Does Paul meet his end in season 2 of Mushoku Tensei? The fate of Rudeus’ father, explored.

With the recent airing of episode 22 of season 2 for Mushoku Tensei, the anime has completed one of its most crucial story arcs – the Labyrinth Arc. The arc was expected to end on a positive note as Rudeus’s father, Paul, was on the verge of reuniting his entire family. Unfortunately, an unexpected death completely altered the direction of the story.

The Labyrinth Arc of Mushoku Tensei featured many touching moments, particularly involving Rudeus, Roxy, Paul, and other characters. Fans were hopeful that Zenith’s return would also be filled with heartwarming moments. However, although the search party successfully retrieved Zenith from the Labyrinth, they were forced to bid farewell to Paul.

The Death of Paul Greyrat in Mushoku Tensei season 2

Rudeus and Paul as seen in Mushoku Tensei season 2 (Image via Studio Bind)

Since the Teleport Incident, Paul Greyrat, Rudeus’s father, had been on a mission to reunite his entire family. After successfully finding everyone, he encountered a new obstacle – his wife, Zenith, was trapped in a labyrinth. When he finally reached her in the sixth stratum, he became overwhelmed with emotion and launched a fierce attack on the Hydra that was guarding her.

Despite the Hydra’s regenerative powers and immunity to long-range magic attacks, the party persevered in their battle. Although Paul was determined to save his wife quickly, they ultimately retreated to the fifth stratum to strategize. While Paul was initially frustrated with Rudeus for remaining calm, he later commended his son and even asked him to be prepared to sacrifice himself in order to save his mother.

Rudeus Greyrat as seen in Mushoku Tensei season 2 (Image via Studio Bind)

With the help of Rudeus and Roxy’s knowledge of Hydras, the party was able to deduce that the monster was immune to magical attacks from a distance and could only be defeated by burning it to prevent regeneration. Once they had a solid plan in place, the party launched a second attack on the Hydra.

The monster was dealt significant damage and was close to being defeated due to their successful plan. However, this led to Rudeus becoming complacent and dropping his guard, resulting in Paul having to rescue him twice. Rudeus quickly refocused on the fight and with assistance from Roxy Migurdia, they were able to defeat the Hydra.

Paul Greyrat as seen in Mushoku Tensei season 2 (Image via Studio Bind)

Regrettably, although Rudeus’s father had successfully rescued him from the Hydra a second time, the creature managed to bite Paul, causing his body to be torn in two. As a result, Paul Greyrat lost his life during the fight against the Manatite Hydra and his remains were cremated within the Labyrinth.

Thankfully, not everything was lost as the group managed to rescue Zenith from the crystal and return her to their lodging. In the process, the viewers witnessed the party informing Lilia Greyrat and the others of Paul’s tragic passing.

Zenith Greyrat as seen in Mushoku Tensei season 2 (Image via Studio Bind)

Despite the collective heartbreak over the news, there was a glimmer of hope in the form of Zenith’s potential awakening from her coma.

Regrettably, the long-awaited reunion of Zenith, Rudeus, and Lilia did not unfold as anticipated. This was due to the discovery that Zenith had sustained brain damage, rendering her unable to communicate with others after waking up.