The Rebellion Story/Spoiler

This section may contain major spoilers!

Please refrain from reading if you are not yet familiar with all the latest media released.

Spoilers

A decent summary of what happened from each character's perspective.

• Before the movie starts, it asks the audience to please not to make spoilers.
• Kyoko Sakura and Sayaka Miki live together
• Nagisa Momoe is Charlotte.
• Hitomi Shizuki became a Nightmare and then was turned back into 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

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.
• Colourful (カラフル karafuru) by ClariS, gives us a hint of what is to come:
  • four girls dancing and having fun
  • Homura won't join in
  • only reaches her hand to grasp Madoka's
  • Madoka's hand turns to sand, Homu stands alone in a desert area with a throne
  • Devil's earring sinking in the sand (?)
• 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 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, 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 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 Friedrich Nietzsche.
• According with Shinbou, the Madoka inside Homura's world is the real Madoka, "who has lost her memories of becoming a god. She’s not a fake or Homura’s creation. What she says in the field of flowers is what she’s really feeling at the time. That scene may seem overly sentimental at first glance, but if you think of everything Homura does afterward, her feelings will come across more easily."[1]
• At the bus station there are signs written in runes, they mention the Nutcracker. A possible reference to The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, a 19th century German story by E. T. A. Hoffman.
  • As the Nutcracker Witch, Homully has no teeth or her teeth are familiars that chew for her. In dream interpretation, falling teeth has several significant meanings:[2]
    • It reflects anxiety, a fear of rejection, sexual impotence or the consequences of getting old. Another interpretation is that teeth are used to bite, tear, chew and gnaw. In this regard, teeth symbolize power. And the loss of teeth in a dream may be from a sense of powerlessness.
    • A scriptural interpretation for bad or falling teeth indicates that one is putting one's faith, trust, and beliefs in what humans thinks, rather than in the word of God.
    • Many cultures, including the Hispanic and Greek cultures, believe that when you dream about loose, rotten, falling, or missing teeth, then it indicates that a family member or close friend is very sick or even near death.
  • It is possible that teeth may be a reference to the Tooth Fairy. Unlike Santa Claus and, to a lesser extent, the Easter Bunny, there are few details of the tooth fairy's appearance that are consistent in various versions of the myth. Usually in the West the tooth fairy is depicted as female, a type a fairy with wings. However, in Spanish and Hispanic American cultures the role of the tooth fairy is relegated to the Ratoncito Pérez (or Ratón Pérez, "Pérez Mouse" in English)) that originated in Madrid in 1894. As is traditional in some English-speaking countries, when a child loses a tooth it is customary for him or her to place it under the pillow, so that Ratoncito Pérez will exchange it for a gift. The tradition is almost universal in Spanish cultures, but takes different forms in different areas. One of the roles of Homulilly's familiars is to kill "the white rat" (which is Kyubey), perhaps this is a reference to the Ratoncito Pérez.
  • The nuts could be a reference to Grief Seeds, as they look like nuts.
  • Homulilly's familiars are called "Clara dolls", Clara is the lead character's name in most of The Nutcracker ballet versions and there is the reference to killing rats in one of the familiar's card.
    • A relevant set from that play by E. T. A. Hoffmann

Speculation

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.
• Some observers suggest that the ending theme "Your Silver Garden" (君の銀の庭 Kimi no Gin no Niwa) is about Homura and her reasons that she betrayed Madoka.
  • "The guardian/of your young slumber—/The gateway to adulthood is tightly shut", this is interpreted as Homura's refusal to grow up and her attempt to her childish sleep.
  • "Have you realized/that the truth/always lies in the past?/All futures and hope/are but a selfish story/envisioned by someone in a distant garden", this is interpreted to mean that the future is uncertain and unknown, that the past is much more pleasing.
  • "Stay softly with me,/please don't leave me/Chirp your song by my window,/even in loss", this is interpreted as Homura telling Madoka not to go, even if she becomes her prisoner.
• 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"[3]
  • 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.
    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.[4] It should be noted Homura's name can be translated as "flame".
  • Some prevalent symbolism of the salamander include:[5]
    • 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 shows her around the school, a complete reversal from the original series.
    • If one thinks about it, Kyubey has been done in 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 she 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 made 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 would Kyubey 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 transfer student, Homura may have a chance to get closer to Madoka more than Sayaka was. Remember, Sayaka and Madoka had been childhood friends long before in EVERY Timeline, and Homura was only a transferred student to Madoka.
  • Also Homura may have tried to improve Madoka's English since she got bad grades in previous timelines.
• 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.
    • There's another possible explanation. Madoka exists at every point in space and time. However, the moment Homura grabs her breaks time and space and changes the past and future. In other words, even from Madoka's omniscient perspective Homura grabbing at the critical moment hasn't happened yet.
• Homura (Homulilly) maybe have a connection to Lilith, from the Old Testament[6].
  • Lilith is a pre-Christian, Babylonian demon, the most powerful of all succubus, who seduces man, deceives women, and steals children. She, working alongside with the incubus, impregnates mortals to propagate a new race call cambion. Christianity identifies the Lilith with the snake of the Garden of Eden, and also as Adam's first wife in an effort to reconcile the two origin stories in Genesis.
• 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.
  • Various materials have established that Sayaka and Madoka were childhood friends. While it's likely that they would have still been friends as children in Homura's new world, Madoka moving to America probably strained their friendship.
• 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.
    • In the ending scene, this gesture signifies Homura's realization that she cannot control Madoka regardless of whatever world she creates that they can be together and that her actions, which led to her descent into darkness, will inevitably lead to a struggle between them. This is a reverse mirror of the actions of Madoka trying to braid Homura's hair in the witch world, an attempt at conformity and acceptance of peace and harmony albeit constructed and false, except that with Homura tying Madoka's hair with the red ribbon she is restoring her true identity. Homura also acknowledges this by commenting that the red ribbons "really do look best on you" (a symbol of Madoka's true self) as compared to the yellow ribbons (her false identity created by Homura). Viewers should note that she cries when stating this, knowing that eventually Madoka will break away from the world and become her enemy. The final scene after the credits shows Homura smiling at her transformed Soul Gem (her new identity as an antithesis to Madoka) upon realizing that her wish to always be with Madoka has come true albeit in a cruel twisted fashion. Madoka who represents light and Homura who represents darkness are now natural opposing forces in the universe.
• During the post-credit sequence the Moon is missing half of its part (notice the light of the stars shining where they shouldnt be), the moon is physically cut off somehow. Indicating that something is amiss.
  • At the same scene, at the top of a cliff we see 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.
• In the post-credits Kyubey emerges from some plants, looking healthy. Homura pulls out her gem and they start dancing. When we next see Kyubey he looks disheveled and even seems to be quivering, suggesting that Homura has somehow affected his mind. It's possible that Homura is actually placing all the curses and despair of the world onto Kyubey, both as revenge and to ensure that the curses cannot affect anyone else. One might say Kyubey is finally paying for all the things he has done.

• Butcher Bingo.png
• 

  I told you bro

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, 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.

Jealousy

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.

Pride

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.

Disobedience

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.

Devil's advocate

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 sake, 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.

• this would imply the entire post-series pre-rebellion universe is Madoka's barrier, for her to be able to take the despair of magical girls despite being outside of her heaven.
• However Madoka destroyed her witch self, as her wish to erase all witches includes herself, this theory would depend upon a God's haven working in a similar way to a witches' barrier or Homura believing they do. Sayaka seemed to remember exactly what happened to her where as Homura's lotus eater machine messed with people's memories.
  • So far there was no evidence of witches erasing the memories of people who came to their barrier at any point until Homulilly, even then so, Ultimate Madoka is clearly something else than a witch, like Homura she is something above witches and magical girls but instead of creating a barrier geared towards making reality her playground she made her "space" outside the real world for the sake of giving rest and healing to the soul of all meguka. What drives the corrupted Homura insane is the fact Madoka is not aware she makes this heaven regardless of her own personal happiness, she is being driven by her merciful nature to guide all of these souls to her blissful barrier were they no longer suffer, unaware if that's her personal choice or just a cursed existence ignorant to her self-imposed enslavement.

Junko's Words of Wisdom:

In Episode 6 of Madoka Magica, Madoka has a problem. She wants to help Sayaka, but she doesn't know how. She believes Sayaka is on the right, but the more Sayaka tries to do the right thing, the worst it is for her because it doesn't cause her happiness. When Madoka confides this to her mom, Junko advices Madoka to "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 doesn't 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 constructed the fake Mitakihara as an ideal world initially- one where magical girls could continue to fight evil with no real negative consequences, 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.

Bhuddism and Mara (with a bit of Gnosticism)

The original Madoka Magica anime had Bhuddist themes that might be missed by any viewers that are unfamiliar with the concepts presented.

In Madoka Magica Portable, Homulilly is described as the witch of "Shigan". Shigan is a Bhuddist concept that basically means the mortal world humans live in. It's opposite is Higan, which represents the afterlife or Enlightenment. In other words, Homulilly is an existence opposed to Madoka (who represents salvation from suffering).

In Bhuddist mythology there is a deity named Mara. Often described as a devil or demon, he is closer to the Demiurge in Gnostic Christianity. Mara represents temptation and desire - in other words, anti-enlightenment. (On a possibly not so coincidental note, Mara is also the name of a creature from Germanic folklore that is the origin of the word "Nightmare".) In Rebellion, Homura evokes Mara when she creates an illusory, perfect world out of her own desires that traps others within it (following the Bhuddist concept of the world as an illusion). Then, at the end of the movie, Homura absorbs Madoka and remakes the world, with Madoka reincarnated as a normal girl. In a Buddhist interpretation, Homura took a Bodhisattva away from Enlightenment and trapped her in the mortal world. Not only is this really bad by Buddhist terms, Homura also did it out of her selfish desire for Madoka. In Buddhism, desire is one of the sources of all suffering.

To summarize, Homura is Mara (or the Demiurge) keeping Madoka - who is more or less Bhudda (or the Gnostic Sophia) - trapped in the mortal world, where is she ignorant of her true nature. As the Mara figure, Homura will do whatever she can to keep Madoka in the mortal world, but the only way for anyone to achieve true salvation is if Madoka awakens and breaks Homura's illusion.

Read this for more detail.

Sayaka and the comparison to Archangel Michael

• In Hebrew, Michael's name means "who is like God?". In a literal way, Sayaka's nature is like Madoka's: a being that exists on a different plane of existence.
• Through the ages, Michael is always armed with a sword (Sayaka's weapon badge).
• Sayaka's last name (Miki) it may be a derivation of the arabic word Mikhail.
• Michael is always portrayed to be the opposite of Lucifer, either for the love of God or conflicts in their ways of thinking; in almost all media published in Madoka Magica series, Sayaka and Homura are shown in conflict with each other, primarily in regard to Madoka' safety.

Attack on Fandom (Or Fanwork Creators are Evil)

There have been many accusations that Rebellion is primarily about pandering to the fanbase. Indeed, much of Rebellion's story reflects common trends in fandom. However, are they pandering to the fans, or are they parodying them?

Consider that the movie opens with a world common in fanworks (and some officially published material). The five magical girls are working together without suffering. Kyubey has been rendered harmless. Even Charlotte is there as the second mascot. It is the world depicted and desired by fans.

And it's all an illusion. No matter how many fanworks are made, it doesn't change the events that happen in the original series. They are as illusionary as the world of Homura's witch barrier.

Then there's the end of the movie. Again, it is an ending common in fanworks. Madoka is alive. Sayaka is alive. Even Charlotte has been brought back to life and returned to her human form. And Kyubey is paying for all his crimes. The ending people wanted to see.

But there's a price. It's Madoka Magica, there's always a price. The price is that Homura is now made the villain, and she has trapped the characters in this happy ending against their will. Instead of the joy of witnessing a happy ending, the viewer is made to feel horrified and confused.

One might even consider Homura to be a stand-in for fanwork creators. It is Homura that creates the illusion at the beginning of the movie, and it is Homura that creates the ending where everyone is brought back. It says something that the person who makes fanworks come true is the person that becomes the devil itself. But hey, you got your happy ending, right?

We have found the enemy and it is us. Be careful what you wish for.

More analysis coming soon...

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 asked by 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.
  • $hinbo 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.
  • Madoka Magica was always a collective work by Magical Quartet (not only by Gen Urobuchi). The original concept for the Madoka Magica series belongs to Shinbo. Gen has never been in charge of its creation.

Criticism

French Interviewer: "Do you have something to say to the French fans who are impatiently waiting for the third movie?"
Gen Urobuchi: "I think the third movie is going to divide the people, but I'm ready to face the consequences" ~ wakanim.tv

"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." ~ Ryotaro Aoki, Rebellion movie review, Crunchyroll.

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

Gallery

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  Week 5 Thank You Card - Front

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  Week 5 Thank You Card - Back

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  This concept art is literally labelled "Devil-Homura". Take a guess.

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  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.

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  Oktavia vs Homulilly

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Speculation Gallery

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  What Mami's room looks like in Rebellion

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  Halfmoon and Gretchen

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  The moon missing half is part, you can notice the light of stars where it should be the dark side of the moon.

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  das Ewig-Weibliche

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  Hitomi's phone calendar

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  Mami's bookshelf is filled with cook books to make Bebe's sweets

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  Rune translation

Fan Gallery

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See Also

• The Rebellion Story
• The Rebellion Story/Q&A
• Witch Runes in The Rebellion Story
• Cake Song
• Witches Artwork

External Links

• Corresponding page on the Japanese wiki
• Madoka★Magica - Transformation
• Madoka Magica The Movie – Rebellion – and Redefining Love
• Madoka Rebellion and Tarot Symbology
• Spoiler-Filled Review: Madoka Magica 3: Rebellion
• short summary of interesting articles