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In 2021,Madoka Magicafans finally got the confirmation thata new movie was in production, the long-awaitedsequel to thePuella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion. It’s been almost four years since then, butMadoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Risingis slated for 2025.
There has been no official confirmation of an international release (but even the Japanese release date is yet to be announced), but Aniplex USA (owned bySony) has been dropping trailers with English subs, so they probably have plans to release the movie at least in the US. The movie is marketed as “the beginning of a new chapter"on the official website, teasing that there might be more movies (or maybe another TV series) planned. But what exactly can we expect from this one?
Homura Rewrote the Universe, But It Seems Unstable
At the end of Rebellion, Homura rewrites the universe in a way that Madoka can live as a normal human, and all the other main magical girls seem to live a happy life – which can be interpreted as a sign that she actually cares about them, contrary to what most fans might think.
However, it also seems clear that Homura’s newly-crafted reality won’t last much longer, as Rebellions hints at it in its final moments and in the post-credits scene – andmany fans hate how the movie ends.
How Could Walpurgisnatch Be Back?
The most intriguing thing about the movie so far is its title:Walpurgisnacht: Rising(in Japanese, it’sWalpurgis no Kaiten, which has a similar meaning). Walpurgis is the main antagonist in the TV series and the strongest witch we see in action in the story — given that the witch forms of both Homura and Madoka are not exactly “in action” at any point in the series, as it could be debatable if any of them is stronger than Walpurgis.
However, Madoka has wished for magical girls to get their final hope before dying, thus witches no longer exist in the rewritten universe. Despite the changes that took place after Homura rewrote the universe once again, this doesn’t seem to have been altered, as Homura probably doesn’t have the power nor the will to change this central aspect of Madoka’s wish.
In the first poster, post-RebellionHomura seems to be touching a broken mirror showing Madoka and Walpurgis. Another poster portrays two Homuras – one nods to the post-TV-series Homura (she has a red ribbon in her hair) and the other one to the post-RebellionHomura. There’s also a weird phone that seems to be related to Homura’s corrupted Soul Gem. It seems to tease that Walpurgis' comeback is related to Homura and some sort of relation between the old and new universes.
Could We Discover Walpurgis' True Identity?
Walpurgis is introduced in the TV series as the main antagonist (although Kyubey is more like the real antagonist), but she is only described as the most powerful witch known, and she is actually a fusion of many witches (as if she absorbs them).
Well, at the end of the TV series, Madoka turns into a being that absorbs all magical girls before they turn into witches, so, in a sense, she is kind of the antithesis of Walpurgis. Given thatMadokaindeed makes a few references to philosophers and philosophy, we could guess that the Walpurgis is the thesis, Madoka, as the Law of Cycles, is the antithesis and maybe Homura, as whatever she has become, is the synthesis.
In this sense, Walpurgis might be related to Madoka, as Madoka has all the magical girls inside her since she became the Law of Cycles. However, Walpurgis is also described in official media as “the fool who continuously spins in circles”, and many have pointed out how similar this motif is to Homura, who goes back in time again and again in the TV series, always failing to achieve her main objective.
Homura’s Soul Gem still seems to be corrupted, and it is still not entirely clear how the Law of Cycles operates in this new universe. So, Walpurgis' return could be related to a collateral effect of Homura’s actions upon Madoka’s wish, which might have even more complicated implications regarding Homura’s state of mind.
Is There Any Room for Hope?
Madokais a show that plays with expectations, and, so far, it has shownstories with bittersweet endings. But, if none of the endings were the actual finale of the story, there might still be hope that Madoka and Homura will be able to defeat the incubators together and free the magical girls. However, it would also be reasonable not to forget that there is a good chance that at least one of them will die trying.
Madoka Magica Walpurgisnacht: Risingis set to premiere in Winter 2025 in Japan, but no international release is officially confirmed.
