That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a smash-hit isekai anime series with Rimuru Tempest as the star, and he has figured out many ways to survive and thrive in this new fantasy realm. Rimuru was already powerful when he began his adventure because he had the mysterious Great Sage by his side, but eventually, even the Great Sage needed an upgrade.
During Slime Season 2, many great changes befell Rimuru and his allies, and that included Great Sage's evolution into a new entity named Raphael, which was totally unlike the Great Sage that came before it. Much is still unknown of who or what Raphael is, but a few details are known for sure, and Raphael has a major role to play in Rimuru's adventure.
How Great Sage Lay The Foundation For Raphael
As Satoru Mikami lay dying in Japan, he was visited by the mysterious Ultimate Skill named Great Sage, whose origins and true nature are unknown as of this point in the Slime anime. Great Sage integrated itself into Satoru's mind, granting him many new abilities and talents as he transitioned from human to slime. Ever since then, Great Sage has acted as a fantasy A.I. of sorts, clinically offering detailed explanations to the world around Rimuru and providing tactical advice when asked. Great Sage had no real personality of its own, although it had a distinctly feminine voice, and it could analyze magic for Rimuru to help him figure out his next move. For around two years, Great Sage remained exactly like that.
However, in Season 2, the Falmuth and Church joint army invaded Rimuru's city and laid waste to it, and Great Sage was powerless to revive the fallen. Rimuru did have another lead -- the story of how Milim Nava had sacrificed thousands of people to fuel her ascent to True Demon Lord Status from a Demon Lord seed -- and Rimuru followed her example. In so doing, he inadvertently laid the groundwork for Raphael, the evolution of Great Sage. This time, Rimuru's A.I. companion could take direct control of his body when needed.
Sacrificing Lives To Create Raphael
Rimuru Tempest launched a counterattack on his enemies, slaughtering thousands of enemy troops with the Megido spell and capturing all their souls as he went. All of this magical power gathered in his body, and he then underwent an evolution ritual in his city. He morphed into a Demon Slime with all his previous abilities intact, and Great Sage also petitioned to evolve and gain the Wise One skill. Great Sage failed hundreds of times to acquire that skill, so it got resourceful and sacrificed the Degenerate skill to get the harvest festival's powers and undergo the evolution properly. It worked, and Great Sage transformed briefly into the Wise One skill before morphing again into Raphael, its most powerful form yet.
Raphael proved itself a proactive entity, assuming control of Rimuru's body to cast the resurrection spell to bring everyone back to life, and it even spoke with the Voice of the World, impressing everyone who witnessed it. Notably, although Raphael now had a more evolved personality and distinct consciousness, it was still a separate entity from Rimuru, meaning Rimuru had two minds in one body, not just one mind with a fantasy A.I. to refer to. At least, that's one interpretation of it, since Raphael acted much more human than it ever did as Great Sage.
Great Sage had been a dry and clinical entity, but Raphael was different. This evolved skill spoke like a real person, including its habit of toying with Rimuru and even pouting at times. It was slightly less cooperative than Great Sage in that regard, but overall, it was still a highly beneficial skill to have, and could easily analyze any magical power or situation to advise Rimuru. Now, Raphael was more of a "she" than an "it," factoring in its feminine voice and distinct personality. Raphael might feel like a hassle at times, but Rimuru is grateful to have it around, and he wouldn't get far without it. After all, ultimate skills are worth their weight in gold.
