The city of Orario boasts a number of familia and factions, and while many have thrived in the city and its dungeon, the same cannot be said for others. The Astrea Familia is one such familia that disbanded five years before DanMachi’s present time, with most unaware of its existence and role in Orario. The series had previously revealed bits of information regarding the familia while presenting Ryu’s past, although most of the details about the members and their fate had been omitted.
The latest season of DanMachi has directed its focus towards Ryu Lion and her past, in-turn revealing much about the Astrea Familia and its members. While the anime adaptation has revealed limited information, a considerable amount of knowledge can be found in the Light Novels, adding to the missing pieces left by the anime’s minimal explanation of the familia’s fate.
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The Astrea Familia: An Overview
Led by goddess Astrea, the Astrea Familia was an all-female faction consisting of eleven members, comprising two level 3s and nine level 4s. Overall, the familia was considered to be one of the strongest in Orario, with the members even tasked with leading the city’s police force – a commendable achievement for such a small familia. Alise Lovell led the familia as its captain, with Gojouno Kaguya serving as the vice-captain.
The familia centered itself upon the concept of justice, as its members pledged to uphold the foundations of fairness and justice. This sentiment is a reflection of Astrea’s real-world mythological roots, as Greek mythology refers to her as the virgin goddess of justice, purity, and innocence. Apart from their fondness towards justice and impartiality, the familia members had garnered a reputation for their brute strength as well, conquering several monster rexes in the dungeon, most notably the Goliaths and Udaeus.
After the familia’s untimely demise, goddess Astrea left Orario for good, eventually starting the Astrea Familia once more with new members. However, Ryu Lion, the only surviving member from the original familia, left the faction as she was deemed as a criminal on account of her vengeful activities. For now, the Astrea Familia remains only a husk of its former self, with the events of its past a stain on its present.
The Astrea Familia’s Downfall
While the familia’s demise was caused by the rampaging Juggernaut in the dungeon, the member’s untimely deaths can be attributed to Evilus and its actions. Evilus was a group of familia bearing radical ideals, led by gods that bore a resentment for divinity. The faction set up a trap in the dungeon's deep floors for the Astrea Familia, a battle that led to the dungeon’s floor being severely damaged, in-turn summoning the Juggernaut.
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Ryu Lion was the only surviving member of the familia, yet she was consumed by vengeance. In a bid to avenge her fallen comrades and bring justice, Ryu went on a rampage, killing every single person related to Evilus, including merchants and civilians. While her actions were certainly morally ambiguous, the Guild’s laws explicitly outlaw murder, no matter the reason. This led to Ryu becoming a wanted fugitive, forced to lay low within Orario and leave her familia behind. With Ryu’s absence, the Astrea Familia officially disbanded for the time being.
The Rudiments of Justice
The latest season’s features several flashbacks focusing on the Astrea Familia’s concept of justice, with each presenting the member’s viewpoints and beliefs on the matter. The most vehement ones were Ryu’s idealistic views on justice, rivaled by Kaguya’s cynical yet realistic perspective. For Kaguya, the concept of justice only serves as a tool for people to justify their actions, and that the needs of a few can certainly outweigh the needs of many if need be. Ryu, on the other hand, stood sternly against such an unfair notion, as for her, justice meant fairness for all. Considering Astrea’s place as the goddess of justice and innocence, the familia’s obsession with this concept perfectly reflects what Astrea stands for.
The flashbacks go hand-in-hand with the current events in the dungeon’s Deep Floors, as Ryu has decided to sacrifice herself for Bell, something that goes against her idealistic views. The series perfectly depicts Ryu’s changing perspectives under the dungeon’s unrelenting pressure, as she goes from believing in saving everyone to siding with Kaguya’s belief of sacrifice. For now, the flashbacks are centered around the notion of justice and its implications of self-sacrifice for Ryu, though the possibility of the series presenting the events that led to the member’s deaths is also plausible. As the party ventures deeper into the dungeon, more secrets are bound to unfold, which could further shed light on the untimely passing of the Astrea Familia.
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