The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12: Banquet for Braves

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 aired on December 29, 2024. The season finale included many revelations, fights, and opened the door to Camelot everyone had been searching for. But it's not as simple as crossing the barrier and storming the keep, because Mortlach's knights stand in the hero's way.

After several major revelations regarding who and what Percival is, everyone is paired off for their fights after diplomacy failed. Though the fights barely get started in Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12, there are many revelations and motivations for each side.

Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12: Revelations, clashes, and bravery on both sides

Percival's true beginnings and calming the Behemoth

Percival’s origins in Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

The last few episodes have slowly introduced Percival's actual origins, including the bombshell that he's actually a life spirit that attained sentience and human form. Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 continues that particular note, with the life spirit explaining how life spirits function.

Percival has a bit of an identity crisis— being told that he's not truly human causes him to angrily assert his identity. The life spirit repeats what it said in episode 11— that life spirits give hope to the hopeless but can also bring death and despair if they so choose. They exist in every living being in Britannia.

Calming the Behemoth in Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Percival was at a crossroads as to what to do to calm the Behemoth. On the outside, the Behemoth's rampages began causing earthquakes in the Demon Realm. Everyone directly on top of it was driven to the ground from the force of it, and the rumbling was felt as far as Gelda and Zeldris' castle.

The reason why it was rampaging so much was because of the portal to Camelot on its back. Percival managed to calm the many fearful voices that made up the Behemoth's spirit and put it into a slumber. Thus, the miasma that had poisoned the Demon Realm finally faded, the shaking stopped, and Percival saved the Demon Realm once more.

Three duels prepare as diplomacy fails

Diplomacy fail in Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Although the Behemoth's rampage was finally stopped and the portal to Camelot was finally visible, Mortlach's squad wasn't about to let everyone stride through without a fight. An attempted quick draw to close the portal by the Camelot Knight Nanashi was blocked by Lancelot, and the two were sent flying off to commence dueling.

As Mortlach began setting out terms for a one-on-one duel between himself and Percival, Rosebank attempts to intervene by questioning if they really did have to kill each other. After all, Percival saved her life despite them being on opposite sides, so maybe the Four Knights aren't monsters that need slaying.

Mortlach rejects this argument by restating they all have something or someone to protect, and Percival accepts the terms of the duel.

Three duels in Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 (Image via TMS Entertianment)

To that end, Rosebank gives Percival the Percival Sword back. Before anything else can be done, Mortlach and Percival are teleported away to begin their duel.

Rosebank uses her chaos magic to sacrifice Schwarz and the other captured demons to summon a Testament Beast. She strides forward alongside the rest of Mortalch's Group to clash with Tristan's squad and Percival's Platoon. Gawain barely manages to avoid being sacrificed.

Elsewhere, Nanashi and Lancelot crash land in a deserted part of the Demon Realm to start their duel. Nanashi is a man who discarded his true name long ago, and is King Arthur's sword instructor. The two are set to duel at their full strength and speed.

Mortlach vs Percival: A battle of motivations and swords

Mortlach and Percival end up in a small dueling hall with large crystal monuments behind them, thanks to Mortlach's Duelist magic. Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 reveals exactly what that means and entails. The rules are as follows:

All magic is disabled in this realm. The only way to fight is with swordsmanship.
In order to leave, one of the participants must either die or be incapacitated.

This already fills Ironside and King Arthur with sadistic glee, as Mortlach is a superior swordsman to Ironside.

It also puts Percival's sword training with Lancelot in perspective— Percival was always weak where swordsmanship was concerned. A brief clash results in Percival getting a cut across his left arm, but nothing worse than that.

The crystalline monuments, according to Mortlach, represent people they're fighting for. For Percival, it's no surprise that he is represented by his friends and grandfather. As for his motivations for fighting, it's to stop Camelot's campaign of destruction, with flashbacks showing several other people, like the demons of Dalflare Range, the friendly demon Io, and Dolores from Echo Gorge.

For Mortlach, it's a far more personal vendetta. Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 paints a picture in flashbacks of Mortlach's motivations. Diodora is the last remnant of his beloved sister, and the one light in his life. Camelot is the one place where Diodora is safe since the poison from the Demon King's body infected his mother during the holy war and it went into Diodora.

This effectively means, according to Mortlach, that Percival bringing Camelot down will kill Diodora. Although Percival does sympathize with his opponent, he doesn't back down. The two begin clashing anew as Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 and season 2 ends.

Season 2 compared to season 1, and season 2 in review

Highlights of Four Knights’ second season (Image via TMS Entertainment)

With Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 coming to a close on a cliffhanger duel, it's worth comparing season 2 to season 1. Season 1 had 24 episodes in total and season 2 has 12. The shorter length means it's an easier binge, but loses a few things along the way.

Season 2's animation is more clean and crisp than season 1, with few if no animation errors. This is especially evident in the fight scenes, especially when King Arthur fought everyone in the beginning, but also characters talking to each other, and flashbacks are done well.

Season 2 also escalates the stakes in ways season 1 didn't manage. From King Arthur being on the field and showing why he's the main villain, Jade dying, to everyone training and fighting tougher opponents— it's clear that Percival's Hope Magic and Lancelot's interference aren't going to save the day every time anymore.

This leads to stronger character growth for the heroes and the villains, with everyone having to deal with the grief of Jade's death, Guinevere being kidnapped, and their own problems working together. Season 2 makes better use of multiple villains— like how Macduff and Teaninch not getting along was their downfall and Mortlach's motivations.

What's lost, however, is the sense of adventure season 1 provided. Whereas before there were a bunch of different locations to explore and visit, and people to meet in season 1, season 2 feels more focused on the actual quest of stopping King Arthur.

This doesn't mean that there aren't places to explore. Wolnack and the Demon Realm are both memorable because of the time spent in them, but it feels lesser compared to the variety of locations in season 1 like Echo Gorge, Liones, Sistana, or Cant.

Final thoughts

Further highlights of Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 feels like a setup for the upcoming fights: Lancelot vs. Nanashi, Mortlach's Group vs. the combined Tristan Squad and Percival Platoon, and Mortlach vs. Percival. It's a good way to keep audiences invested to await the next season and see what the outcome of the fights is.

Beyond the fights, however, Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 12 provided more answers as to Mortlach's motivations, Diodora being Percival's sibling, what life spirits are, and Percival's true identity. More mysteries will doubtlessly come if Four Knights of the Apocalypse gets a season 3.

In the meantime, following a hiatus in August 2024, Four Knights of the Apocalypse's manga is still ongoing and on chapter 178. The anime adaptation is available to stream on Netflix, with season 2 having dropped in January 2025.