The Astrea Familia had been a topic of controversy among Orario’s people, long before Bell Cranel even became an adventurer, and it wasn’t until recently that DanMachi finally shed light on the familia and its late members. Considering the recurring theme of flashbacks to Ryu’s time in the Astrea Familia, a big revelation was expected to take place anytime soon, with the latest episode of the series finally revealing the mysterious events surrounding the familia’s sorrowful fate.
The events of the 30th floor had previously been mentioned in a few instances, with Ryu mentioning her late familia members in front of the memorial site, and Ouranus explaining the events of five years back to Fels. However, these vague references only paved the way for the true story to unfold, revealing the daunting and petrifying details of the Astrea Familia’s lethal encounter. The shocking revelations have certainly added more depth to Ryu’s backstory, making her ruthless actions all the more morally ambiguous.
RELATED:DanMachi: What We Know About the Astrea Familia So Far
The Encounter on the 30th Floor
The disaster that took place on the 30th floor has been a taboo subject among the Guild and all of Orario, with the series portraying the very same sentiments with its vague flashbacks and muzzled references. However, the actual events that took place on the 30th floor are far more gruesome than one could have imagined, with almost every single adventurer being ruthlessly trampled on by the otherworldly being.
The extent of the Juggernaut’s senseless brutality was witnessed during Bell and Ryu’s encounter with the being, yet the events from 5 years back present a much dire situation, as the Juggernaut slaughtered every adventurer from limb to limb, killing all that lay in its wake. The monster’s birth can be attributed to the Rudra Familia and Evilus, who set up a trap on the 30th floor with a massive amount of blazerocks, with the goal of burying the Astrea Familia alive.
While the familia members survived the explosion, the floor’s awry state forced the dungeon to bring in the entity of despair – the Juggernaut, a being with a single goal of killing anything that is a threat to the dungeon. Some of the members tried to fight the monster, yet they were butchered one by one, with grueling scenes of the monster eating the members alive. The disturbing scenes sent Ryu in a state of shock, with Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra being the last ones alive.
A Sacrifice for Justice
The monster’s relentless attacks left the surviving members in a debilitated state, with Lyra losing her vision and Kaguya’s arm severed off. Knowing that it would be impossible to survive the Juggernaut’s unfathomable power, the trio decides to sacrifice their own life in a bid to save Ryu, and in hopes of upholding the Astrea Familia’s notion of justice. Alise instructs Ryu to chant her most powerful spell, while the three attempt to break the Juggernaut’s magic-immune husk.
As Ryu initiates her chants, the rest of the members charge at the Juggernaut, with Lyra getting clawed by the beast, followed by Kaguya getting cut in half, with Alise attempting to subdue its husk with her blade impaling the surface. However, as soon as Ryu uses her Luminous Wind, the Juggernaut escapes, leaving Alise in the spell’s direct line of fire. The sight of disintegrating her best friend with her very own hands scarred Ryu forever, with vengeance permanently clouding her judgment.
RELATED:DanMachi: The Ishtar Familia's Downfall, Explained
While Ryu remained helpless and in shock during the entirety of the event, despicable thoughts of exacting revenge quickly followed suit. Fueled by hatred and clouded by revenge, Ryu swore to destroy all those that had a hand in her familia’s downfall. The events perfectly tie together to what the series had recently presented, giving Ryu’s unrelenting rage a morally ambiguous backstory.
The Astrea Familia’s Remnants
After the jarring events that took place on the 30th floor, the entire Astrea Familia had been annihilated, with Ryu Lion being the sole survivor. With Evilus being the perpetrators of the event, Ryu vowed to avenge her fallen allies by killing off every single person linked to the organization. However, the path she chose was far from her ideals of justice, almost as if her entire belief system had been tainted by the despicable thoughts of revenge.
Ryu even begged goddess Astrea to leave Orario for good, as she did not wish for her goddess to witness the events that were to follow suit. The name ‘Gale Wind’ struck fear into the hearts of the Rudra Familia, and rightfully so, as she stopped at nothing to exact justice for her friends. While Ryu’s actions are certainly a criminal offense, these events give her some sort of leeway, especially considering the heinous activities that Evilus had committed. This could also be the reason why the Guild never went out of its way to capture the Gale Wind, knowing all too well that her actions were more than justified after the events that took place on that unfortunate day.
MORE: DanMachi: The Colosseum Could Be the Dungeon's Biggest Secret Yet
