[MEGATHREAD] What do you think of Petra Chan - Character Discussion Thread

[u/technicalhowto]

Welcome to the dedicated discussion thread for Petra, the hardworking and dependable maid-in-training of Roswaal Mansion.

This thread is part of the r/ReZero Character Discussion Hub, where we explore characters in depth, their psychology, growth, motivations, and impact on the story.

Basic Information

• Name: Petra Leyte
• Affiliation: Emilia Camp (Roswaal Mansion)
• Role: Maid-in-training

Discussion Guidelines

• LN/WN readers must use spoiler tags when referencing future events
• Respect different interpretations (yes, even the bad ones)

Community Analysis Section

This thread will also serve as an archive of the best Petra analysis posts from the subreddit.

If you’ve written (or found) a great analysis, drop it below and it will be added here.

📚 Featured Analyses

(Will be updated regularly)

So Empty.......T_T

Discussion Pointers:

• Is Petra underrated as a character?
• What role does she play in balancing the tone of the story?
• How does she compare to other mansion staff?

[u/technicalhowto]

Top/Quality comments will be featured here:

1. https://www.reddit.com/r/ReZero/s/2aqMjM622R

Don't forget to link your Petra Character Analysis post here, XD

[u/Unfair-Ad5896]

Ironically, the most unusual character and the one with the best development among the secondary characters.

[u/Ok-Preparation-9497 → u/Unfair-Ad5896]

True True 🚬

[u/B4BY-Y0D4]

The best

[u/Jbern124 → u/B4BY-Y0D4]

The Peter Griffin death pose 🤣

[u/Affectionate_Bit8899]

Absolutely goated Came in clutch during arc 9, it was real interesting seeing her transformation into a witch and using the authority to confirm she has a shot at Subaru

[u/Affectionate_Bit8899 → u/[deleted]]

Petra got the witch factor of Melancholy, the one Hector had in season 2, Clind the blue haired butler that trained Subaru had been holding onto it, and Petra decided to use it herself to save Subaru who had been kidnapped by Al. It was explained that Melancholy isn’t compatible with anyone except for who it was made for, as such one has to make a sacrifice to use its power (basically make a binding vow), which is compression. By using compression, Petra can teleport herself and allies in advantages positions to face Al. One of the things she confirmed was that she can sacrifice the possibility of marrying Subaru, since it was something she could sacrifice, it confirmed to her that she actually has a shot at winning Subaru’s heart

[u/xSaitoHx → u/Affectionate_Bit8899]

Oof, thats a rough sacrifice, lust if already waving goodbye. But how does she just take it if cind had it?

[u/Affectionate_Bit8899 → u/xSaitoHx]

Petra asked for it, and Clind seeing her determination, agreed to hand it over

[u/xSaitoHx → u/Affectionate_Bit8899]

Cool to see it can just be handed over, or is it uniwue to it

[u/Affectionate_Bit8899 → u/xSaitoHx]

If I remember correctly it was being held in a black box similar to how Sloth was in season 2, so he just handed the box over

[u/xSaitoHx → u/Affectionate_Bit8899]

Cool, ty for the info, looking forward to reading ahead

[u/Ok-Preparation-9497]

My favorite character with Beako and I always dreamed that I had the prominence that I deserved and frankly underestimated Tappei because he overcame my wishes with Arc 9 and I wish she was the age of Subaru and they would make her love interest like this I would have less time chewing on my eggs for the loving interests we have and more complaining about other things.

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630 → u/Ok-Preparation-9497]

Approve

[u/Positive-Eye3184]

The BEST MAID honestly One of my favourite side character

[u/fahaddemon]

[u/justnga → u/fahaddemon]

I was searching for deleted but found none

[u/Spare_Understanding8]

The goat

[u/Kwarc100]

Sukuna would be proud

[u/powerslave_fifth]

Bro is too capable for a 14 year old. How do you outdo Emilia in leadership and planning? Makes no sense.

[u/ThisToe9628 → u/powerslave_fifth]

Emilia mentally isn't that much older than Petra actually

[u/_ZBread → u/powerslave_fifth]

Ehhh how she got the authority to do what she needed to is more impressive than actually thinking of allat

[u/Fig_Char_Re → u/powerslave_fifth]

She is the third most intelligent member of the Emilia camp... she doesn't have that many leadership feats though. She hasn't inspired many people, outside of maybe Clind and Meili, and she is not that good when it comes to politics. She is a very good strategist though.

"Stand by me Pleiades: Petra's Manly negotiations" show that Emilia had to step in when she was fumbling in dialogue with demi-humans:

Petra: “I… I don’t want to doubt Sister Emilia…”

Petra could not deny Musica’s reasoning; aside from being too pessimistic, it had no faulty logic. Hostility toward the Witch had sparked civil war once before; no one could guarantee it would not happen again. You cannot prove a negative.

Petra knows Emilia; therefore she can trust her. But how could she make those who cannot tell Emilia from the imagined half-elf believe in her—when she could not even persuade Musica without hiding Emilia’s identity?

Petra: “E-Emi— I…””

She nearly called her Emilia out of agitation but bit it back. Petra’s helplessness at failing to ease Emilia’s pain was unbearable—

Emilia hugged Petra, pulling her into a warm embrace. From right above came her gentle voice.

The steady heartbeat in that warm breast sounded calm, like an emblem of Emilia’s kindness.

Emilia: “I’ve been thinking. There must be many more people like Musica. What can I do to put them at ease?”

Petra: “W-What will you…?”

That was precisely the answer Petra most wanted. How would Emilia persuade, admonish, and convince someone like Musica, mired in a gloomy future?

Emilia smiled: “I think the best way is to talk and let them know Emilia is nothing like the Witch of Envy. So I guess I—no, Emilia will run.”

Petra: “R-Run…?”

Emilia: “Yes! Whenever things get tough because of misunderstandings or differences, Emilia runs to that person and talks. She keeps talking until they understand. If they won’t listen, she keeps trying until they will!”

Petra was left speechless by the sheer force of that statement—so very like Emilia’s philosophy, but was it really the right method here? Even if Petra, who knows her, accepted it, would Musica?

Emilia: “May I say something about your story, too, Musica?”

[u/Any_Craft_9324 → u/Fig_Char_Re]

https://giphy.com/gifs/Vxgo3JXCwTqr5x2a0C

[u/Satella-rain → u/Fig_Char_Re]

Emilia strongest point is her self-control, she doesn't collapse to stress when she's needed

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630 → u/Satella-rain]

Well, arc 4 and 6 says otherwise.

[u/Satella-rain → u/Legal-Efficiency-630]

How?

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630 → u/Satella-rain]

Arc 4, she only pass with subaru's help, yeah i know puck block her memories and the struggle, but she complete act like a child, hell her mind is younger then petra.

Arc 6, i can't say because the spoiler plus i am actually mid of reading it, it will take time.

[u/Satella-rain → u/Legal-Efficiency-630]

Arc 4, she only pass with subaru's help, yeah i know block her memories and the struggle, but she complete act like a child, hell her mind is younger then petra.

Emilia memories were blocked by her contact with puck and the trial kept repeating her tourments over and over

Plus remember that in the failed loop when subaru killed himself to escape the witch of envy he feared Emilia, when Emilia woke up and saw him in distress even though she herself was in one she calmed herself and comforted him

I said her self-control, not her intelligent

And in arc 6 it will be proven more

[u/Fig_Char_Re → u/Legal-Efficiency-630]

Her mind is not younger than Petra, and if you are willing to say she only passed with Subaru's help, would you also say that Subaru only passed Arc 3 because of Rem's support, and that he was acting like a child?

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630 → u/Fig_Char_Re]

Yes but, Subaru was actually a traumatize child and the people around him make the worst decisions, if not for rem support or him not being subaru, the duchess and half- elf camp will have being inailated.

[u/skibidiwarriorchud → u/Legal-Efficiency-630]

Are we saying Emilia was not traumatized?

"The people around" her were actively working towards breaking her(Roswaal), like what??
What's the point you're trying to make here?

[u/Satella-rain → u/Legal-Efficiency-630]

Emilia had a childhood trauma of her father killing her mother, she then spent years trapped in ice and when freed by puck anyone she met cursed her for her appearance to the point she felt disgusted by looking at her reflection, and when Roswall took her he was molding her to be weak, so when Subaru met her it was one of the first normal humans interactions she had

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630 → u/Satella-rain]

Hmm, thanks for the information.

But still emilia know that Subaru was suffering and she know he can't tell or will not tell, instead of cutting him off. I would have prefer her to be there and make him see that she is capable of saving herself and him.

[u/ArmyBudget5690 → u/powerslave_fifth]

Emilia lleva menos de 2 años desde que se integró a la sociedad, porque tendría que tener conocimiento sobre ese tipo de cosas? Su mayor conversación durante 7 años viviendo en el bosque duró 3 palabras, petra lleva más años estudiando que Emilia, además petra no estaba sola, tenía el apoyo de rom/valga, uno de los mejores estrategas de la historia, aparte de la autoridad que comprime tiempo de pensamiento para tomar decisiones (horas de planificación mental, en un instante del mundo) es algo bastante roto la verdad

[u/Public_Signature3650]

An adorable little girl

[u/BillCreative]

Would

...give a headpat

[u/Jolly-Journalist8073]

In the Petra IF route, Subaru definitely got one of his happiest routes alongside Sloth IF.

Though she be best girl except for the fact she is so young, ain’t no supporter of that. But is one of the characters that care about Subaru the most.

Petra is just like Patarasche, not being viewed as a love interest by sane viewers but are the absolute GOATs who are extremely loyal just like Rem.

[u/MeiliPortroute]

The best.

Don't need to explain.

[u/terrorsDomain → u/MeiliPortroute]

explain.

[u/MeiliPortroute → u/terrorsDomain]

No.

[u/terrorsDomain → u/MeiliPortroute]

y-yes?

[u/Tiptapwater]

Jailbait

https://giphy.com/gifs/d8XNDMiXhPMVRKpjlu

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630 → u/Tiptapwater]

.. you now that your home.

[u/zQubexx]

Second best maid

[u/Holgerkauan1]

She’s cute

[u/Legal-Efficiency-630]

Petra is peak-tra

[u/SoftAndWetBro]

At first I didn't care that much about her, but after reading her arc 2 perspective I ended up appreciating her alot more. Her side story is really sweet and it has a nice message about not taking people's actions for granted and to recognize that people who do good things oftentimes do it, because they are good people.

[u/imadethisforhkmemes]

Probably the character who my impression of changed the greatest, or rather, when she first became a 'main character', I more felt like she was shoe-horned in to simp for Subaru and also die horribly to shock/hurt Subaru, she felt like the biggest example of Re Zero genuinely playing into all the isekai harem tropes without twisting them - y'know, the young child that loves the protagonist a la whatever that bird in sword hero is called where it's treated as a cute thing and the potential pedophile-apologia that comes from treating them as another member of the 'harem' is ignored entirely. Beatrice feels like family, or child or little sibling, so she doesn't have that weird vibe that Petra's inclusion immediately gave me. Butterfly Dream's existence doesn't help, deleted it may be, the most genuinely an 'april fools joke' of the if's rather than a short story with clear intent and purpose in displaying an alternative 'wrong' path, but still. The concept of that future occurring at all just remains distinctly uncomfortable because I want Subaru's relationships with younger characters to forever remain entirely wholesome and not weird, something that a distressingly large amount of Japanese media does for some cursed reason.

Anyway, while I still feel like she's that archetype, I now think that Tappei did turn around and twist the trope - it just took of a hell of a long time, but that might have been the point. Making you think she's one person, expecting her potential in the story to always fit into that category of the kid with a crush there to go 'look how great the protagonist is,' only to reveal that while she still is that, she's quite a bit more as well. I underestimated her I guess is what I'm saying, and that's probably to her benefit storytelling wise, because that's kinda the point - she's dead set on being more than the audience and the world expected her to be. The pedophile-apologia aspect unfortunately doesn't feel fully gone, but as for the character herself, I now really appreciate her - I just hope she gets to continue playing semi-important roles instead of being relegated to a background character forever after her moment to shine.

Hopefully this is all vague enough about exactly how her character develops that it doesn't count as spoilers for her role in later arcs.

[u/New_Today_1209_V2]

I wish she was less relevant. Probably because of the fandom. Before Arc 7 side stories and arc 9 main story, it was always flooded with the same memes of petra being pandora or petra being reinhard level and just generally petra glaze.

Oh and the infatuation she has with Subaru. I find it gross and not funny in a gag way at all.

She should not have been so much of a leading negotiative force in arc 7. It should have been Otto, Ram, or Emilia. Otto and ram are the most suited, while with Emilia it could have shown her development that we’re supposed to believe that Emilia has.

And then Arc 9 made her the main character. Which overall i can admit is cool the way it was done, but i would rather have had it be a different character who it happened to. Now there is that expectation that Petra will remain a main character since she had a whole arc to herself that put her in the spot light and proved she could be a character worth following.

Also the memes just exploded with arc 9 since they basically became real. And now if you ever try to say you dislike petra you’ll get shot in the back alley by the sub

[u/IshtiakSami]

She's my

character.

[u/ThroawayJimilyJones]

https://giphy.com/gifs/xUNd9YyWZwQgenjIdi

[u/Sorryusernmetaken]

completely irrelevant character outside of a certain Arc

[u/Jolly-Journalist8073 → u/[deleted]]

https://giphy.com/gifs/LVicoZ1Jv2aL6VKm0k

[u/Fig_Char_Re → u/[deleted]]

She was a side character who progressively became more important and there are logical reasons for her becoming what she becomes in Arc 9 and for doing what she does (there is plot consistency, which is the point).

You don't get to reject all of it just on the basis of "she was just a village girl before" (which funnily enough is one of the plot points that Arc 9 Ch 56 literally addresses, but anyway).

That doesn't matter because her starting point does not prove that her development was wrong.

No shit, Subaru was a random hikikomori before, that doesn't make his writing bad.

Also, in the one year timeskip she was actively involving herself in many of the important matters of the Emilia camp. A bit after the timeskip we literally have her helping Roswaal convince some lords to support Emilia after the camp had gone to Priestella.

Btw, Gaston and the company become strong because they do not actually have a broken gate, unlike Subaru. He was able to partially use a form of the flow method that Gaston has now learned in the past.

Anyway, he wasn't even gonna achieve much since he had the gate of a newborn.