Wistoria: Wand and Sword – The Union of Sword and Magic

Key Takeaways

• Will undergoes impressive character growth, from a laggard to a respected leader in the intense penultimate episode.
• The epic battle against the Evil Grand Duke showcases a well-paced, dynamic, synchronized attack as the best in the series.
• The title “Wistoria: Wand and Sword” symbolizes the union of swordsmanship and magic for ultimate power and hints at Will’s mysterious past.

Episode 11 is the penultimate episode for Wistoria: Wand and Sword. While the last episode is usually an epilogue that gives proper closure to the characters and the overarching story, the job of the penultimate episode is to be the climax of the story. For an action-oriented series, this means the penultimate episode will be the most action-packed episode in the series. So do the same rules apply for the eleventh episode of Wistoria: Wand and Sword? The answer is a resounding yes.

Episode 10 ended with Will and his teammates in the worst condition possible. They have to fight the most powerful enemy that they have encountered in their lives, the Evil Grand Duke. To make matters worse, they are currently injured and utterly exhausted. Fortunately for them, the fire of resistance is still burning bright in Will’s heart. What happens next is nothing short of legendary.

From a Laggard to a Leader

The terms “Laggard”, “No talent”, and “Book Learner” have been used to describe Will since he was little. Those are the terms that his bullies, and even most of his classmates, use to mock him. But Will never felt anger towards those people because he knew his own limitations.

He knows there’s no way somebody who can’t use magic like him can stand toe to toe with the gifted mages in the academy. What he doesn’t know, however, is the fact that he will someday stand tall as the leader of those powerful mages. That day comes in episode 11.

Taking Charge

When Will dives into the dungeon with his overqualified teammates at the start of the All-Student Praxis arc, he is basically a dead weight. The top students destroy any monsters faster than Will can react. After all, Shion’s fire spell and Julius’ ice spell can reach the enemy way faster than Will’s meager sword.

However, the moment the group is separated due to the Evil Grand Duke’s sudden attacks, Will finally gets the chance to show his worth. He has way more experience in exploring the dungeon, which translates into superb decision-making ability, remarkable adaptability, and an extraordinary ability to analyze and form the best strategy in any situation.

These excellent qualities are not lost on his teammates. That’s why they unanimously agreed to let Will lead the charge and follow his instructions. The laggard has become a leader.

A Character Development Done Right

One of the most important storytelling elements is character development. For the audience to feel connected and relate to a character, they need to see that character grow as a person. At the end of the story, all the trials and tribulations thrown at the characters throughout the story should shape them into somebody different from who they are at the beginning of the story.

This may not be the last episode of the season, but we can already see some proper character development unfolding right before our eyes. This character development does not only happen to Will, by the way, quite a few supporting characters also undergo some character development as well, especially regarding their views and relationship towards Will. Action/fantasy shounen series often neglect character development, so kudos to the author and the showrunners for letting us viewers enjoy some proper character development.

Best Battle in the Series

As an action-oriented series, Wistoria: Wand and Sword has quite a few great battles. From the surprising duel between Will and his teacher, Edward Serfence, to the mindblowing battle between Will and the Ice Prince, Julius Reinberg, this series is packed to the brim with great action sequences. However, the fight against the terrifying Evil Grand Duke has to be the best battle in the series.

Elements of a Great Fight Scene

While crafting a thrilling fight scene is more of an art than a science, there’s still a method to the madness. After all, there are quite a few identifiable story elements that are always present in a great fight scene, some of which are used to great effect in the fight between the Evil Grand Duke vs. Will and his teammates. Here are some of the most notable ones:

• Great Pacing. This fight knows when to crank up the speed to eleven to keep us at the edge of our seats and when to slow it down to increase the tension.
• Villain. A good fight needs a good villain. The villain needs to be strong enough to give a hard time to the hero but not too strong that it’s impossible to defeat. This is the perfect description of the Evil Grand Duke.
• Dynamic Battle. This fight feels highly dynamic, be it in terms of the movements of the character, the movements and angles of the cameras, the different tactics that the heroes use to attack the enemy, and the enemy’s different attack patterns, just to name a few. There’s no boring moment in this fight.

A Synchronized Attack

Speaking of dynamic battle, particularly the part about using different tactics to attack the enemy, there is one particular strategy that is so exciting to see but actually quite challenging to pull off, which is the Synchronized Attack. As the name suggests, a synchronized attack is when several characters attack the enemy at the same time. This type of attack can easily look like a bunch of people throwing whatever they have into the enemy with no thought behind it, just like a group of children ganging up on their bully.

The key to making a synchronized attack feel exciting is to put some solid plans as the basis of the offensive charge. In this episode, Lihanna and Wignall are responsible for spamming the Evil Grand Duke with low to mid-level spells to keep the monster occupied. Amidst such relentless bombardment, Shion will unleash some big spells to keep the enemy stuck in its place. Meanwhile, Julius deploys his ice clones not only to distract the enemy but also to help him chant a long spell for his most powerful offensive magic. After Julius launches his massive attack, Will immediately jumps in to slash the Evil Grand Duke. What a great sequence!

It Takes a Wand and a Sword

Initially, many thought that the title of this series, Wistoria: Wand and Sword, is a reflection of the difference between the main character and the rest of the people in this fictional fantasy world. After all, Will Serfort can only fight with a sword while everybody else in the academy can use magic to cast any kind of spell that they want. However, there is actually more to the title than meets the eye.

The True Meaning of the Title

At the end of episode 11, WIll Serfort does something that has never been seen before. He wrapped Shion’s fire spell around his blade to create a blazing sword. This fiery weapon has the sharpness and versatility of a sword, and the massive firepower of a magic spell, both enhanced to the max. This fiery sword can cleanly cut the previously unscathed Evil Grand Duke in half in a single slash.

This quick sequence of events that lasts only a few minutes or so encapsulates the true meaning behind the title of this series. “Wand and Sword” does not represent a division or difference between a sword user and the magic user. On the contrary, it represents a union between the two. Sword and Magic should work together in unison to achieve unimaginable power that is needed to slay every opponent under the sky. This series has undoubtedly done a terrific job of hiding its true message in plain sight.

“The sword is wreathed in flame? An enchantment? No, it’s something else. The sword consumed the spell?”

From the Past to the Future

Episode 11 also showcases a snippet of events that happened in the past. It is heavily hinted that the flashbacks are connected to Will’s true origin. Maybe it was the image of his biological mother? Maybe it was a message from an important figure from the past? Or maybe it was a secret that has long been forgotten by the people who live in the present?

Whatever the true meaning behind that flashback may be, it will certainly connect the past to the future. Both the future of Will and the magical world that he lives in, and the future of this series going forward. After all, it’s safe to assume that the second season of Wistoria: Wand and Sword will delve deeper into what happened in the past. Overall, what an excellent penultimate episode!

Wistoria: Wand and Sword is available to stream on Crunchyroll.