Frieren: All 3 Exams in Order (& Who Passed Which!)

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has perfectly combined Japanese fiction’s artistry with Western fiction’s tropes to create a wonderful fantasy work that is extremely popular worldwide, and for a good reason. Although the story builds on Western fantasy tropes, it gives them a specific Japanese touch that makes Frieren truly beautiful. One of the most important elements of the series is magic, which makes sense, and we have recently discovered that the Continental Magic Association sanctions magician ranks (or mage classes). In order to obtain a rank, a Mage has to pass the Mage Exam.

There is an exam for each rank, but the most important one – conducted only in Äußerst – is the First-Class Mage Exam, which is conducted every three years, as far as we know. This is the toughest and most complex exam that only the best and most skilled Mages can pass, thus obtaining the highest rank possible, including all the privileges that come with the rank. In this article, we are going to talk about the current First-Class Mage Exam, its structure, as well as all the mages who attended and passed it. The exam consists of three stages and we are going to elaborate on each of them in this article.

Stage 1: Capturing a Stille

When all the Mages who gathered in Äußerst came to a large Hall to be informed of the Exam, the First-Class Mage Genau informed them of what lies ahead for them. He told them that the exam would be conducted in three stages, with each stage being supervised by a different First-Class Mage. As for the first stage, the supervisor was Genau himself, who told them that the first stage would demand teamwork from them.

He revealed that there were 57 candidates in total and that they would be randomly grouped in groups of three. Then, each of the Mages received a bracelet which, when infused with mana, revealed the other members of their group. In total, there were 19 groups for the first stage. So, what was it?

Well, a barrier made by Serie was erected in a forest near the town. It covered a large area and the candidates had to spend a certain amount of time there and catch a very small and elusive bird known as a Stille. This was, of course, notoriously difficult to do. The area was not without danger, as there were Monsters lurking there as well, and the Mages were exposed to being attacked by other Mages, as stealing a Stille was allowed. In order to pass the exam, two conditions had to be met – each group had to be complete by the time the exam ended (all three members had to be alive and present) and they had to present a Stille (regardless of whether they’ve caught it themselves or stolen it from someone). The barrier was seemingly impenetrable from the outside or from the inside, and even rain was unable to pass through it.

Who passed the first stage of the Exam?

After the exam period passed, the surviving mages gathered in front of Genau, who confirmed that six groups in total (18 of the 57 Mages) passed the first stage. Some of the Mages died, and some did not obtain a Stille, so the total number of surviving Mages is unknown, but we do know that 18 of them passed. As for those whose identities were revealed, we know that the groups that passed are:

Stage 2: Ruins of the King’s Tomb

The second stage of the Exam was conducted by First-Class Mage Sense, who was a pacifist in nature, unlike Genau, whose methods had been described as sadistic by some. While most candidates presumed that they would have to fight between themselves, Sense opted for another way to execute her part of the exam. Namely, she decided to send them to the Ruins of the King’s Tomb, a notorious dungeon-like labyrinth in the vicinity of the city.

There, each of them had to find the center of the labyrinth by dawn or fail. Since the Ruins of the King’s Tomb were not free of danger, they were all provided with a bottled golem in case they needed to escape, but using it would mean automatic disqualification. Sense was also present with them, but she was just overseeing their progress without aiding them in any way.

Who passed the second stage of the Exam?

As the series revealed, a total of 12 of the 18 Mages passed the second stage of the Exam, i.e., they were able to reach the center of the labyrinth by dawn. They are:

Stage 3: Serie’s Intuition

Typically, the third stage of the Exam was conducted by Lernen, who usually made it out to be extremely difficult and lethal. Also – usually – not many candidates reached this stage. Since the Association was aware that many of those who passed wouldn’t be able to pass Lernen’s exam, which would result in unnecessary deaths, they decided to skip it and send the candidates – all of them – directly in front of Serie.

Serie would then use her intuition to judge them and determine whether they are suitable candidates for the position of First-Class Mage, judging traits such as reactions to her and her mana, plus their personalities and desires surrounding magic.

Who passed the third stage of the Exam?

In total, six of the remaining twelve Mages passed the final exam, so the Association issued a total of six new certificates, confirming them as new First-Class Mages. The results were as follows:

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Why did Frieren fail the exam?

Now that we have revealed what happened to Frieren, we can also reveal why she failed the final exam. The thing is, Frieren was more than capable of earning the ranking, as she was more powerful and skilled than all the other candidates; in fact, she was the only one close enough to Serie among them. So, why did Serie fail her in the end?

Well, the principal reason lies in their past. Serie seemingly holds a grudge against Frieren, as Frieren seems to be as capable as her, but completely different, which Serie finds annoying. The reason why she failed Frieren is because she did not like the type of Mage Frieren had become and she simply disregarded everything else and failed her because of that. A very subjective reason that had nothing to do with Frieren’s skills, but rather with Serie’s own opinions of Frieren.

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