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#REDIRECT [[Speculah:Rebellion]]
 
 
== Spoilers ==
[[File:Summary of what happened from each character's perspective.png|thumb|right|150px|A decent summary of what happened from each character's perspective.]]
* Before the movie start, it said please don't make spoiler.
* [[Kyoko Sakura]] and [[Miki Sayaka]] live together
* [[Nagisa Momoe]] is [[Charlotte]].
* [[Hitomi Shizuki]] becomes a Nightmare and then turned back to human form.
* [[Akemi Homura]] becomes something more powerful than "Madokami".
* For some reason at the end of the movie, besides Madoka (partially) and Homura, the only Mahou Shoujo who remembers everything that happened in the movie is Sayaka.
*Sayaka transforms into Oktavia and is able to control her witch form.
*Homura takes over Madoka's responsibilities and her powers, replacing the "Law of Cycles" with her own rules. Technically, Homura dethroned Madoka ending her era of reign, hence the title of "Rebellion".
*While Homura is addressed as the devil by fans/fansubs, the official translation for what Homura calls herself at the end of the movie is Demon, not Devil.
**Homura calls herself ''Akuma'' because she sees herself as a existence that opposes God. Considering that, the translation that fits the most is "devil."
**Demon in Japanese is 悪魔 which is read akuma. The Japanese word akuma means "Demon, Devil; Fiend; Satan; Evil spirit" and is composed of the kanji 悪 (read aku) meaning "evil; bad; wrong" and 魔 (read ma) meaning "witch; demon; evil spirit".
 
== Observation ==
[[File:Rebellion Explanation Chart.jpg|thumb|250px|This chart explains the plot of the movie.]]
*Just like in the Anime series, Kyubey's greed and plan backfired spectacularly. He tried to capture Madoka with a barrier of his own (after being told of her existence by Homura), but instead it helped Homura to become a much more powerful entity in the process.
*Looking back, "[[Magia]]" lyrics takes a much darker undertone.
**Homura's greedy yearning has no tomorrow.
**Homura's desire for a spell to fight the "sorrow" before her eyes [Madoka's selflessness].
**Madoka is a dreaming memory, only Homura is awake.
**Homura wants an endless dream for both of them.
**Homura's wish literally becomes everything in the new universe.
*[[Homulilly]]'s appearance in ''Rebellion'' differs greatly from her original appearance in the PSP game. She appears as a huge, distorted version of Homura, with the upper half of her head replaced by a red spider lily. Her minions are twisted versions of the pigtailed Homura from the first few timelines, armed with spears. The long ribbons of the witch's dress act as flexible arms, attacking everything around her.
**The witch's hands are in manacles, and a giant guillotine rises from the ground when she begins to head towards the city. It appears that the witch is trying to reach the guillotine so she can sacrifice herself, which would free everyone else from her witch barrier. This is foreshadowed by an image of Mami and Kyoko beheading Homura in a similar guillotine as she begins to transform into Homulilly.
**The witch initially appears wearing a stereotypical witch's hat which resembles a record player, possibly as a reference to her PSP appearance, but quickly discards it to reveal the red spider lily underneath.
**Red spider lilies also appear when Homura realises she has become a witch.
**The witch has two additional types of minions: minions that resemble human girls (possibly representing fallen magical girls, they were much stronger than other minions in battle) and purple bird-like minions. Interestingly, these minions can still be seen in the new universe, and Homura still seems to be able to control them to an extent. It's unclear why Homura chose to keep her minions, since she claims she is no longer a witch.
**Homura appears to be masking the true forms of her minions in the new universe; in one scene Kyoko is seen feeding apples to the bird-like minions, apparently believing them to be normal birds.
*Sayaka is the only character (apart from Homura) who retains the memories of the previous world.
**In the MadoVerse of the anime series, Sayaka was allowed to retain her memories so she could express her opinion and pass away peacefully with no regrets. In the version of the HomuVerse in "Rebellion" Sayaka is allowed to retain her memories (and her life) so she can express her displeasure and opinion against Homura's actions.
*Prior to the movie events and at the beginning of the anime series, the universe was first 'Atheistic' (the Mahou Shoujo system was in place and there was no concept of hope, it was ruled by despair), after the anime series ended the universe went to a transformation and became 'Monoistic' (Madoka became the concept of hope and put in place the Law of Cycles). "Rebellion" expands the universe by transforming it once again, and introducing a 'Dualism' system in place. If Madoka represents the concept of hope (selfless love), then Homura represent the concept of love (selfish love).
**However, the system is neither equal nor fair. Madoka's powers are repressed and she is a prisoner in the new reality, indicating that these two powers cannot rule equally. There can only be one ruling entity, which is why Homura tells Madoka that they are [[:file:Homucifer Vs Madokami.jpg|enemies.]]
*If the message from the anime series, was a message of hope. Then message from "Rebellion" is its opposite.
**Urobuchi wasnt kidding when he said fans would hate the new ending, [[:file:2 people before and after watched Madoka movie.jpg|look what it did to these fans.]]
**In the MadoVerse, the message was one of hope, Madoka allowed the universe to retain their free will and she respected the wishes of magical girls so as not to rob them of their sacrifice, the world was not prefect but it was much better than under the old system. But the HomuVerse is assumed to be the opposite. It is deceptively peaceful and happy, Homura was only able to create this universe by robbing Madoka of her free will, erasing her memory, and denying Madoka's wish of salvation thus rending Madoka's message of hope meaningless. Not only that but for Homura to be able to sustain this new reality, she extended her barrier to cover the whole universe, probably as a way to have it under her influence to guarantee that it doesn't create a reason for Madoka to sacrifice herself again.
*Some observers think that at the end Homura is slightly going mad, that it is the beginning of her descend into madness.
*The BGM played in each girl's transformation sequence references a song from the original soundtrack:
**Mami: Salve, terrae magicae
**Kyouko: Venari strigas
**Sayaka: Decretum
**Homura: Inevitabilis
**Madoka: Sagitta luminis
*There are a lot of [[wikipedia:Grimms'_Fairy_Tales|Grimm Fairy Tales]] allusions:
**Homura as Sleeping Beauty.
**The pumpkin carriage
**the clock struck at 12.
*''"God is dead"'' is a widely quoted statement by German philosopher [[wikipedia:Friedrich_Nietzsche|Friedrich Nietzsche]].
 
== Speculation ==
[[File:Map of the changed timelines or worlds raw.jpg|right|thumb|Map of the new world]]
*Homura becomes the opposite existence of Madoka.
**The new entity known as Homura is neither a magical girl nor a Witch. She is neither the product of hope/wish nor despair, she is the product of love.
***According with Homura, it was not grief that stained her Soul Gem, it was love, because her mind was always focused on Madoka.
*It is speculated that even when a magical girl becomes a witch, she still has her consciousness, although such consciousness is distorted and has much difference from the reality.
*There were numerous references to a "black salamander/lizard" motive throughout the movie, with the most obvious being Homura's earring shaped as a black lizard.
**One of the most common myths about lizards is that they symbolize death and resurrection.
**In Christian ideology the lizard is a more ambivalent symbol. All reptiles can be viewed as paler versions of the potent symbol represented by the snake or serpent. Taken alone on it's own merits the lizard is said to represent "contemplative ecstasy"[http://www.hennapage.com/journal/issue_I/article_2/page2.html]
**The salamander represents those who pass through the fires of passion and of this world without stain. Therefore, it stands for chastity, loyalty, impartiality, virginity, courage, Jesus, Mary, and the faithful.<br>The salamander is also used to symbolize the flames, which it passes through, and so is a symbol of fire, temptation, and burning desire. It was considered the "king of fire" and as such was representative of Christ who would baptize with the flames of the Holy Spirit. Cloquet considers Christ the salamander king of fire because he passed through the fires of hell after his crucifixion without harm.[http://monsters.monstrous.com/salamander.htm] It should be noted that Homura's name can be translated as "flame".
**Some prevalent symbolism of the salamander include:[http://www.symbolic-meanings.com/2008/03/04/light-my-fire-symbolism-of-the-salamander/]
***Energy
***Courage
***Renewal
***Determination
***Resurrection
***Balance
***Adaptation
***Spirituality
**The salamander gets it solar animal status from several sources. Primarily, we see this aspect in ancient alchemical illustrations where the salamander is depicted in flames. Alchemists held the salamander to be a fire-eater and able to quench fire with its cool, moist body. In the alchemical philosophy, anything that had the power to transform something into something else was hugely important.
***Furthermore, early Christianity held the salamander as a symbol of spiritual integrity, chastity, and righteousness. The sign of the salamander indicated true faith, and the ability to survive the “fire of temptation.”
****Medieval and heraldic art depicted the salamander as a symbol for bravery. It was often painted in the background of heroic portraits to indicate the mark of courage.
*Remember Homura's original wish? ''"I want to redo my meeting with Madoka. But this time, instead of her protecting me, I want to become strong enough to protect her!"''
**Originally it was interpreted as the wish that allowed Homura to travel back in time to redo her meeting with Madoka, it also meant that there was a role reversal with Homura becoming stronger and active while Madoka became a weaker character and took a more passive role. That was the original intent. However, with the new ending in "Rebellion", the meaning and purpose of Homura's wish takes a new role and it probably expands its meaning. If we consider the ending of the series, one can make the argument that Homura's wish was only partially fulfilled but that in the end it failed, because Homura failed to protect Madoka. Not only from stopping Madoka from becoming a Witch, but also from stopping her from taken the burden of becoming the concept of hope, as a result one can say that Homura's wish went unfulfilled and it was a failure. Until the end of "Rebellion" that is, in the movie we see that Homura's wish has finally come to its conclusion by allowing Homura to become a new entity whose role is to protect and guard Madoka's happiness, at the expense of the Law of Cycles and against Madoka's wishes. A clear proof that the role reversal is finally complete is when Madoka is introduced as a shy transfer student and Homura is now in charge of the infirmary, a complete reversal from the original series.
***If one thinks about it, Kyubey has been done not by one but by two wishes!
***You could say that Homura just did what Madoka asked her to do. The reason that Homura became a magical girl was because she wanted to protect Madoka. In the 2nd timeline, Madoka even asked her to stop her foolish self from becoming a magical girl. In the last timeline she failed, and Madoka became a god-like entity. At the end, Homura returns everything to 'normal' so kept her promise, more or less. Whatever reality looks like, Madoka is now safe from QB and from despair.
*If the anime series was based on "Faust", then "Rebellion" could be based somewhat on "Paradise Lost".
*It is speculated that the reason Homura make Madoka human again, is because Madoka was not happy with being the entity of hope, she only did it out of duty.
**Another possible explanation, is that Homura feared what Kyubey would do if he succeeded in capturing Madoka, the best way to deal with him was for Homura and Madoka to switch, taking Madoka's power and Making Homura the new ruling entity of the universe.
*It is also speculated that by making Madoka as transferred student, Homura may have chance to get closer to her even than Sayaka. Remember, Sayaka and Madoka have been friends long before in EVERY Timeline, and Homura is only a transferred student.
*Since Madoka can see and know the past, present, and future, she should have known this was going to happen to her.
**It is possible she allowed for things to unfold as it was predestined to happen.
***Another possible explanation is that perhaps Madoka really wanted to be a normal girl again.
***Or perhaps Madoka saw no other way to save Homura.
***It's also possible that losing her memories of the event right afterwards created a blank spot in her future sight.
*Homura ([[Homulilly]]) maybe have a connection to [[wikipedia:Lilith|Lilith]], from the Old Testament[http://cishet.tumblr.com/post/65623363997/happy-halloween-lets-talk-about-homulily].
*By making Madoka a transfer student, Madoka's and Sayaka's childhood friendship never took place to develop. How will this affect their current relationship is hard to say.
*To protect Madoka and her secrets Homura wanted to die, so she tried to prevent Madoka from purifying her Soul Gem as it would mean that Kyubey would be able to observe and learn of Madoka's secrets and her powers so they could control her in the future.
**If Homura in her Witch form were to die inside the barrier, theoretically Homulilly's barrier would collapse and that would free Madoka and company from Homura's dream world.
*During the scene with the field of flowers, Madoka is trying to braid Homura's hair back into Homura's old hair style, perhaps an attempt to regress Homura back into her innocent and shy self.
**Homura gives back to Madoka her red ribbon, not only as a sign of returning something precious to her, but perhaps it is an attempt to reclaim back the old Madoka from the past, a regular and normal girl.
*The Moon is missing half is part (notice the light of stars where it shouldnt be), cut off somehow. Indicating that something is amiss.
**At the same scene, at the top of a cliff we see [[:file:Chairs rebellion.png|Homura sitting on a single chair]], the scene is similar to the Opening of Madoka Magica movies ([[Luminous]]). But instead, just like the moon, we only see half of the field and only a single chair, with no Madoka next to Homura.
 
<gallery>
File:Butcher Bingo.png
File:Homura is Lucifer (aka anti-madoka).png|I told you bro
</gallery>
 
===Fallen Angel Homura:===
Since Homura declares to Madoka that they are enemies, this makes her her opponent as Homura opposes Madoka's will and her wishes. One can view this as Homura fallen into the role of the devil for going against what Madoka believes to be right.
 
'''Satan in Judaism:''' The original Hebrew term, satan, is a noun from a verb meaning primarily to, “obstruct, oppose,”. Satan is traditionally translated as “the accuser,” or “the adversary.” In Judaism, Satan is a term used since its earliest biblical contexts, to refer to a human opponent. Thus, Satan is personified as a character in three different places, serving as an accuser, a seducer, or as a heavenly persecutor who is "among the sons of God". In any case, Satan is always subordinate to the power of God, having a role in the divine plan.
 
'''Satan in Christianity:''' Christian tradition and theology changed "Satan" from an accuser appointed by God to test men's faith to God's godlike fallen opponent: "the Devil". Traditionally, Christians have understood the Devil to be the author of lies and promoter of evil'. However, the Devil can go no further than the word of Christ the Logos allows, [[wikipedia:Problem_of_evil#Christianity|resulting in the problem of evil']].
 
As Lucifer's or Satan's motive for rebelling and as the nature of his sin, Christian writers mention pride against God or, less often, envy of humanity created in the image of God. According to Tertullian the Devil was jealous of humans, created in the divine image and given authority over the world, and an 18th-century French Capuchin preacher, citing Tertullian and Augustine as giving envy as the motive for the fall, describes the Rebel Angel as jealous of Adam's exaltation, which he saw as a diminution of his own status.
 
'''Satan in Islam''': In Islam the Devil is known as Iblīs or Shayṭān, it has no name corresponding in meaning to that of the Latin word lucifer. Iblis is banished from heaven for refusing to prostrate himself before Adam. Thus, he sins after the creation of man. He then swears revenge by tempting human beings and turning them away from God. While in Judaism and Christianity, Satan is a fallen angel, Iblis is a jinn. Muslims believe that angels are the servants of God and cannot disobey him, but jinn, like men, can choose to obey or disobey.
 
'''Luciferianism''': Luciferianism is a belief system that venerates the essential characteristics that are affixed to Lucifer. The tradition, influenced by Gnosticism, usually reveres Lucifer not as the Devil, but as a liberator or guiding spirit, or even the true god as opposed to Jehovah. Satanic groups have various opinions about Satan, ranging from the conviction that he exists and ought to be worshipped, to Anton Szandor LaVey's symbolic interpretation, which emphasizes individual will and pleasure-seeking.
 
====The Comparison to Lucifer====
While the comparison between Homura and the devil/Lucifer seems inevitable, we have to avoid the temptation of falling into the false logic that the comparison is without its flaws.
 
 
<b>Jealousy</b>
 
In one story it is stated that Lucifer was jealous of the human race, that they were not worthy and undeserving of God's love.
 
The argument states that Homura has done a lot for Madoka, sacrificing so much for her, and helping her ascend into a higher plane existence. As a result, Homura should be worthy of Madoka's love and praise. The reason that Homura sacrificed so much for Madoka is because she loves her. Homura put ups with so much suffering because of her, yet Madoka, instead of reciprocating Homura's feelings, she cannot help but to love everyone equally. As a result Madoka avoids picking up favorites. The argument is that Homura was jealous of Madoka's unconditional love for everyone, and this lead us to assume that Homura believes herself to be worthy of being Madoka's favorite and explains the reason why Homura went against Madoka's wishes.
 
However, this argument has a terrible flaw. It assumes that Homura's actions were driven by jealousy, yet there is no indication that this is the case. While is true that Madoka loves everyone equally, and perhaps Homura wished for Madoka to be a bit more selfish and stop thinking about others at the expense of her own self, there is no indication of jealousy against anyone. Homura didnt expect special treatment from Madoka, she was quite happy with Madoka's relationship already (except when there was a distance between them that took place because of the time reset in the anime series). If anything, Homura wanted Madoka to be able to live happily for her own sake at the expense of abandoning her duties and obligations toward others.
 
 
<b>Pride</b>
 
Lucifer was the first of Angels and chief among them, Archangel Michael was only second to him, Lucifer's devotion to God was not only driven by love but also by pride. God's love for humanity was troubling for Lucifer, for he couldnt comprehend why such an inferior creature should receive such equal love and worthy praise from God, as if making them equals to him. As a result of this friction Lucifer rebelled.
 
However, just like the jealousy argument the pride argument falls flat. While is true that Homura became stronger to please Madoka, she also did it to help her out of pure devotion to her, not out of pride. Not only that, but Homura's devotion for Madoka never turned her into an arrogant or prideful character. There may have been moments of something like pride and moments of stubbornness, but nothing to indicate to be egotistical in nature. When Homura's goal felt short, she did not despair out of arrogance nor she boasted hubris in her accomplishments. Instead she was too focused on Madoka and her well being.
 
 
<b>Disobedience</b>
 
This argument seems to fit with the Lucifer argument, that Lucifer went against God's wishes, that he went against God's plan for humanity, so did Homura and as result it makes them to be the same. But this argument seems to overlook motive behind Homura's actions. Lucifer's actions were driven by personal ambition, pride, or even jealousy, as stated previously. But Homura's motives behind her actions are the opposite, she did it because she cared for Madoka too much, she wanted to free Madoka from the burdens of being a prisoner to her duties and her devotion and love for others. She also did it to protect Madoka from Kyubey, the complete opposite of Lucifer's intentions. The only reason Homura is Madoka's enemy is because of their opposite views about what is best for Madoka.
 
 
<b>Devil's advocate</b>
 
Homura's motivations and beliefs don't demonstrate a pattern of similar behavior to that of Lucifer's. Lucifer was jealous of humans; Homura wasn't jealous of anyone. Lucifer was boastful, prideful, and arrogant; Homura was stubborn, and she never surrendered under pressure but only because she did it for Madoka's safe, not for her own interest. Homura disagreed with Madoka's plan because it came down to sacrificing Madoka's happiness for everyone else's. The problem with the Lucifer comparison is that the concept is too broad with some of the elements. It has similarities but the minor details tells a different story. Lucifer was a selfish and jealous angel/demon, and he wanted to take God down so he could rule in his stead, ''"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven."'' God's happiness was never a factor. Other than dethroning Madoka, going against her wishes, and perhaps loving her too much, the comparison seems to be a bit unfair but understandable.
 
=== Homura's State of Mind ===
Homura's personality and mental state has radically changed by the end of the film. There are several speculations as to why or how it happened.
 
'''Corruption of the mind:''' During the transition process from a human/magical girl into what it is now a new entity, Homura's mind became corrupted or altered during the transformation process. Homura is not human, she is not a magical girl, she is not even a Witch, she something completely different, as a result this is a different Homura.
 
'''Mental Stress:''' Considering Homura's mental state prior to the movie, it is surprising that she hasn't suffered from a complete mental breakdown before. Homura saw her friends die countless times, had to repeat an endless nightmarish cycle through time and space, almost lost her life countless times, and then she was forced to part away from Madoka, the person she sacrificed everything for, let us not forget prior to being a magical girl Homura was riddled with insecurities, (possible) family abandonment, a weak physical body, and being bullied in school. Add that with the torture she had to go through under Kyubey's experiment, and it becomes clear that it was probably too much for an already fragile mind.
 
'''Homura's Insecurities and fears:''' While Homura presents herself to be strong and compose, inside she is still that weak and insecure little girl, she always was. Homura was always wearing a mask to keep the appearance and impression that she has things under control. In the anime series we saw moments when Homura's strong exterior felt apart momentarily. It is those fears that are driving Homura to take drastic measures, the fear of losing Madoka again and she believes that the only way to guarantee Madoka's happiness is by taking control of the situation.
 
'''Natural Progression:''' Homura is a survivalist, she adapts to the situation as it suits her, when she was weak she looked up to Madoka for inspiration and help, when she lost Madoka she tried to become stronger to protect her. Now that she is a powerful entity, she believes it is her responsibility and duty to take matters with her own hands.
 
'''The Real Homura all along:''' Rather than power corrupting one person, it is suggested that power actually reveals ones true self. Perhaps what we are witnessing is Homura's true nature. Homura used to be a weak girl, bullied by classmates and dependent on the kindness of others. Now that she is an all powerful being, unrestrained by human weakness or limitation, she is allowed to do anything she wants, and probably what she always wanted to do but was afraid to do so.
 
===Gone mad from the revelation?===
Another possibility is that Homura is not really evil but actually found something about Madoka that drove her off the deep end.
 
If you remember clearly, Madoka's wish was to erase all witches from existence before they're even born, in the universe, from the past and the future, with my her own hands. Hence Madoka became an entity who removed from existence all magical girls who became witches and placed them in another dimension of her own.
 
There is a catch, however, Madoka never wished she would take their souls to another dimension.
 
This whole movie took place inside an entire reality created inside Homura's soul gem, a barrier which reflected her ideal world where everything happened in the way she dreamed of and which began to crumble once she realized she had been living a farse threatening her friends. In other words, Homura experienced what it's like to be an oblivious god living in a world made by your wishes until you realize your own folly and crumbles in despair.
 
This is were things get worse, the moment Madoka was restored and came to take her soul, Homura realized that Madoka wasn't just erasing witches, she was absorving the souls of all witches into her barrier '''HEAVEN''' and living in her own fake world rid of misfortune. This is why all witches in the movie could retain their consciousness and switch into magical girls, because their grief was erased by Madoka's barrier which gave them an "afterlife" free of suffering.
 
It was that cruel realization, that Madoka's wish of hope only trapped her in a false happiness of godhood, which broke Homura utterly and made her change into a dark deity hellbent on suppressing Madoka's wish.
 
If Homura could remake the '''MORTAL WORLD''' into something free of witches and suffering, then Madoka would think that Homura's world was already heaven and wouldn't try to become a saviour at the expense of her own sacrifice.
 
Considering the lengths Homura goes to protect Madoka, it would make perfect sense if she was willing to trade Madoka's love for her ire and disapproval if that meant not letting Madoka ever realize she became a lotus eater machine for every magical girl who died.
 
===Junko's Words of Wisdom:===
In [[Episode 6]] of Madoka Magica, Madoka has a problem. She wants to help her friend, but she doesnt know how. She believes her friends is on the right, but the more her friend tries to do the right thing, the worst it is for her because it doesnt cause her happiness. When Madoka confides this to her mom, Junko advices Madoka to ''[[Madoka_Magica_Episode_6:_This_Just_Isn%27t_Right#Observations|"do something wrong"]]'' to balance things out. According with Junko, someone needs to be in the right, and someone needs to be in the wrong.
 
If we take Junko's words at heart, the heart of the matter in "Rebellion" reveals itself. Madoka as the concept of hope is burdened with responsibilities that go beyond for a little girl to handle, Madoka is separated from her family, she is not allowed to grow up normally into healthy adulthood, instead she is forced to accept adult responsibilities at such a young age, and she must carry the burdens of the whole universe by herself, alone. But Madoka wont abandon her new role nor will she allow the universe to be in a chaotic state. As a result, Madoka is, rather than a savior of the universe, a prisoner to her responsibilities, or at least that seems to be how Homura sees it. It is possible that Homura wants to give a happy ending to Madoka, ''"but you can't expect a happy ending just by doing what's right all the time."''
 
Homura realizes that in order to protect Madoka, and the world that she loves, Homura must act in a way that is not nice/pleasant to outside observers, ''"even if it's not the nicest way to do it."'' Since Madoka wont abandon her duties as Ultimate Madoka and her role within the universe that she watches over, she will never experience a normal life as long as she is bound by duty and her noble sentiment. This is the source that causes Madoka to sacrifice her life and her happiness for the greater good, a noble act but one that Homura understands doesnt bring happiness to Madoka, even if Madoka wont admit it herself. Homura ''"has to be in the wrong to balance out [Madoka's] need to be in the right."'' It is for this reason that Homura takes such a treacherous and drastic action against Madoka, realizing that there is no other way to help her.
 
Homura warns Madoka that they may become enemies someday because she doesn't know if Madoka will ever come to understand Homura's choice. ''"She may or may not. Especially at first. [...] it might not be the nicest way to do it. But would [Homura] rather give up on her, or give [Madoka] the wrong idea about [her]?"'' Homura would never give up on Madoka, so she accepts the latter as a possible consequence of her actions.
 
In conclusion, Homura acted out of selfish desire to make Madoka happy, because Madoka's was trying to make everyone happy but herself.
 
===Alternate, Non-Dualist Theory===
 
It is possible that the focus on dualism and the idea of Homura becoming a Lucifer-like figure is fundamentally misunderstanding what happened in the ending of The Rebellion Story. There are somewhat obvious problems with the idea of dualism- for one, in the new universe, Madokami doesn't appear to have any real power. In order for dualism to truly exist, both opposing forces must have equal power, this is clearly not the case. Akuma Homura essentially just overthrew the existing order, but absorbed Madokami within her, imprisoning her along with the entire universe in her witch's barrier, which really ceases to be one once it covers the whole universe.
 
First, we need to step back and look at what Homura actually DID. She created a new world that was presumably peaceful and stable, there are no magical girls who fight endlessly into inevitable despair, and presumably she can twist the world to eliminate the curses that need to be fought. She takes all the despair into herself. Recall that Homura's first real questioning of her own fake Mitakihara was "can we really continue fighting forever?" That world is how it is because endless fighting is all Homura really knows, and by questioning it she ultimately questions all she's ever known. She contstructed the fake Mitakihara as an ideal world initially- one where magical girls could continue to fight evil with no real negative consquences, thus still giving them their wishes and purpose. She then REBELS against this notion, tearing down her own vision of utopia because she no longer sees it that way, she wants a world without magical girls.
 
Now we can go back farther before the movie and look at what Madoka actually DID. She never pursued or was granted the powers of an actual omnipotent god, she never looked to rewrite the entire universe. Technically, she doesn't even fully gets rid of witches, she just absorbs the despair into herself and allows the magical girls to pass away peacefully without becoming monsters and corrupting others. But that is the extent of her power, and even she is not immune from despair and corruption, indeed we see Madokami's witch attempting to devour the world, but Madokami was able to save herself just as she was able to save everyone else. Curses and negative feelings still exist at the same levels they did before, they just now manifest into Wraiths, which can be interpreted as the raw manifestation of negative feelings rather than corruptions of magical girls. The most important thing here is that all the laws of the universe that existed long before Madokami are still intact after Madoka's wish.
 
Now recall perhaps the biggest revelation in the new movie: the Incubators were obviously unsatisfied with the power attained from the wraiths, and after seeing the truth about witches within Homura, it was the Incubators first that sought Madokami's power, either to take her power or destroy her so they could go back to the more lucrative witch system. This is the detail that makes Homura's decision-making much less confusing, and in fact, completely understandable. As she breaks out of the prison with the help of the others, and Madokami comes down to take her to Valhalla, SHE KNOWS SHE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN. Why? Because she knows what they don't: the Incubators are after Madoka. They will continue to experiment and to pervert existing magical girls as they did with her in order to find a way to destroy Madoka. So, she uses her last remaining strength to usurp Madoka, take her power, and imprison her. Why? It's quite simple, and Homura states it explicitly: love.
 
The one constant throughout the entire series is that Homura loves Madoka, and her wish was one that ensure that she would be able to protect her. Indeed, that is her singular purpose in life to protect Madoka at literally any cost- even if it means becoming the demon that usurps her power, even if it means becoming her enemy. She had to find a way to end the Incubators and their schemes once and for all, even if it meant having to hurt Madoka and imprison her in the new universe, which bends to no rules but Homura's. And, recalling Sayoktavia's words from earlier in the movie: is an entity which creates a paradise like this truly one that is bad, and should be opposed? Homura sees herself as a devil-like figure, and of course she would, doing what she did despairs her greatly, but it needed to be done in order to protect Madoka. But is she truly bad, or Devil-like for creating a world without curses? Was it truly madness or insanity that drove her to do it, or was she thinking more clearly and logically than anyone else?
 
Ultimately, it brings us to one thesis: Just as Madoka had to become a magical girl to reach her ends of eliminating the suffering and corruption of magical girls, Homura had to become a witch to protect that system, to suffer forever for the sake of keeping the universe stable. There is dualism, but yet there is not, there is only Homura, using the power of Madoka's sacrifice to finally stabilize things and create her own true vision of utopia.
 
Where it goes from here depends on whether a sequel eventually will come. It could end in that state, with Homura maintaining the universe in her order. It might end in a way that allows both the existence of Madoka and Homura to merge- or perhaps they will both finally be able to pass and have their existences end, as all things do.
 
== Trivia ==
*Fans have called the new entity that is Homura, Homucifer or Homukami (depending on your view).
**HomuSatan and Homulucifer are acceptable as well.
**Homurakuma(?)
***Or Akuma Homura, if you will. It's the official name as well as a pun on "Akemi Homura".
***Akuma is translated as Devil or demon, so Devil Homura is most common and simple name.
*Urobuchi was pressured by [[:file:Shinbo made me do it.jpg|Shinbo and Iwakami]] to come up with an ending that would allow for the continuation of the franchise.
**According to the picture/link above, Urobochi believed that this movie would wrap up the whole story.
**Urobochi had no idea of what to do as the Director and Producer urged him for an ending that allowed for the continuation of the franchise, then Director Shinbo came up with the idea of "Homura as an opponent to Madoka", effectively erasing the extreme rare occasion in which Urobochi actually gives a happy ending.
**Shinbo is the true culprit this time around. For some fans, this move to "have fun with torturing the audience" by denying them a happy resolution from the original series could backfire on the writers for the sake of the continuation of the franchise, it somehow reflects Kyubey's greed perceived in the film.
 
==Criticism==
<blockquote>
''<b>French Interviewer:</b> "Do you have something to say to the French fans who are impatiently waiting for the third movie?"'' <br />
''<b>Gen Urobuchi:</b> "I think the third movie is going to divide the people, but I'm ready to face the consequences"'' ~ [http://www.wakanim.tv/dossier/16/1/interview-durobuchi-gen-et-de-kosaka-takaki wakanim.tv]
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote>
''"If the TV version of Madoka Magica was about God and unconditional love, the new film is about the Devil and how love, when taken too far, can turn into hate."'' ~ [http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2013/11/10-1/feature-puella-magi-madoka-magica-rebellion-movie-review Ryotaro Aoki, Rebellion movie review, Crunchyroll.]
</blockquote>
 
 
One of the main concerns regarding the new ending in "Rebellion" is that Homura's action renders Madoka's sacrifice and message of hope meaningless. The ending from the anime series and the previous film loses its impact and this causes concern among the fans who became emotionally invested on Madoka's message of hope.
 
Another problem is the devolution of the Homura character, starting from a weakly girl and evolving into a strong magical girl, Homura becomes what many consider to be a strong underdog who overcame many obstacles to protect what she treasures. However, in "Rebellion" we see what appears to be the beginning of the unraveling of the Homura character, we see the fall of a strong magical girl into what it is presumed to be a form of madness.
 
==Yuri Subtext in "Rebellion"==
see [[Yuri_undertones#Yuri_Subtext_in_.22Rebellion.22|Yuri Undertones]]
 
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Rebellion Week 5 Bonus - Thank You for Coming - Front.jpg|Week 5 Thank You Card - Front
Rebellion Week 5 Bonus - Thank You for Coming - Back.jpg|Week 5 Thank You Card - Back
File:FALLEN ANGEL HOMURA.jpg|This concept art is literally labelled "Devil-Homura". Take a guess.
File:2f844e66d016092440d3aa30d60735fae7cd34a4.jpg
File:932caf19ebc4b74545c5c33dcdfc1e178b8215c4.jpg
File:2bcecca20cf431adb09f37124936acaf2fdd98c1.jpg
File:DEVIL HEAD TILT.jpg
File:Chernabog spreads her wings.jpg
File:Satan Homura.jpg
File:634512.jpg
File:Plot-important prop.jpg|Dark orb: The soulgem of magical girl Akemi Homura after reaching an emotional extreme, reconstructed . Emits a brighter glow than curses. Model made by InuCurry and referenced by the animators.
File:K-kaname-san they'll hear us.jpg
File:Ep1148345.jpg
File:Ep1148349.jpg
File:Ep1148425.jpg
File:Ep1148430.jpg
File:Ep1148432.jpg
File:Ep1148427.jpg
File:Creepy homu smile.gif
File:Homu in heavens, all is good in the world.jpg
File:Sayaka stabbing herself.gif
File:Puella Magi Holy Quintet.gif
File:Mami charlotte movie.jpg
File:Sayaka vs homura.jpg
File:Sunset.jpg
File:Mami vs homu fight.gif
File:Nagisa rebellion.jpg
File:Rebellion Ophellia and Octavia.jpg
File:Movic Grief Seed Collection 1.jpg
File:Movic Grief Seed Collection 2.jpg
File:Boat short.gif
File:Bump evens.gif
File:Double date.gif
File:Mami and nagisa cheese boxes.png
File:BroTP 1.gif
File:BroTP 2.gif
File:BroTP 3.gif
File:Ending 1.gif
File:Ending 2.gif
File:Ending 3.gif
File:Field 21.gif
File:Holding hands 3.gif
</gallery>
 
==Speculation Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Mami's room mapped.png|What Mami's room looks like in Rebellion
File:Homura fan faction after rebellion.jpg|
File:Halfmoon cut and Gretchen.png|Halfmoon and Gretchen
File:Chairs rebellion.png
File:Moon cut in half.jpg|The moon missing half is part, you can notice the light of stars where it should be the dark side of the moon.
File:Rebellion Runes - 013221 - DAI EWIG WEIBLICHE.jpg|[[wikipedia:Eternal feminine|das Ewig-Weibliche]]
File:Rebellion - Hitomi phone calendar.jpg|Hitomi's phone calendar
File:Mami Apartment books.png|Mami's bookshelf is filled with cook books to make [[Runes:The Rebellion Story#Act 2|Bebe's sweets]]
</gallery>
 
==Fan Gallery==
<gallery>
File:39374439 big p1.jpg
File:39420745 p2.png
File:39373505 p6.jpg
File:39404453 p2.jpg
File:39426249.jpg
File:820860604.jpg
File:39650480.jpg
File:39513258 p33 34.png
File:39568865.jpg
File:39719517.png
File:Cant into luminous.png
File:Well lucifer technically.jpg
</gallery>
 
==See Also==
 
* [[The Rebellion Story]]
* [[The Rebellion Story/Q&A]]
* [[Runes:The Rebellion Story|Witch Runes]] in The Rebellion Story
* [[Cake Song]]
 
==External Links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7zba7VjzMc Madoka★Magica - Transformation]

Latest revision as of 22:26, 19 April 2020

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