Ever scrolled through a forum or a wiki and stumbled upon the phrase rem the end of the world and felt like you missed an entire season of an anime? You aren't alone. It’s one of those deep-lore nuggets that sits right at the intersection of "wait, what?" and "oh, that’s heartbreaking."
It’s not some fan-fiction fever dream. It’s real.
Basically, we’re talking about a "What If" scenario—an official spin-off story written by Tappei Nagatsuki, the creator of Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World. In the community, it’s formally known as the Re:IF storyline or the Sloth IF. It’s the timeline where everything goes sideways because Subaru Natsuki decides he’s had enough of dying.
Honestly, it’s a brutal look at what happens when a hero gives up.
The Moment Everything Changed
Remember Episode 18 of the first season? The one titled "From Zero"?
Subaru is at his absolute breaking point. He’s watched everyone he cares about get slaughtered by the Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti and the White Whale more times than a sane person can count. He stands on that balcony with Rem and begs her to run away with him. In the main story, the one we all know, Rem gives that iconic speech. She rejects his offer because she loves the version of Subaru that doesn't give up.
But in the rem the end of the world scenario, she says yes.
They leave. They literally ditch Lugnica, leave Emilia and everyone else to their gruesome fates, and flee to a small city in Kararagi. It feels like a win for the Rem fans at first, right? They get married. They have kids (Rigel and Spica). They live a "quiet" life.
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But there’s a massive, dark cloud over the whole thing. Subaru carries the weight of knowing he let his friends die. He lives with a permanent sense of cowardice that he masks behind a beard and a fatherly persona. It’s a bittersweet existence where the "end of the world" refers to the literal destruction of the life they knew and the metaphorical end of Subaru’s heroism.
Why Do People Call It "The End Of The World"?
The phrasing is a bit of a translation quirk mixed with fan terminology. While the official chapter title is usually translated as Rem IF or Natsuki Rem, the "end of the world" sentiment stems from the fact that by running away, Subaru essentially lets the world end for everyone else.
Without Subaru there to stop the Witch Cult, the Great Hare, and the other Calamities, the main cast is doomed.
Imagine it. Emilia dies in the frozen forest or at the hands of the cult. Roswaal’s plans crumble into chaos. The kingdom of Lugnica likely falls. For the people Subaru left behind, it was quite literally the end of the world.
Tappei Nagatsuki usually releases these "IF" stories on April 1st—April Fool's Day—as a sort of dark gift to the fans. They are canon-divergent, meaning they didn't happen in the main timeline, but the characterizations are 100% accurate. This is exactly what would have happened if Subaru’s will had snapped.
Life in Kararagi
In this timeline, Subaru and Rem adopt the surname Natsuki. They move to Banan, a city that feels a lot like Edo-period Japan.
It’s a weirdly domestic setting for a show that usually involves people getting disemboweled. Subaru works as a local official or clerk. He struggles with the language. He’s not a hero here; he’s just a guy trying to outrun his trauma.
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- Rigel Natsuki: Their firstborn son. He looks like Subaru but inherited Rem’s blue hair. He’s kind of a brat, but he loves his family.
- Spica Natsuki: Their daughter. She’s younger and represents the "peace" Subaru bought at the cost of his soul.
It’s fascinating because it shows a version of Rem who is happy, but also a Rem who is complicit in Subaru’s failure. She chose his happiness over the safety of the world. Some fans find it romantic. Others find it deeply unsettling.
The Psychological Toll
You can’t just ignore the fact that Subaru has "Return by Death." In the rem the end of the world timeline, he hasn't died in years.
That sounds great, but for someone with his specific brand of PTSD, it’s a nightmare. He’s constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’s terrified that if he dies now, he’ll reset all the way back to the beginning, losing his children and his life with Rem. He is a prisoner of his own "success."
Tappei writes these stories to show why the main timeline is the only "good" path. Every other choice leads to a version of Subaru that is broken, evil, or hollow. In the Sloth IF, he is hollowed out by his own comfort.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Story
A lot of people think this is a "happy ending" that got cut from the anime. It really isn't.
If you read the light novels or the web novel chapters for this arc, the tone is heavy. There’s a specific scene where Subaru looks at his reflection and can barely recognize the man he’s become. He’s older, he’s tired, and he knows he’s a deserter.
Also, it's worth noting that the "end of the world" vibe is reinforced by the lack of information we get about the rest of the world. We don't see Emilia's death. We don't see the cult's victory. We only see the quiet, mundane life of the Natsuki family, which makes the unseen carnage elsewhere feel even more haunting. It’s the "ignorance is bliss" trope taken to a logical, terrifying extreme.
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How to Read Rem The End Of The World
If you want to find the source material, search for the Re:Zero Sloth IF. It’s been translated by various fan groups over the years, as it hasn't received a full, standalone physical release in English the way the main volumes have.
The story is usually broken down into several parts:
- The initial departure from the balcony.
- The arrival in Kararagi.
- The "Oni and Happiness" chapters which detail their life with the kids.
Actionable Insights for Re:Zero Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific corner of the fandom, here is how you should approach it without getting lost in the "What If" weeds.
Identify the Divergence Points
Every Re:Zero IF story starts with a specific sin. This one is Sloth. Subaru chose the "lazy" path of running away rather than the "diligent" path of fighting through the pain. Recognizing this helps you understand why the characters act slightly "off" compared to the main series.
Look for the Visuals
There is official art for the Rem IF characters illustrated by Shinichirou Otsuka. Seeing the character designs for adult Subaru and his children helps ground the story. It makes the "what could have been" feel much more real.
Compare the Sins
Don't stop at Sloth. There is the Envy IF (main story), the Greed IF (where Subaru uses Return by Death thousands of times to make everything "perfect"), the Pride IF, and the Wrath IF. Comparing rem the end of the world to the Greed IF is particularly eye-opening. In one, he gives up too much; in the other, he tries to control too much.
Check the Web Novel Chapters
If you’ve only watched the anime, you’re missing the internal monologues. The web novel is where Tappei really lets loose with the psychological horror of Subaru’s choices. The Sloth IF chapters are essentially a character study on the cost of peace.
Ultimately, rem the end of the world serves as a stark reminder of why we root for Subaru in the first place. His greatness doesn't come from his power, but from his refusal to take the easy way out—even when the easy way involves a happy life with the person who loves him most. It’s a beautiful, tragic mess of a story that every fan should read at least once to truly appreciate the stakes of the main timeline.