Himmel the Hero inspires man to defeat knife-wielding attacker

A Taiwanese man who fought off a knife-wielding attacker on the Taichung Metro has quoted Himmel the Hero from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End as an inspiration for his bravery.

On May 21, 2024, passengers subdued a knife-wielding man who attacked people on a train in central Taichung, Taiwan. The attack occurred on the tenth anniversary of a deadly knife rampage on Taipei’s metro, and three people were taken to the hospital for their injuries.

Local news outlets interviewed the individuals who took down the attacker on June 4, and officials awarded them medals for their bravery. In the interview, one young man explains that Himmel influenced his actions.

“It’s what Himmel the Hero would have done,” said the man through translation.

Himmel is one of the original four great heroes depicted in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Tales of his accomplishments and acts of bravery are referenced multiple times throughout the anime and have now reached into the real world.

The news of Himmel’s influence on the young man made it to the show’s official Reddit page, where other fans began discussing how the show has impacted people’s lives.

“Himmel is such a great role model he is even changing the real world, the guy is OP,” stated the top comment underneath the post.

The thread discussing the incident included more references to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, including a key plot point revealed towards the end of the show.

While well-known as one of the greatest heroes of the time, Himmel was unable to pass the one test of pulling a goddess sword from a stone, as he was not the “chosen” one. But that hiccup did not stop him from doing incredible things, which one commenter pointed out in this case.

“You do not need to pull a goddess sword to be a hero. Hats off to the guy,” said the commenter.

The young man, who stepped into harm’s way to save others, may not be known worldwide but he has become a real hero for those within the Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End community.