Overlord IV Episode 3 Review – Best In Show

Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts

Overlord IV Episode 3 Review – Quick Summary

In Overlord IV episode 3, “Baharuth Empire,” we got a quick flashback to Ainz Ooal Gown sending Albedo on her mission to the Re-Estize Kingdom. Purely for medicinal purposes, she asked for a kiss. Can you guess how Momonga responded? Later, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix felt desperate to find a way to defeat his new overlord, Ainz Ooal Gown, so he reached out to a source he thought might give him an edge. Was that a smart move? Or could something, somehow, go wrong? And if it does, what would Ainz Ooal Gown do about it?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from Overlord IV Episode 3

He’s really come a long way since the first season. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Can we just for a moment sit back and admire how far Ainz Ooal Gown has come in terms of how he relates to Albedo? Just a season ago, he got super flustered whenever she’d flirt with him. Well, maybe flirt is the wrong word. Perhaps I should say that she hurled herself at him. But you get the idea.

This episode, when she asked him to give her a kiss (for medical purposes, of course), he actually kissed her on the cheek! Overwhelmed with emotion, she said, “I thought you’d ignore my request.” And then she burst into tears!

They were happy tears. And what did Ainz Ooal Gown do? The dude hugged her! On his own volition, in response to her feelings, he hugged her!

Finally calmed down, she rode off with her entourage. Ainz Ooal Gown waved goodbye. The Homunculus Maid named Lumière attended him. In a matter of fact voice, he said (02:38), “Forget everything you saw just now.”

Of course, she said she would. 

Not even three minutes in, and I already had my favorite quote. Talk about a good sign!

Best in Show Moment for Overlord IV Episode 3

Look who dropped by to say hi! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Dangerous Misdirection

As an anime-only fan, I had a feeling I was missing something several times in this episode, especially during my favorite moment. Fortunately, Reddit user Djinnfor posted this great backgrounder on the episode. It didn’t seem to spoil anything. Rather, it just brought together a lot of details that I’ve forgotten since I watched the first Overlord episodes all those years ago. It made me not only realize just how intricately-crafted this series is, but it also helped me appreciate many of the moments even more.

My favorite moment highlights something I’ve always loved about this show: its ability to imbue moments with multiple meanings that depended on the character’s perspective. Now, I’m not sure about this, but I think it’s likely that for my favorite moment, Ainz Ooal Gown was on a completely different wave-link than Jircniv.

I think Ainz really meant that he thought this was a coincidence. Jircniv didn’t think that for a second! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Remember, towards the end of the episode, when the Slane Theocracy visited Jircniv, who was presiding over a gladiator match between his kingdom’s champion and a surprise guest? There was a lot of tension and suspicion in the room. The Theocracy was desperate to find allies against Ainz Ooal Gown, but they didn’t want to appear to be too desperate. Jircniv was a nervous wreck: he knew his kingdom prospered because of his alliance with the undead sorcerer, but he didn’t want to make an enemy of the Slane Theocracy, who didn’t tolerate anyone who associated with evil folks (like Ainz).

Delivery: Jircniv’s Guilty Conscience

Thinking they’d be safe so high above the arena, Jircniv tried to get the meeting underway. But then, from his perspective, something horrible happened. The announcer proclaimed the name of the challenger. 

That name was Ainz Ooal Gown.

I kind of feel sorry for this guy. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Jircniv flew into a full-blown panic. The representatives from the Thane Theocracy accused him of setting them up. Jircniv denied that, of course, but he could not figure out how Ainz Ooal Gown had discovered the meeting. He even wondered if Ainz had set and carefully baited this trap himself.

Just as Jircniv was about to flee, up floated Ainz Ooal Gown. Cheerfully, he said (19:11), “Master Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix. Long time no see!”

Now, I don’t know if that is actually Ainz or Pandora’s Actor. But my interpretation is that either way, this incarnation of Ainz had visited for the reasons he later said: he wanted to test his strength against the kingdom’s strongest warrior. Or put that warrior down to demonstrate his power – which are two ways of saying the same thing! But because Jircniv and the Slane Theocracy had been plotting, he felt guilty, so he concluded that Ainz had come for him, to put him in his place. How fun is that?

I hope next week’s episode confirms or denies my interpretation.

What did you think of the Slane Theocracy’s discussion at the beginning (put another way, did you almost feel as sorry for them as I did)? What were your favorite moments in the episode? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

Overlord IV Episode 3: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

• Reddit: Overlord Season 4 – Episode 3 discussion
• RABUJOI: Overlord IV – 03 – Muddy Waters
• Random Curiosity: Overlord IV – 03

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

• Overlord IV Episode 1: Ains Ooal Gown Nation of Leading Darkness
• Overlord IV Episode 2: Re-Estize Kingdom
• Overlord IV Episode 3: Baharuth Empire
• Overlord IV Episode 4: The Ruler of Conspiracy
• Overlord IV Episode 5: In Pursuit of the Land of Dwarves
• Overlord IV Episode 6: The Impending Crisis
• Overlord IV Episode 7: In Pursuit of the Land of Dwarves
• Overlord IV Episode 8: An Unexpected Move
• Overlord IV Episode 9: Countdown to Extinction
• Overlord IV Episode 10: The Last King
• Overlord IV Episode 11: Well-Prepared Traps
• Overlord IV Episode 12: Invasion of the Royal Capital
• Overlord IV Episode 13: The Witch of the Falling Kingdom