The Law of Cycles Universe is that which results from Madoka's wish at the end of the previous universe. As such, in one way it can be seen as an extension of that timeline. However, since Madoka's wish rewrites the entire world, including all of history, it is treated as an entirely separate continuity.
Currently, the only known events in this universe are the those at the end of Episode 12, Wraith Arc, Rebellion, and a handful of smaller stories. While Ultimate Madoka has rewritten multiple universes and timelines, it is unknown if they all resulted in the same outcomes.
In the new universe Madoka created, Wraiths prey on emotions and Mami, Kyoko, and Sayaka work together to fight them in Mitakihara. Sayaka locates a Wraith colony and engages it alone, notifying Mami but not Kyoko of its location. Afterward, Sayaka and Kyoko argue about their mistakes, eventually brawling away from Mami until they exhaust themselves. They reconcile awkwardly and share pocky.
The next day, Hitomi presumably confesses her feelings for Kyosuke to Sayaka and gives her an ultimatum to confess. Later, Sayaka is distracted by these feelings and struggles in battle. She walks home, preoccupied with thoughts of Kyosuke and Hitomi. Kyoko confronts her, suggesting a dark solution to eliminate Hitomi's feelings for Kyosuke with a Wraith. Sayaka rejects the idea and accuses Kyoko of selfishness. Their argument escalates into a rooftop battle, with Kyoko eventually gaining the upper hand. However, Sayaka uses her cape to set up a trap and declares victory. Despite their differences, Sayaka agrees to continue working with Kyoko for Mami's sake but warns her to stay out of her personal life.
Sayaka recalls Hitomi's confession about liking Kyosuke and giving Sayaka one day to confess her own feelings. That night, Sayaka debates telling Kyosuke but is interrupted by Kyubey, who warns her of a strong Wraith nearby. Following Kyubey, Sayaka finds the Wraith targeting a busy shopping street, where Hitomi is among the crowd. Sayaka fights and defeats the Wraith, saving Hitomi unnoticed. From a rooftop, she sees Kyosuke approach Hitomi, and they walk away together.
Later, at the station, Kyoko and Mami discuss Sayaka and Mami urges Kyoko to apologize for her past behavior and bring Sayaka back. Meanwhile, Sayaka fights a growing horde of Wraiths alone, but eventually succumbs and allows them to absorb her emotions. Kyoko intervenes and saves Sayaka from the Wraiths, but Kyubey stops them by warning that Mami is in danger. Mami battles a giant Wraith whose power overwhelms her and Sayaka and Kyoko arrive to help. Mami devises a plan to defeat the Wraith and trusts Sayaka with the riskiest part. As the plan unfolds, the Wraith traps Sayaka and starts consuming her memories and emotions. Kyoko pleads for Sayaka to fight back and Sayaka regains her resolve, transforms, and defeats the Wraith.
In a vision from Madoka, Kyosuke plays in an empty auditorium as Sayaka watches. Madoka takes her hand and takes her to the Law of Cycles.
At the station, Mami and Kyoko realize Sayaka has been taken by the Law of Cycles after fighting a Wraith. Homura, now present, holds Madoka’s ribbons and softly says her name, leaving the others confused.
Saotome introduces Homura as the new transfer student. She later fakes feeling unwell and leaves the classroom. On the rooftop, Homura meets Mami and Kyoko where Mami explains they’re meeting to discuss a giant Wraith.
Homura sits atop a building, contemplating her Soul Gem and its time shield, now useless in the new world. Unable to find a reason to keep it, she discards the shield, which creates a portal upon hitting the ground. Entering the black hole, Homura finds herself in a surreal world that feels eerily familiar. Hearing Madoka’s voice, she runs toward it, but the ground gives way to strands of hair, and she faces Kriemhild Gretchen. She runs away and realizes her shield contains a Witch, despite Witches no longer existing in this world.
Homura considers destroying the shield but hesitates, fearing that Madoka, who fights Witches eternally, might be inside. Instead, she erases her memory of the shield with magic and vows to protect Madoka’s world.
At night, she tells Kyubey of the Law of Cycles and Madoka, but Kyubey doubts Homura. Homura descends a building with Kyubey on her shoulder and defeats them. She fights Wraiths with Mami and Kyoko and later, Homura faces the giant Wraith alone, but the Wraiths trap her. Mami and Kyoko fight their way to Homura, who awakens to find herself de-transformed and surrounded. A Wraith takes Madoka’s ribbon and Mami and Kyoko find Homura unconscious on the street.
Homura dreams of a barren desert, hearing Madoka’s voice calling her name and wakes in Mami’s bed. When Mami asks her to transform and summon her weapon, Homura struggles to do so. Mami deduces the Wraiths stole some of her magic and points out her Soul Gem’s unusual state. Homura recalls the Wraiths also took Madoka’s ribbon and asks if defeating the wraith could restore her magic. Mami doubts it but insists they work together. Homura confuses Mami by altering her memories, thanks her, and leaves.
Homura encounters Kyoko, who offers to exchange information on the giant Wraith, agreeing only if she gets to finish it off. Mami returns to her apartment and senses a Wraith’s presence. She cautiously enters her home, confronting mutant Wraiths who've taken the form of her parents. Meanwhile, a Wraith whose taken the form of Madoka wanders the streets with a ribbon around her neck.
Homura confides in Kyubey that her powers haven’t recovered, even with grief cubes. Kyubey theorizes the Wraiths targeted her magic specifically and notes their disappearance after her defeat. Mami passes them without a word. Later, Mami cryptically asks Kyoko how she’d react if the dead reappeared, then decides they should patrol separately.
Kyoko meets Hitomi, who overheard her conversation with Mami. Hitomi seeks answers about Sayaka’s disappearance and blames herself. They both feel guilty, but are distracted as Sayaka appears on a light post and calls to them. She jumps down, laughing as she explains how she ended up in another dimension, unaware a month had passed. Kyoko is stunned, but Hitomi tearfully apologizes for breaking her promise about Kyosuke. Sayaka questions if Hitomi’s guilt stems from thinking she ruined Sayaka’s chance to confess and demands Hitomi “hand over” Kyosuke as proof of her sincerity. When Kyoko protests, Sayaka accuses her of betrayal too, blaming her for not sharing grief cubes. Kyoko recognizes that it is not Sayaka and Sayaka’s Wraith powers flare as she attacks Kyoko.
Elsewhere, Mami walks through a park, speaking to the indistinct forms of her parents. She reminisces about her struggles growing up alone but feels grateful for being able to see them again. She transforms and destroys the Wraiths masquerading as her parents.
At the station, Wraith Sayaka reveals its true form and flees. Kyoko follows her after telling Hitomi to forget everything and that Sayaka is dead. Chasing the mutant Wraith, Kyoko is swarmed by smaller Wraiths. Meanwhile, Homura encounter Kyoko, but Mami intervenes, revealing this Kyoko is a Wraith too. When Wraith Kyoko shows time manipulation powers, Homura hears a mysterious voice offering help. Following its guidance, she and Mami trap the Wraith and destroy it with a Tiro Finale.
As the smoke clears, the real Kyoko arrives, confused. Mami confirms her identity, and Kyoko explains the Wraith she saw had turned into Sayaka. Mami suggests they rest and meet tomorrow, warning them to stay vigilant at night. Later, Homura hears the voice again. She turns to see Madoka, dressed in white and smiling, telling her she missed her. 'Madoka' reveals she's a Wraith. She says Homura's power disrupted the Wraiths, creating mutations, and asks Homura to defeat the giant Wraith responsible. Homura is skeptical, but allows Wraith Madoka to stay at her apartment temporarily.
At Homura's apartment, Kyubey confirms Wraith Madoka carries Homura's magic and detects curses mixed within her, likely causing the mutations. Homura asks Kyubey to keep the Wraith's presence a secret. Meanwhile, Homura, Mami, and Kyoko strategize to avoid Wraith tricks while searching for the giant Wraith.
One night, Wraith Madoka confronts Homura and tells her that Homura's heart is broken, leaving her unable to trust or feel. Homura vehemently denies this, declaring her unwavering love for Madoka and determination to fight for her memory. Wraith Madoka claims to embody Homura’s heart, but Homura rejects her and calls her an enemy.
When they meet, Mami expresses concern for Homura, urging her not to shoulder everything alone. Homura lashes out, accusing Mami of seeing her as a nuisance. Mami apologizes and reminds her they are friends. Homura apologizes and leaves. She later questions Kyubey about her wish as a Magical Girl, which he doesn't know about. Homura realizes her memories of Madoka might be fabricated by her own memory magic and doubts everything she's fought for. She runs through the rain and Wraith Madoka appears in front of her. Homura ignores her and runs into Mami and Kyoko, who confront her, sensing something is wrong. Wraith Madoka clings to Homura, and Homura reveals that Madoka sacrificed herself to become a goddess who saves Magical Girls. Kyoko takes offense, accusing Homura of dishonoring Sayaka’s memory. Homura admits she rewrote her own memories and no longer knows what is real. She breaks down, unable to believe in anything, and begs Madoka for salvation. Mami tries to save Homura by attacking the Wraith, but Wraith Madoka defends herself and transforms. She kisses Homura’s Soul Gem and unleashes her power, floating in the air with Homura and teleporting away.
Homura sits in her apartment with Wraith Madoka as Kyubey emerges. He notes that Homura’s emotional energy is gone, leaving her Soul Gem stagnant beyond the reach of the law of cycles. Wraith Madoka senses a giant Wraith as hundreds of smaller ones head toward the clock tower.
At a park, Mami and Kyoko discuss Homura's absence and her bond with the Wraith. Suddenly, miasma fills the park and Wraiths surround them. The girls transform but hold off attacking, realizing the Wraiths are ignoring them and decide to follow. In the city, they find dead bodies, confusing Kyoko since Wraiths don’t kill. Wraith Sayaka appears, and Kyoko fights her, telling Mami to follow the smaller Wraiths. Kyoko frees herself, destroying the Wraiths with a powerful spear attack, though her Soul Gem darkens.
Meanwhile, Mami fights Wraith Mami and Wraith Kyoko. As she prepares a fights, Wraith Madoka takes Homura’s ribbon and shoots magical arrows on the Wraiths. emitting a radiant aura. She shoots an arrow into the sky, raining magical arrows on the Wraiths. When the dust settles, Mami sees Wraith Madoka standing before her. The mutant Wraiths attack, but Wraith Madoka protects Mami. She hesitantly accepts Wraith Madoka’s outstretched hand, and time stops around them. Together, they defeat the mutants using Mami's Tiro Finale.
At the clock tower, tendrils transform into a massive Wraith-like creature. Wraith Madoka reveals to Mami and Kyoko that the creature has transcended Wraithhood and now threatens all life. While she urges them to flee, Mami decides to fight. Kyoko, tasked with evacuating civilians, gives Mami grief cubes to cleanse her Soul Gem. Moments later, Kyoko is caught by the creature’s tendrils. Wraith Madoka rescues her, but Kyoko's Soul Gem is already drained. Kyubey confirms anyone touched by the creature dies immediately and urges Mami to escape.
Wraith Madoka battles the creature’s Familiars, but they overwhelm her. As she falls, Homura, who has been watching, suddenly remembers everything. She realizes the transformed Wraith is a Witch and proof of Madoka’s existence. Determined, she rushes to save Wraith Madoka and catches her mid-fall, embracing her. Homura now understands the power behind it all stems from her shield.
Homura recalls the Witch in her shield while pinned under debris. She sees Wraith Madoka injured nearby, holding her ribbon. Homura reaches out, and Madoka takes her hand, reassuring her. Inside herself, Homura meets a version of herself in a white dress. This Homura is her magical power personified, who explains that Homura’s new memory powers were born from her and Madoka’s deep connection. This power separate from current universal laws interfered with the shield’s time magic, linking it to Madoka. The shield’s curses caused the Wraiths to mutate and threaten the world, transforming into a true Witch with the potential to destroy everything. Determined to stop the Wraiths, Homura asks her magic for aid. Sayaka, Mami, and Kyoko, in Wraith forms, challenge Homura’s resolve, warning her of the pain of losing the shield and doubting Madoka again. She refuses to abandon the world Madoka saved and resolves to fight for it instead. She declares her feelings for Madoka and asks her magic to transform—not as a shield to protect Madoka, but as a weapon to destroy her enemies. The white-dressed Homura then becomes her Soul Gem.
Homura transforms into a Magical Girl, wielding her black bow and magic wings of corrosion. She destroys the Wraiths' Familiars with a powerful arc of magic and fires an arrow at the giant Wraith, cracking it open. As she pushes the arrow deeper and finds her old time shield. Just before she reaches the shield, Familiars restrain her. Ultimate Madoka appears and pushes her hand to help her reach it. Homura shatters the shield, unleashing a blinding light that destroys the giant Wraith.
Homura awakens in an unknown realm, where White-dressed Homura explains time is rewinding due to Madoka’s intervention. She warns Homura that their memories will be erased but promises to support her if her resolve wavers. White-dressed Homura is shown inside Homura’s Soul Gem.
Rebellion
The timeline created after Madoka and Homura turn back time, where Homura is imprisoned by Incubators to lure the Law of Cycles.[2] It is depicted in:
Homura wakes at the station, holding Madoka’s ribbon just like in the last loop. When she mentions her, Mami and Kyoko don’t remember Madoka.
The next day, after school, Homura spots Tatsuya drawing Madoka on the ground and she then has a conversation with Junko, who feels a warm nostalgia to the name Madoka. Homura offers to give her the red ribbons which belonged to Madoka, but Junko refuses.
That night, on a construction rafter, Kyubey says he doubts Homura’s memories, calling them a dream. Homura descends from the building without him and battles wraiths in the city, joined by Mami and Kyoko. Kyubey, watching from above, reveals he was touching Homura's shield when she turned back time, and now retains a fragment of it. As a result, he remembers the Law of Cycles and the last timeline, and plans to use Homura’s eventual despair to take possession of the Law of Cycles.
Homura walks into a desert of Wraiths, her black wings spread, while Incubators observe from nearby ruins.
Homura is trapped in the Incubators' Isolation Field and cut off from the Law of Cycles. The seal causes her to fall into a deep slumber and develop an internal Labyrinth inside her Soul Gem. After the Labyrinth takes the shape of Mitakihara City, Homura sends the Clara Dolls to retrieve Mami, Kyoko, Hitomi, Kyosuke, Kazuko Saotome, Nakazawa and Madoka's family into it and everyone's memories are rewritten to a perfect reality.
Seeing this, Madoka decides to send herself, as well as two emissaries with her to Homura's Soul Gem. She entrusts her memories to Sayaka and Nagisa, in case one of them doesn't make it, and becomes a normal Magical Girl inside the false Mitakihara City.
In the false city, Magical Girls don't make contracts, or fight Wraiths, but rather Nightmares, beings created by the negative emotions of normal humans inside Homura's Soul Gem. Nagisa takes on a Witch-like form, and alias of Bebe, and Mami's memories are rewritten to have met Bebe years ago and for the two to have been companions ever since. Kyoko's memories are rewritten to have been called over to Mitakihara by Mami and to have been attending school and living with Sayaka ever since. During all this time, Kyubey observes them by pretending not to be able talk.
Mami supposedly meets Homura, who is set to transfer to their school the following day. That night, Madoka, Sayaka, Mami and Kyoko fight The Little Bear's Dream, capture and give it food to defeat it.
Homura transfers to their class and, during lunch, the girls introduce each other and welcome Homura into the group, as Homura has now regained her shield and her time-stopping powers.
The following month, the six girls fight nightmares together almost every night.
Madoka and Homura talk and reflect on their time together. Meanwhile, Hitomi has a phone conversation with Kyosuke. He tells her that he is too busy to meet and, upset about their relationship, she has a Nightmare that emerges.
Mami's detects the Nightmare, The Little Goat's Dream, and Sayaka and Kyoko find it, confirming it's Hitomi's. The girls meet together and transform as the "Holy Quintet." They undo the damage created by the Nightmare and restrain it. They feed it while singing the Cake Song and Bebe transforms it into a cake. After Bebe eats it, a blob of Hitomi’s head appears and, after Sayaka comforts it, it purifies the girls' Soul Gems. Hitomi has a pleasant dream and the city returns to normal at dawn as Homura feels something is off.
That day, Homura notices most people’s faces are distorted. She meets with Kyoko, sharing her suspicions and learning that Kyoko doesn't remember when she transferred. That evening, they travel to Kazamino City, but every attempt to reach it brings them back to Mitakihara. Kyoko realizes something is trapping them, but Homura warns her that there might be nothing outside of Mitakihara instead. As the two talk about notifying the others, they are surrounded by distorted humans with the two's faces. Homura reassures Kyoko that they'll be fine as long as they don’t try to escape. Kyoko admits her memories feel off and agrees to keep the secret before leaving. Homura takes off her glasses and undoes her braids as her suspicions of the entire city being in a Witch's Barrier are confirmed.
Homura starts to regain her memories, remembering her time loops and the Law of Cycles. She suspects a Witch altered everyone's memories and trapped them in a fake Mitakihara City. She goes to have tea with Madoka, Mami and Bebe and, while talking, Mami reveals that Bebe once supported her through hard times. Before finishing her tea, Homura asks Mami for more, which makes her suspicious, so as she goes to retrieve it, she ties one of her ribbons to Homura without her noticing. Homura transforms, stops time and takes Bebe with her away from Mami's apartment. She accuses Bebe of being the Witch that created the Barrier, but Mami intervenes by sending a clone of herself made of ribbons, which Homura believes is the real Mami. Homura tries to convince Mami that the town is fake, but after she doesn't believe her, Homura tries to shoot Bebe. Mami helps her escape and, after finding out the tied ribbon makes Homura's time stop ineffective towards her, Homura and Mami fight against each other. They're both on equal footing until Homura shoots through her own head and uses the bullet to break the ribbon. Homura contemplates killing Mami but only shoots her in the leg, at which point, the clone breaks apart into ribbons that tie Homura up.
As the two talk, Mami remembers Wraiths, which even surprises her. They are interrupted by Sayaka using a fire extinguisher to save Homura, while Nagisa stays behind, in her real form, to talk to Mami and tell her the truth. After Sayaka takes Homura away from Mami, she frees her and the two talk. Sayaka reveals she remembers Madoka and the original universe, but doesn't let Homura stop time when she tries. Sayaka argues that living in the fake world isn't too bad and Homura realizes that Sayaka shouldn't remember Witches. Homura asks if she's the real Sayaka, and Sayaka projects an image of Oktavia on the water below them. Homura kicks Sayaka away to freeze time, but she teleports away through her cape, and then projects her voice, warning Homura to think thoroughly before destroying this version of Mitakihara City.
Madoka finds Homura and the two talk in a field of flowers. Homura breaks down and reveals her feelings of fear of having made up Madoka, framing the entire experience as a dream she had. Madoka reassures her that she'd never leave Homura, her friends, or her family, and Homura comes to the conclusion that she should have never accepted Madoka's sacrifice. Homura leaves Madoka behind as she realizes she's the only one who could have made a world with Madoka would be someone who remembered her.
Homura approaches the bus station to leave Mitakihara and calls Kyoko. She asks Kyoko if she remembers Witches and Madoka, revealing that Kyoko's memories of her are actually false. She places her Soul Gem on a table, boards the bus, apologizes to Kyoko and hangs up. She tests out her theory by seeing whether her body could go beyond the distance of a hundred meters from her Soul Gem. Homura realizes she was the Witch and despairs as the city begins to collapse and catch on fire. After the bus loops back and crashes, Homura doesn't die, but instead shoots her Soul Gem with the Clara Dolls watching her.
A cocoon-shaped building rises, with Homura changing her attire, and Kyubey explains that Homura has been part of their experiment. Her Soul Gem, isolated and corrupted, formed a Barrier inside itself to lure Madoka so that the Incubators could confirm her existence. He propts her to call to Madoka for help, which would make her remember who she is but Homura refuses and starts creating a curse, intending to become a Witch and have Mami and Kyoko kill her, ensuring Madoka's safety. Homura becomes a Witch, Homulilly, and thanks Madoka before starting her own funeral procession, wanting to die.
From afar, the other Magical Girls and Bebe watch and Kyubey appears and asks if they're really going to fight Homura. Sayaka tells Madoka not to listen to him, Bebe transforms into Nagisa and the group starts attacking Homulilly's Familiars. Sayaka summons Oktavia from her own blood as well as an army of many Witches' Familiars to fight with them. The two reveal that they're emissaries of Madoka, playing along this whole time and entrusted with her memories on a mission to save Homura. Kyoko saves Sayaka from one of Homura's Familiars and asks her if the dream she saw where Sayaka died was actually reality. Sayaka tells her that the reason she decided to come back was because she missed Kyoko andthe two continue fighting together.
Madoka eventually shatters the Barrier's ceiling, revealing Kyubey's Isolation Field. Sayaka explains that if the Isolation Field is destroyed, Madoka can finally save Homura without interference. When Madoka reaches Homura, she comforts her by saying she'd never abandon her. The two use their bows to attack in unison and Homura reassures Madoka that she won't hesitate anymore. Their attack breaks the Isolation Field and destroys the Incubators observing Homura's body.
Now outside Homura's Soul Gem, Mami and Kyoko await the Law of Cycles to take Homura with her. With Sayaka and Nagisa behind her, Madoka apologizes to Homura for making her wait and says that they'll be together forever. Homura says that she'd been waiting for this moment and grabs Madoka before she can reach her Soul Gem. As a whirl of colors spills from Homura's Soul Gem, the others protest, but Homura says that she'd been saving this emotion for Madoka alone. Reality begins to crack and, as she begs Homura to stop, Madoka is separated from the Law of Cycles and the cracks and colors from Homura's Soul Gem grow and encompass the entire universe.
As the universe is being rewritten, Homura breaks her own Soul Gem, which reforms into something else. Kyubey asks Homura what she's doing and she reveals that her Soul Gem wasn't filled with curses, but rather her love for Madoka. As she gains a new form, she reveals that she could no longer be called a Magical Girl or a Witch, but rather the Devil. Kyubey comes to the realization that they should have never attempted to control or harvest emotions, as they're too unpredictable. He attempts to run away, but Homura grabs him and explains that she still needs him to deal with the world's curses. She says that she'll force him to cooperate and then teases him.
For the anomalous alternate universe of the Magia Record, where Witches are still present, while it is still within reach of the Law of Cycles, see Timelines/Magia Record.
