Who Are Re: Zero's Witch Cult & Sin Archbishops? The Series' Mysterious Villains Explained

Warning: SPOILERS for Re: Zero aheadThe main antagonists in Re: Zero come from the dangerous and mysterious Witch Cult, whose members can appear seemingly out of nowhere. Its members are elusive, often attack in groups, and are dangerous enough that knights are ordered to kill them on sight. The Witch Cult is comprised of lesser members known simply as Witch Cultists and, at the very top of the hierarchy, the Sin Archbishops—all of which have powerful abilities and represent one of the seven deadly sins.

The Witch Cult is shrouded in secrecy, and it remains unclear what their ultimate goal and motivations are. It is speculated that the cult worships Satella, however, this notion has been disputed, making the Witch Cult all the more mysterious. Even so, the fact remains that the Sin Archbishops all derive their power from Witch Factors that are linked to the original Witches, creating a hierarchy within the cult's ranks and granting them powerful abilities.

The Purpose and Creation of the Witch Cult

The Witch Cult Has A Long History And Members Act In Accordance With Their Gospels

While the Witch Cult’s origin is still unclear, it is known that it has existed for over four hundred years. Its purpose and creation revolve around its reverence for the Witches of Sin or possibly only the Witch of Envy, Satella, in particular. It has been speculated that the cult’s goal is to release Satella from her seal; however, nothing has been made certain as of yet. The Witch Cult’s goal remains unspecified in the series, yet the Witch Cultists devote themselves fully, going as far as throwing their lives away.

The Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, was one of the co-founders of the Witch Cult and led a moderate side of the cult. However, it was later swallowed up by the radical side led by Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas, after the events in Elior Forest shown in Emilia's flashback in season 2. By the time Subaru Natsuki encountered Petelgeuse, he had long since gone insane and defected to the cult’s radical fraction and acted solely in accordance with his Gospel.

The Gospel is a book owned by the members of the Witch Cult and is a replication of the Witch of Greed’s, Echidna, Tome of Wisdom. While the original book allows Echidna to foresee exact details of the future, the Gospels do not grant the same power. Being replicas of the original book, the Gospel is subject to change and is up to interpretation. It has been said that Witch Cultists join only after mysteriously receiving a Gospel of their own.

The Power of Witch Factors and Authorities

Authorities Grant Impressive Power But Also Present Imposing Disadvantages

The Sin Archbishops’ power comes from their possession of Witch Factors left behind by the original Witches. In order to be able to use a Witch Factor, one must be compatible, otherwise absorbing the Witch Factor could lead to terrible consequences. Witch Factors are said to be the opposite of Od Lagna, a reserve of mana considered the earth of the world, and counteract Divine Protections, powers given by Od Lagna to people at birth. It is the Witch Factors that grant power to the Sin Archbishops, giving them abilities known as Authorities.

It is these Authorities that create the hierarchy within the Witch Cult, placing the Sin Archbishops above all the rest with their destructive power. However, despite the abilities the Sin Archbishops receive from their Authority, it may come with major drawbacks if they are incompatible with the Witch Factor, causing split personalities or insanity. The Authority each Sin Archbishop receives is a direct inheritance of the original Witches and acts as a reflection of the nature of their sin.

For example, Petelgeuse’s Authority allows him to use a power known as the Unseen Hands to attack and manipulate people or objects from a distance. This ability allows Petelgeuse to exert control with minimal physical strain, reflecting the sin of Sloth. Similarly, Regulus’ Authority grants him near invincibility by allowing him to stop time from affecting himself and everything near him, which he uses to nullify any potential damage. This reflects his position as the Sin Archbishop of Greed by allowing him to protect the things he considers his own.

The Sin Archbishops' Connection to The Witch Cult And Their Respective Sin

Each of the Sin Archbishops Has Different Goals And Desires That Lead To Branching Within The Cult

The Sin Archbishops each have a connection to one of the seven deadly sins: Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath, and Pride. However, there is not a Sin Archbishop of Envy due to the fact Satella has not been killed, but rather sealed away and is still in possession of her Witch Factor. Furthermore, the Authorities of Melancholy and Vanity were once considered part of the Witches but were eventually phased out. Even so, Pandora, the Witch of Vanity, survived Satella’s rampage and remains active in the Witches Cult.

The Sin Archbishops may all be part of the same cult, however, they do not particularly get along with one another. Each of the Sin Archbishops acts following their Gospel, leading to friction within the ranks of the Witch Cult as they all strive to serve their agendas. This division creates a complicated dynamic within the Witch Cult as the Sin Archbishops’ loyalties are clashing and egocentric, and they have been shown to actively fight each other. This is ultimately due to the nature of the sin they represent manifesting in self-serving ways.

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For example, Sirius Romanée-Conti, the Sin Archbishop of Wrath, has an Authority that allows her to use Soulwashing, an ability that transmits emotions and kills massive amounts of people all at once. This is reflective of the violent and horrific nature of her sin. Similarly, the Sin Archbishops of Gluttony have the ability to devour a name and erase all traces of them from the world, like they had done with Rem. Both abilities are powerful, yet they clash when brought together as one seeks to erase and the other seeks to cause damage.

This can be reflected in each of the Sin Archbishops. In recent episodes of the anime adaptation, viewers witnessed how Regulus and Sirius clashed over Emilia’s safety. While Sirius wanted to kill her, Regulus interfered due to his desire to make her his 79th wife, exemplifying the division within the ranks of the Witch Cult. Despite being at the top of the hierarchy in the Witch Cult, the Sin Archbishops in Re: Zero are not aligned with each other and will act only following their desires.

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