Caution: Spoilers ahead for those not caught up onFruits Basket season 3
Here's every curious mystery and lingering question that needs answering beforeFruits Basketcomes to an end.Fruits Basket season 3 is currently airing the final chapter of Honda Tohru's life with the unconventional Sohma family, and the big reveals aredropping thick and fast. Rin was imprisoned by Akito but freed by Kureno in a rare moment of subversion, more and more Sohma Zodiacs are fraying their spiritual ties with Akito, and character motivations that previously went obscured are nowbeginningto become clear.
As of the most recent episode, Tohru is still struggling in her quest to end the Zodiac curse, but isgrowing more confident in expressing her feelings toward Kyo, who's also learning to open up more readily. Akito herself has become more withdrawn after the loss of Momiji, and the recovering Rin is now living with Kyo's sensei, Kazuma. Tensions between all parties are steadily increasing as the final "banquet" looms, and Shigure is continuing to play a guarded, conniving game with everyone around him.
Related:
Even thoughFruits Basket season 3 has moved along briskly so far, there remain plenty of unanswered questions. There's still so much viewers don't know about the fates of the Sohma Zodiacs, and almost every major character pairing hangs in the balance. Several keyplayers are still keeping their cards close to their chests too, ensuring many a surprise inFruits Basket's remaining episodes. These are the biggest plot points crying out for resolution.
How Do The Zodiacs Break Their Curse?
At the core ofFruits Basketis a deep, historicalcurse that ties together the 13 Zodiac members and their god, Akito.As well as transforming theafflicted characters into animals whenever they embrace a member of the opposite sex, the Sohma curse also causeshopeless devotion to the Zodiac leader. Throughout the story, Akito has exploitedthis influence ruthlessly, manipulating eachof her followers to keep them close by.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Kureno actuallycut hisbonda decade earlier, but agreed with Akito to keepthe truthhidden. Kureno never understood how his curse broke, andafter Momiji's recent liberation,he's not the only one to unexpectedly sever the rope,butsome possible triggers can be foundwhen studying the two instances.Both were undergoing significant physical change around the time they were freed (Momiji's hugegrowth spurt, for example), and the blond rabbit was also coming to terms with his feelings for Tohru.Could emotional growth or accepting sadness have something to do with breaking the curse?
InFruits Basket season 3, Shigure recently suggested thatno one "trigger" exists forremoving the curse, and the bond will simply fray over time. Never the most trustworthy character, Shigure could definitely be lying, but in either case,Fruits Basket must reveal the true cause of curse-breaking before the end.
Related:
How Tohru's Mother Died (& Her Relationship With Kyo)
TohrubeginsFruits Basketorphaned, having lost her mother, Kyoko, in an accident several months prior. Little is revealedregarding the manner of her death,but it's evident through flashbacks that Kyo was present at the time - something the Cat has kept to himself so far.The pair's earlier encounters appear totake place around thetimeKyolost his own mother, and their final meeting came on the day she died, but the rest is an enigma.Kyo somehow befriended Kyoko,knew aboutTohru, and even made a "man's promise." Kyo alsorecalled Kyoko's advice when he and Yukiwere arguingoverCinderella rehearsals, provingthe Cat confided in Tohru's mother, and valued her opinion.
Fruits Basket still needs to address how Kyoko and Kyo met, andhow they became close enough to share heart-to-hearts, despite having no obvious connection. Those answers may in turn solve the mystery of Kyoko's death. Tohru has already revealed her mother perished in a car accident, but with Kyo witnessing the incident first hand, there's obviously more to the story. Whatreally happened on the day Tohru's mother passed away? What role did Kyo have in it? And why hasn't he come clean to Tohru yet?
Why Won't Kyoko Forgive Kyo?
Following on from the above, what's the true meaning behind Kyoko's last words? On several occasions throughout his Fruits Basket journey, Kyo has recounted a blurred memory of a dying Kyoko uttering the words, "I’ll never forgive you." The context behindKyoko's refusal of absolution remains a key source of intrigue.
In Fruits Basket season 3's "It Was So Foolish," Kyo experiences an unusually vivid memory of Kyoko’s death, triggered by seeing his old baseball cap in Tohru's room. Trembling,Kyo remembers that he "put this away," suggestingthe events of that fateful day were somehow forgotten. While it's certainly possible that trauma could be responsible for the memory loss (especiallyafter what happened toKyo'sown mother), it's more likely to be Hatori's handiwork.
Related:One Piece: What Every Straw Hat Member Did During The Time Skip
As well as the circ*mstances of her death,Fruits Basketmust reveal what Kyoko won’t forgive Kyo for. Are her words as ominous as they sound (something along the lines of "I'll never forgive you for killing me") or is there a softer intention behind them (as in, "I'll never forgive you if you don't forgive yourself").
What's Ren's Backstory (& Akito's Father)
Prior toFruits Basketseason 3, Ren Sohma had seldom been mentioned, and was only glimpsedvery briefly when Tohru accidentallywound up in her garden. After Kureno dropped a few bombshells at the end ofFruits Basketseason 2, Tohru learned that Akito was actually a woman raised as amale under her mother’s strict instructions. Few knew Akito's gender and it's still unclear why Ren forced this upon her daughter. Regardless, their loathing towards one another is clear as day.
Akito's father, Akira Sohma, has made ahandful of appearances in flashbacks, comingacrossfar more loving than Ren ever has, though the bar isn't exactly a high one. TheFruits Basketanimeisyet to address how and when Akito's father died, and his connection to the Zodiac situation also needs explaining.
More important, however, is the mother-daughter feud between Ren and Akito. Why does Ren despise her daughter's bond with the Zodiac animals, why is theirrelationship fueled by resentment (beyond the fact that Ren slept with Shigure), and why do they treat each other so coldly?Akira is the one figurewhoconnects them, and delving intohis past may reveal the root cause of their strained relationship.
Related:
Will Kyo Be Locked Up?
As the Zodiac Cat, Kyo's fate is sealed, and he'sdestined to be imprisoned until deathoncegraduation is over.Akito has, however,offered Kyo one slither of hope in the form of a bet - if hecan defeat Yuki in a fight, she will welcome him as a true member of the Zodiac. If he fails, Kyo will be locked up in the Cat's "house" forever. Kyo has attempted and failed to beat Yuki countless times, so his situation is looking somewhat bleak in Fruits Basket's final season, and time is desperately short. The onlyother way to escapelife in a cellis for Kyoto break the Sohma curse altogether.
Kyo and Tohru's love is as plain as day on the outside, but they're taking their sweet time doing anything about it. If Kyo is able to accept his feelings for Tohru, overcome his guiltover Kyoko, and distance himself from Akito, he mightstand a chance of breaking the spell. Until then, the fate of Kyo remains one ofFruits Basket's most important plot points; will he land on his feet, or go the way of his feline predecessors?
Who Will End Up With Whom?
Fruits Basket is a story with romance at the heart, so it's no surprise that one of theforemost points of intrigue heading into the final stretch is character pairings. The biggest will-they-won't-they is obviously Tohru and Kyo, and their future depends entirely on whether the Cat can be saved from his grim Sohma fate. Even if Tohru canrescue Kyofrom eternal imprisonment, however, will either character be bold enough to accept their feelings, especially with Tohru's recent doubts over the disappearing memory of her mother, and Kyo's guilt over Kyoko's death?
Elsewhere, Yuki and Machi have been gradually pulling closer over school council meetings, but any potential romance has so far been scuppered by ill-timed interruptions. While a relationship seems only a matter of time, Yuki, much like Kyo, is relying on breaking the Sohma curse if he's to trulyfind happiness with Machi. As things stand, Kureno and Arisaare the pairing that requires the most work.Though theyevidently stillhold feelings for each other, both have given up hope of ever being together,despite Kureno's miraculous breaking of the curse. Will he finally work up the courage to walk away from Akito?
Related:Jujutsu Kaisen: Gojo Satoru's Limitless Explained
Fruits Basket season 2 posed the idea of Hatori and Mayu as a couple, and season 3 is dropping further hints, but theSohma doctorhas been reluctant to step out of his family's shadow. No such problems for Hatsuharu and Rin, who are finally on the same page, butcan they survive Akito's wrath long enough to see out the rest of the story? Speaking of the Zodiac god, a final pivotal pairing inFruits Basket is Shigure and Akito, but theirfraught romance is the most complicated to decipher...
WhatIs Shigure's True Goal?
Shigure is the puppet master of theFruits Basket story. From giving Tohru somewhere to live in the series premiere to casually mentioning how Kureno broke the Zodiac curse, Shiguremasquerades as carefree and easygoing, but every move he makes is a calculatedstep towardsan ultimate goal... whatever that may be. Shigure's machinations have been both kind and cruel in nature, and the man himself admits to acting purely out of self-interest, butthe Dog'strue motivationhas yet to beexplained in full.
Fruits Basketseason 3revealed (in rather steamy fashion) that Shigure is in love with Akito, and the Zodiac god seems to reciprocatethose feelings. When Akito grew closer to a liberated Kureno, Shigure expressed his jealousy by bedding her mother, but this doesn'taccount for Shigure's long-term intentions in manipulating the other Sohmas, as well as Honda Tohru. Could it be that the Dog hopes to break every other Zodiac member's curse, just so he finally has Akito to himself?
Will Momiji'sFamilyFind Out The Truth?
Fruits Basket isn't exactly short on heartbreaking moments, but few backstories get lumps in throats quite like Momiji's. As a child, Momiji was rejected by his mother (some would be delighted to have their son turn into a cute rabbit, but whatever), and she requested her memory be erased. In the present, Momiji watches his family from afar, his mother ignorant of the boy'strue identity. Momiji's sister is also unaware of her connection to this mysterious, happy-go-lucky youngster, butsensesan unspoken link between them, and keeps followingher secret brotheraround. Until now, Momiji has resisted to urge to tellhis mother and sister the truth, obeying his father's wish to remain distant for fear of causing more sadness. But that was beforeMomiji broke the Sohma curse. No longer able to transform, can Momiji finally build bridges with his younger sister, or potentially even the entire family?
Related:What To Expect From Attack On Titan Season 4, Part 2
The memory wipe was performed by Hatori, but his hypnotism method isn't foolproof, meaning Momiji's mother could still learn the truth beforeFruits Basket ends.
More:Demon Slayer: Tomioka’s Eleventh Form Explained
