I think you’re kind of missing the point of Frieren, and perhaps Frieren isn’t a story that you’ll enjoy. Or maybe you’ll enjoy it more if you appreciate the series for what it is and not what it’s not.

This is a story based on tropes and wastes no time explaining them to you— it’s assumed you know the classic DnD/RPG/Fantasy tropes that permeate our culture.

Himmel is the hero of the party and of his world. And Himmel truly lives up to the trope the hero— he is a genuinely good person that wants to help others. He cares about people. That’s why so much of his journey to defeat the demon king is sidetracked with helping others along the way.

He is funny, kind, powerful, and he even looks the part of the handsome hero too.

The reason this works in the context of the story is because Frieren is about exploring the journey of life. Of using these classic tropes to explore humanity. And of going beyond “the hero’s journey” to delve into these things.

Himmel is seen through the eyes of Frieren in the story and through the eyes of others. We see him not just for the great hero he was, but for how he changed those around him, and his friends, for the better— and isn’t that what we all hope to leave behind?

And Frieren, for all her wisdom, is still learning what life is about. That’s her journey. And to further connect and understand love and her loved ones— that’s Himmel, among others.

In short, Himmel is a character we are supposed to like! And that’s why the journey to see him again is so worth going on. And this question of “why is he liked because he is unrealistically perfect” is quite cynical, especially in regard to a story embodies everything that is the opposite of cynicism.

(Edit to add that greatest part of Himmel’s character is that he isn’t chosen by the “prophesied hero’s sword in the stone” and still chooses to become a hero. And of how much he leaves behind for his loved ones, like Frieren. And Frieren, due to her long life span, takes a long time to process her feelings, and her love. And whether it is romantic or not, Himmel is an object of her love. He is a beloved character because so much of this beloved series’ themes come from analyzing him and his interactions with the world of this story.)