Frieren is a former member of a party of adventurers led by the hero Himmel, who defeated the Demon King and restored harmony to the world after a ten-year quest.

She also receives an invitation to travel to the rumored resting place of souls in the far north, where she aims to see Himmel again, bid the hero a fitting farewell, and express her feelings.

While initially conceptualized as a comical fighter, Yamada scrapped multiple ideas she had for Frieren until deciding to make her an elf who grows in the story while remembering Himmel.

Series creator Kanehito Yamada originally envisioned Frieren as the protagonist of a comedy manga where she was obsessed with killing demons.

[3] For the animated adaptation by Madhouse, director Keiichiro Saito said that Fern appears to have several changes in the narrative as her growth has a major impact on Frieren.

[6] It incorporates the main character Frieren's emotional changes and memories towards the hero Himmel,[7] expressing lonely and melancholy atmosphere of the anime.

Because Frieren's sense of time is so dissimilar to that of humans, she has a great degree of patience, and is content to wait for months or years to achieve even small goals.

Anime News Network claimed that Frieren's story stands out in among other fantasies due to its focus on her regrets after Himmel's death even if the time spent with him was not much for the elf race.

This is highly notable in the episodic nature of the manga where Frieren now lives remembering all the lessons Himmel taught her and applies it to how she meets new people and value them more.

[17] GamesRadar+ remarked that, unlike other shonen manga in the fantasy genre, Frieren's series focused more on slice-of-life happenings than on fighting.

[19] The further developments of Frieren's journey alongside the growing romance of Fern and Stark was notable to Anime News Network as it helps to give further depth to the protagonist and Himmel's apparent relationship; While it becomes obvious to the audience that Himmel was in love with Frieren, the previous state the elf was in might not reciprocate his feelings, giving a sense of romantic tragedy.

[25] A frame from the twelfth episode of the anime, in which Frieren makes a smug expression while presenting a potion, has attained popularity on social media.

[26] Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network awarded Frieren as a best character of 2023 due to how she "carries" the series with her characterization, remarking that she was able to pivot between serious and comical modes while still keeping a noble and tragic arc.