The Faraway Paladin

In a city of the dead, long since ruined and far from human civilization, lives a single human child. His name is Will, and he's being raised by three undead: the hearty skeletal warrior, Blood; the graceful mummified priestess, Mary; and the crotchety spectral sorcerer, Gus. The three pour love into the boy, and teach him all they know. But one day, Will starts to wonder: "Who am I?" Will must unravel the mysteries of this faraway dead man's land, and unearth the secret pasts of the undead. He must learn the love and mercy of the good gods, and the bigotry and madness of the bad. And when he knows it all, the boy will take his first step on the path to becoming a Paladin.

The Faraway Paladin (2021-2023) is a Japanese anime fantasy series produced by Children's Playground Entertainment, OLM and Sunrise Beyond, adapted from a light novel and aired on TOKYO MX. Across two seasons and twenty-four episodes, it follows a human boy named Will (voiced by Maki Kawase as a child and Shoya Chiba as an adult) raised in a long-ruined city of the dead by three undead companions: the hearty skeletal warrior Blood (Katsuyuki Konishi), the graceful mummified priestess Mary (Yui Horie) and the crotchety spectral sorcerer Gus (Nobuo Tobita). Their affection shapes the household, but Will begins asking who he really is, and each episode pushes him deeper into the mysteries of this faraway land and the buried pasts of its undead. The story moves between journeys across barren terrain, lore revelations and battles against threats tied to both the good and the cruel gods. The show's tone is warm and earnest, with a sense of wonder and a slightly melancholic undercurrent about death, memory and belonging. Fans of Made in Abyss, Re:Zero and Log Horizon will find resonance in its blend of high fantasy adventure, found family bonds and a young protagonist's coming-of-age quest toward becoming a Paladin.

Audiences find the world-building and premise promising early on but feel the middle stretches fall into slow, visually flat battles and a passive protagonist, leaving the series mixed.

• Made in Abyssundead companions and a fantasy world shared through a child protagonist, light fantasy adventure tone
• Re:Zeroisekai-adjacent high fantasy with a found-family bond and a journey toward heroism
• Log Horizonlighthearted fantasy adventure with a bond between a young protagonist and unusual companions

Release Date

2021-10-09

Episode runtime

24 min

Rating

6.8 / 10 (86)

What is The Faraway Paladin about?

A human boy raised by three undead in a ruined dead man's land sets out to learn his own identity and the path to becoming a Paladin.

What is The Faraway Paladin like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Faraway Paladin as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Faraway Paladin violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Faraway Paladin as moderate.

What did critics think of The Faraway Paladin?

Audiences find the world-building and premise promising early on but feel the middle stretches fall into slow, visually flat battles and a passive protagonist, leaving the series mixed.

Which shows are like The Faraway Paladin?

Shows with a similar feel include Made in Abyss, Re:Zero, and Log Horizon.

How long is The Faraway Paladin?

The Faraway Paladin: 2 seasons, 24 episodes.

Is The Faraway Paladin still running?

No, The Faraway Paladin has ended.

Where can I watch The Faraway Paladin?

In United States, The Faraway Paladin streams on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.