genius siblings.

Genius or not, to not end up as Rudeus did in his past world, Norn would have to accept herself and her siblings as she moves forward and strives to reach higher heights in Mushoku Tensei. While she might not like her elder brother, Rudeus will do all he can, irrational or not, to ensure she’s safe and doesn’t end up like him.

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Norn Becomes A Shut-In

Rudeus Aggressively Approaches Norn’s Classmates For Her Sake

Norn suddenly becoming a shut-in was surprising and scary to Rudeus, who stormed into her class to find out the truth. While his actions were no doubt in the best interest of his sister, they were irrational. Rudeus was only looking out for his sister; however, he intended to tear apart anyone who confessed to making her feel bullied or inferior, regardless of whether they bullied her or not. Unfortunately, although he was motivated by his sister’s need for help, taking out his anger on someone else would have made him just as bad as the bullies he faced in his past life.

Rudeus being ready to attack any student who could’ve triggered Norn’s plight without speaking to Norn about what transpired first was an ugly scene that showed Rudeus’ humanity and how quickly anyone could become what they loathed. Thankfully, Rudeus' anger-driven actions did not lead to any major events, or he might have degraded his reputation while making it even harder to connect to Norn. Moreover, this goes to show that Rudeus is only human, and even he gets angry for the sake of those who hurt those dear to him, even if his anger is irrational.

Rudeus Opens Up To Norn, Drawing From His Past

Talking To Norn Acts As A Form Of Self Reflection

To confront Norn, Rudeus went to her room. However, rather than confronting her, it seemed more like he was confronting his past self. The scenes of Rudeus’ past life were a great way to portray Rudeus’ self-reflection about how he felt in his past life, and seeing his sister in the exact same condition was like a thorn that constantly pricked him. In a positive light, the reason Rudeus was able to properly disarm Norn and make her open up to him was because he had been in the same situation, but with him now occupying his past elder brother’s place, who came to check up on him.

The normal response for a well-wisher or a relative to someone who has become a shut-in is usually “common sense arguments,” as Rudeus put it. However, because his brother had done all that, and he wasn’t moved by any of it, Rudeus simply opened up his heart to Norn, understanding what she must have been going through.

Norn’s Identity Crisis

Rudeus’ Fame Influences Norn’s School Experience

While Rudeus stood in front of Norn, Norn began to replay how she developed bad blood for her brother. As fans know, Norn first met Rudeus while he was beating up her father, the same father who had cared for her and been with her since the aftermath of the teleport incident. Due to the circumstances surrounding their meeting, Norn’s scorn toward her brother is understandable.

Norn has always felt inferior to Rudeus and Aisha, as she has constantly been compared to them from birth. Attending and living in the dormitories of Ranoa Magic Academy must’ve been the height of it, as Norn became recognized as Rudeus Greyrat’s sister rather than as Norn Greyrat. Through the little interactions she had with the students, many students were interested in Rudeus but not in her, leading to them constantly asking about Rudeus. If she were in good relations with Rudeus, having people ask about her brother from her would undoubtedly be a source of pride. However, with their strained and entangled relationship, Norn must’ve felt like Rudeus was continually shoved in her face, leading her to dislike and reject interaction with others.

Of course, the enthusiasm with which the other students discussed Rudeus is only to be expected, as he is a prodigy. This goes to show that Rudeus’ reputation among the students is quite honorable, as many even consider talking to him a blessing. Unfortunately, for Norn, apart from piquing her interest as to why many saw Rudeus in high regard, it only made her feel abandoned and inferior.

Rudeus Reflects On His Past As He Opens Up To His Sister

Norn Proves To Be Better At Rudeus At Navigating Emotions

Although she hated Rudeus, Norn never really understood him until he stood before her, welling in self-blame and regret. The parallels between Rudeus and his father showed as Rudeus looked just like Paul did when he stood in front of him to apologize after their fight.

While Norn becoming a shut-in was inherently similar to Rudeus in his past life, a major difference between the two was that Norn was able to accept Rudeus and their differences relatively quickly. Of course, Rudeus went through a whole other level of first-hand embarrassment. However, Norn simply needed a little push to take her life into her own hands rather than wallow in self-pity. Of course, compared to Rudeus’ past life, Norn got a better form of encouragement rather than “common sense arguments”; however, with this, she proved herself to be at least better than Rudeus in terms of navigating her feelings, if not at anything else.

At the end of the episode, Rudeus finally understands what his brother tried to do for him all those years ago and how he must have felt at that moment. Finally understanding his intentions after so many years, Rudeus felt truly grateful. This showed that the young mage had escaped the last vestiges of his shut-in life, but ironically, he did so through the lens of someone else, rather than as a shut-in himself.

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Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation

Isekai

Action

Adventure

Drama

Studio

Studio Bind

Creator

Rifujin na Magonote

Number of Episodes

39+

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu