WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 22 of Higurashi: When They Cry - Gou, "Village Destroying - Part 5," now streaming on Funimation.
Higurashi: Gou’s “Village Destroying” arc continues to cement Satoko as the series villain. With all that’s happened up to this point, there seems little chance of Satoko redeeming herself, and a confrontation between her and Rika feels inevitable. Episode 22 sees Satoko dive deeper into the world of loops, growing more and more disillusioned with each one.
Following the chandelier incident, Satoko wakes up in another “Festival Accompanying” arc loop and once again is brought to the Okinomiya bookstore by Rika. Satoko doesn’t listen to Rika’s proposal this time around and storms off. Satoko once again hints at the struggles Rika will face at St. Lucia and the inevitability of them drifting apart. When she realizes that Rika won’t see things her way, Satoko jumps into the middle of the street and is hit by a car, killing her and starting things back over again. This cycle repeats itself for an uncertain amount of loops. In each one, Satoko vehemently refuses to support or acknowledge Rika’s ambition, causing a rift between the two and leading to Satoko constantly killing herself to start anew.
The mystery woman watches Satoko’s exploits in the Sea of Fragments, amused by the events of each timeline. At one point, she tells Satoko of Rika’s own struggles and explains how she persevered through countless loops in order to achieve her dream. Acknowledging Rika’s resolve, Satoko decides to experience the entirety of Rika’s 100 years worth of loops in order to better understand her determination.
Scenes from the original series play out before Satoko's eyes. Through the fragments, she learns the truth behind Hinamizawa Syndrome, the toll it took on her friends in Rika's loops and the deceitfulness of Miyo and her conspirators. She also learns of Rika’s importance as the queen carrier of the disease and the disastrous implications that come with her death. Sometime later, Satoko finds the secret door to the Irie Clinic and finds the room Satoshi is being held in. She looks on at her brother one last time and says her goodbyes before turning her back on him, finally moving on.
In the Sea of Fragments, Satoko finally finishes experiencing Rika’s century's worth of loops, coming to the conclusion that those with such abilities must endure terrible mental strain. The mystery woman acknowledges Rika’s resolve in pulling through when things seemed most bleak.
Satoko comes to the conclusion that she must break Rika’s will to fight in order to win out and get her way. She has the mysterious woman make it so that every time Satoko dies after Rika, the two will return to the same fragment. Remembering that Rika is unable to retain what happens in the hours that lead up to her death in each fragment, Satoko resolves to use Rika’s weakness to her advantage in what she claims will be nothing but an endurance contest between the two.
In the weeks since Satoko was revealed as Gou’s antagonist, the series has spent plenty of time expanding on her motivations and development as a character. With everything laid out on the table, Satoko has finally settled into her role as the villain. While her frustrations at the beginning of the “Village Destroying” arc were understandable, Satoko’s actions in recent episodes have left fans questioning if she can and should be redeemed as Gou winds down. With only a few episodes left, things seem to be ramping up towards a confrontation between two of Higurashi’s most interesting characters.
