Warning: Spoilers for Pokémon Horizons episode 89Pokémon Horizons has just done something the franchise has never done before by killing off a heroic human character with the apparent death of Friede, the Pokémon professor who has mentored Liko and Roy throughout the series. Friede's death was dramatic and tearjerking, as he only just managed to save Captain Pikachu.

Friede has been a major character in Horizons, providing Liko and Roy with valuable advice and assistance, and, as the master of the airship, has ferried them across the Pokémon world for their journey. Each episode of Horizons has ended with a segment by Friede, introducing a Pokémon who was typically relevant to the episode--something Professor Oak used to do in the original series with Ash. Friede has always been the adventure-loving sort, and his backstory episode where he met Captain Pikachu showed just how deep that goes. Without Friede, the tone of the show is likely to change substantially.

Friede's Death Was Dramatic and Unexpected

Friede Struggled to Save Captain Pikachu Before Falling

In the episode, the airship is badly damaged, and Friede, on his exhausted Charizard, is struggling to catch up with it. He manages to reach the end of the ship and Captain Pikachu over to Liko, but soon lets go, and both he and his Charizard are swept away by the wind, falling down below the cloud level and out of sight. Liko, Roy, Orla, Dot, and Captain Pikachu watch in horror as Friede spirals out of control and disappears. Captain Pikachu notably has Friede's goggles, which he typically wears on his head, and that he was seen with in the post-timeskip designs revealed last week.

Friede's death is a shock to fans, as the Pokémon anime has never really killed off a heroic human character before. Some heroic Pokémon have certainly died, such as Sir Aaron's Lucario in the movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, as well as villainous humans like Pokémon Hunter J, but never a human who wasn't evil. Having watched Friede fall to his apparent death is likely to affect Liko, Roy, and Dot particularly hard, as he has been nothing but ive of the young trio. It's no wonder the series needed a timeskip, as getting over that will likely take them quite some time.

Is There Any Chance Friede Will Return?

Friede May Yet Come Back Someday, but Not Any Time Soon

The nature of Friede's death, and the fact that he disappeared behind the clouds, means that it's possible he was able to recover and grab onto Charizard before crashing into the Earth. The airship was extremely high up at the time, so there would've been plenty of opportunity to recover. The question then becomes, though, what has Friede been doing for the year-long timeskip? It's possible that Friede has been trapped in the ruins of Laqua, unable to make his way out. He could also potentially be captured by the Explorers, as with the Six Heroes. Only time will tell if Friede is truly dead, and Pokémon Horizons next arc may hold the answer.