If you’ve spent any time in the Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- fandom, you know the name. It’s a name that carries a weird, visceral weight because of what the character actually does to the people we care about. Ley Batenkaitos. Or, more accurately, the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony.
He’s a nightmare.
Most villains in fantasy anime just want to kill the hero or maybe take over the world. That’s standard. It’s trope-y. But Gluttony? He doesn’t just kill you. He erases you. He eats your "Name" and your "Memories," leaving a shell behind that nobody remembers. Imagine waking up and your own father doesn't know who you are. That’s the specific brand of horror Tappei Nagatsuki brought to the table with the Witch Cult’s most gluttonous representative.
The Mechanics of Eating: How Gluttony Actually Works
Let’s get into the weeds of how this power functions because it’s honestly one of the most creative magic systems in modern light novels. It isn't just "eating food." Ley Batenkaitos and his "siblings"—because yes, there are multiple aspects of Gluttony like Roy Alphard and Louis Arneb—utilize an Authority.
In the world of Re:Zero, an Authority is basically a cheat code granted by a Witch Factor. It’s fundamentally different from Mana or Magic. When the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony "eats" someone, two things can happen. If he eats your "Name," the world forgets you existed. Your history is bleached from reality. If he eats your "Memories," you become an empty husk, a victim of the "Sleeping Beauty" syndrome.
It’s terrifyingly efficient.
Think back to the end of Season 1 and the start of Season 2. Rem, arguably one of the most popular characters in anime history, was sidelined for years of real-world time because of a single encounter with Ley. He ate her name and her memories. Suddenly, Subaru was the only person in the entire world who remembered the girl who had just confessed her love to him.
Why the "Eating" Metaphor is So Disturbing
Ley talks like a gourmet. He’s obsessed with the "flavor" of experiences. To him, a hero who has suffered and struggled tastes better than a boring commoner. He’s looking for a specific kind of fulfillment that can never be satiated. That’s the core of the sin, right? Gluttony isn't just about being full; it's about the endless pursuit of consumption regardless of the cost to others.
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He uses phrases like "Let’s eat!" and "Gourmet!" with this frantic, high-pitched energy that makes your skin crawl. He’s a child. A murderous, overpowered child who views the lives of others as nothing more than a tasting menu at a high-end restaurant.
The Three Aspects: Ley, Roy, and Louis
One thing that confuses people who only watch the anime is the nature of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. It’s not just one person. It’s a collective of three siblings who share the title.
- Ley Batenkaitos: Representing "Gourmet." He cares about the quality of what he eats. He wants the most flavorful, heroic memories possible.
- Roy Alphard: Representing "Bizarre Eating." He’s less picky. He’ll eat anything and anyone. Quantity over quality.
- Louis Arneb: The "Satiation" aspect. She stays in the "Hall of Memories" (an astral-plane-style library) and processes what her brothers eat.
This dynamic is wild. They share the memories they consume. This means Ley can use the combat skills of the people he’s eaten. If he eats a master swordsman, he suddenly has decades of muscle memory and technique. This makes the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony one of the most dangerous physical threats in the series. He isn't just a mage; he's a composite of every warrior he’s ever erased.
The Priestella Arc: Where Things Get Real
The battle in the Watergate City of Priestella is where we truly see the scale of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony's threat. While Regulus Corneas (Greed) is busy being a narcissistic nightmare and Sirius (Wrath) is causing emotional chaos, the Gluttony siblings are methodically dismantling the defense force.
Ley’s fight against characters like Otto Suwen and Beatrice shows just how hard he is to pin down. You’re not fighting one guy; you’re fighting a kid who can move like a beast and strike with the precision of a veteran.
Honestly, the way Ley targets the "names" of the city's inhabitants creates a level of psychological warfare that most villains can't touch. It’s not just about the body count. It’s about the erasure of identity. In a world where your legacy is everything, Gluttony is the ultimate eraser.
The Problem with Louis Arneb
Without spoiling the later arcs of the web novel too much, Louis Arneb is the one who really changes the game. Her existence in the Hall of Memories allows her to interact with Subaru in a way that is... well, it’s traumatic.
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She becomes obsessed with the idea of "Return by Death." Think about it from her perspective: she eats memories to experience life. Subaru is a guy who has lived multiple "lives." To a glutton, he is the ultimate infinite buffet.
This obsession leads to some of the most experimental and mind-bending chapters in the entire series (specifically in Arc 6). The interaction between the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony and a protagonist who can't die creates a loop of consumption that is genuinely hard to read at times. It’s dark. It’s messy. And it’s brilliant writing.
What Most People Get Wrong About Gluttony
A common misconception is that the Sin Archbishops are just "evil for the sake of evil." While they are definitely monsters, their motivations are rooted in a warped sense of logic.
Ley Batenkaitos doesn't think he’s a villain. He thinks he’s an appreciator of life. He believes that by eating someone, he is preserving them. In his twisted mind, if a hero dies and is forgotten, that’s a waste. But if he eats them, their skills and memories live on through him. It’s a parasitic form of immortality.
Also, people often underestimate Roy Alphard. Because Ley gets more "screen time" in the early chapters, Roy is sometimes seen as the "lesser" brother. That’s a mistake. Roy is just as capable of ending a character’s narrative arc with a single bite.
The Legacy of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony
Why does this character archetype stick with us? It’s the fear of being forgotten. We all have a baseline fear of death, sure. But the idea that you could continue to exist while everyone you love looks at you with blank eyes? That’s a special kind of hell.
The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony represents the hunger that can never be satisfied—the hollow pit in the soul that tries to fill itself with the lives of others.
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Subaru’s struggle against Gluttony isn't just a physical fight. It’s a fight for the right to exist. Every time he faces Ley or Roy, he’s fighting to win back the names of his friends. He’s fighting for Rem. He’s fighting for the Crusch Karsten that used to be a confident leader before her memories were snatched away.
Key Takeaways for Fans and Writers
If you’re analyzing the series or writing your own villains, there are a few things to learn from how Nagatsuki handled Gluttony:
- Personal Stakes: The villain shouldn't just threaten the world; they should threaten what the protagonist loves most.
- Thematically Linked Powers: The power of "eating names" perfectly mirrors the sin of Gluttony. It’s not literal; it’s metaphorical and spiritual.
- Unpredictability: By splitting the sin into three siblings, the narrative stays fresh. You never know which "aspect" you’re dealing with.
How to Handle the "Gluttony" Threat in Your Own Lore
If you're a TTRPG player or a writer looking to implement a "Gluttony" style villain, don't just make them a big guy who eats a lot. That’s boring.
Focus on the void.
A true Gluttony villain should be defined by what they take away from the world. They should be a vacuum. When they enter a room, the "energy" or "history" should feel like it's being sucked out.
The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony works because he is a small, energetic boy who carries the weight of thousands of stolen lives. That contrast is what makes him memorable.
To truly understand the impact of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, you have to look at the characters left in his wake. Look at the "Sleeping Beauties" in the capital. Look at the broken alliances. The damage he deals isn't measured in craters or burnt buildings—it's measured in the silence of people who can no longer remember why they are crying.
Next Steps for Re:Zero Enthusiasts
For those looking to dive deeper into the lore of the Witch Cult, focusing on the transition between Arc 4 and Arc 5 is essential. This is where the political landscape of Lugnica shifts to directly address the Sin Archbishops as a coordinated threat rather than isolated incidents. Keep a close eye on the mentions of the "Hall of Memories" in later chapters, as it redefines everything we thought we knew about the soul in the Re:Zero universe. If you're caught up on the anime, reading the Light Novels starting from Volume 16 will give you the full, unedited brutality of the Gluttony siblings' assault on Priestella.