Petra Leyte (ペトラ・レイテ) is a former inhabitant of Arlam Village who currently lives and works at Roswaal Manor as a maid. She is a supporting character first introduced in Arc 2 and later joins the main cast in Arc 4. She plays a major role in Arc 9, and a supporting role in Arc 7 and Arc 8.
Originally just a young village girl, she became a maid in order to stay close to Subaru, who had helped her shed her self-centered demeanor. Learning magic, politics, and maid duties, she helps the Emilia Camp in many aspects, whether that be assisting in making connections with other nobles and demi-humans or using her smarts to assist in battles.
During her life as a village child, Petra wore common clothes that consisted of a pair of brown shoes, green leggings with horizontal stripes that were shorn just above the ankles, a white long-sleeved shirt, an open short-sleeved cream-colored cardigan with red outlining, and a red ribbon fastened to her collar. She has medium length reddish brown hair that, as time progressed, has grown to reach her shoulder in Arc 9, she has cyan eyes, and she has continued to grow taller since her introduction.
In Arc 4, Petra switched to a maid uniform for her job, keeping her ribbon tied in her hair. From Arc 7 and on, she wore a long-sleeved yellow and white shirt, a green skirt with white frills, a green cloak held together by a red ribbon, a red ribbon in her hair, white leggings, and brown boots. She has also fashioned part of her hair into a braid.
Personality
Petra is a pure-hearted, innocent young girl who often tries her best to help and nurture others, regardless of whether doing so was detrimental to her. Her sweet personality is enough to mellow the hearts of those who interacted with her, particularly Subaru and Frederica, whose moods brightened just from talking with her. Unlike many people in Lugunica, Petra harbors no xenophobic tendencies towards demi-humans, instead judging people off of their deeds and personalities. Alongside the other children in Arlam Village, Petra held no prejudice against Emilia.
For someone so young, Petra is incredibly brave, choosing to prioritize the lives and wellbeing of others above her own in situations of crisis. When the disguised Wolgarm fled into the Wolgarm-infested woods, Petra, who was unaware of the creature's true identity, steeled her nerves and traversed into the forest to rescue the animal from danger. When Elsa Granhiert took her hostage and brought her before Subaru and her fellow maids, Petra, although terrified at the prospect of dying, told her friends to flee and save themselves rather than rescue her. Similarly, she is even willing to put her life on the line if it means helping others, as shown when she placed an oath bound curse mark on herself as a promise to let Musica meet Emilia while negotiating to let them pass into Vollachia to save Subaru. She was even willing to read a Book of the Dead, despite knowing the risks involved, in order to understand her opponent's possible goals.
Originally, Petra was a rather self-centered young girl. Having known that she was cute, she used it like a weapon to get what she wanted, whether that be from her parents, her friends, or other villagers. She also seemed rather harsh of other people because of this. However, after she was saved during the Wolgarm Incident by Subaru and seeing what became of him because of her actions, she felt tremendous guilt over this, leading her to confront and apologize to her parents for her arrogance, and she mellowed out. She also begins to admire kind people and strived to be kind herself, no longer wanting to take the kindness of others for granted.
Following the incident in the Sanctuary, Petra has become somewhat bolder, and she speaks her mind more often, especially when it comes to the safety of her friends and, in particular, Subaru, who often worries her with his constant recklessness of turning head-first into danger. That said, she has shown to be quite harsh with those that she cannot stand. Because of the actions that Roswaal took that nearly led to the death of not only everyone in the Emilia Camp but also the villagers of both the Sanctuary and Arlam Village, she has shown to be very critical and unforgiving toward him, often using blunt and cruel statements when talking with him or even wringing out dirty rags in his drinks. Of course, she doesn’t go too far with her resentment, and she is even willing to work with him at times if it means victory, but alongside Otto Suwen, she refuses to trust him, and she makes sure that she stays an anchor in the camp in the case that Roswaal does something suspicious again.
Because of everything he had done for her, saving her, forgiving her, and showing her the error of her original attitude, Petra has come to harbor a deep crush on Subaru. Because of this, Petra changed her wish of wanting to be a seamstress at the Royal Capital to being a good wife, and in an effort to place herself in a position from which she could provide her help to Subaru, when Roswaal Manor was putting up a notice for new servants, Petra went out of her way to ask the other villagers to turn down the offer so that she could become one herself. It is for the goal of assisting Subaru and remaining by his side that she is now learning maid duties, politics, and magic, and though she has times in which she feels like she is powerless compared to the other members of the camp, she is willing to trust those people to help and keep an eye on Subaru in her place.
Petra is often shown to be anxious over Subaru and his reckless actions as well, pouting when he actively decided leave for the Pleiades Watchtower, which even the Sword Saint was unable to reach and was in one of the most dangerous locations in the world, and even felt frustrated with his decision to accept Spica in spite of her past. However, she looks up to him for being willing to take such risks, and she has taken after him somewhat in taking similar risks. However, after reading Subaru's Book of the Dead, despite becoming incredibly upset after learning his secret, her boldness, confidence, and willingness to stay by his side and help him was greatly amplified, to the point that she was willing to give up something precious of hers to Clind in order to use his Authority to gather everyone to help save him, and prior to this, she claimed to be perfectly willing to take on a Witch Factor and become a Witch if it meant helping Subaru. Also, because she read his book, she started to understand Subaru significantly better, and she could feel herself being influenced by him, began thinking in a similar manner to him, speaking with his loan words, and when she is around Emilia and Rem, the influence is even stronger thanks to Subaru's immense passion for desperation for them, leading her to speak to them in a somewhat similar fashion to Subaru.
Petra is a young girl who formerly lived in Arlam Village, a small rural village located in the lands of the noble Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers. She had aspired to move to the Royal Capital and become a tailor when she grew up. However, her life changed forever when the teenage boy Natsuki Subaru, who was working at Roswaal Manor, began to visit the village.
When he visited the village, Subaru was playing with Petra and her friends. Shortly after meeting Subaru, the children of Arlam including Petra were kidnapped by a group of witchbeasts commanded by Meili Portroute. In order to save them, Subaru ventured into the forests surrounding the village. Thanks to the efforts of Subaru and his allies, the children were saved and the witchbeasts have been largely wiped out by Roswaal L. Mathers.
After the witchbeast incident, she went to meet Subaru, who had saved her life during the incident. However, after seeing him heavily injured, she ran away to apologize to her parents. After Subaru woke up and visited the village, despite having run away from him out of fear of him hating her, when he found her, she apologized to him. After he forgave her and displayed his kindness, she developed a crush that would only grow in time. After about a month or two, Petra decided to give up her dream of becoming a tailor, instead choosing to look for work in Margrave Roswaal's mansion, where she could be closer to Subaru. Despite her young age, Petra managed to get a job as a maid in the mansion and soon found a mentor in Frederica Baumann, a fellow maid who treated Petra like her little sister.
Occurring simultaneously with the Battle for Priestella, Petra took part in the meeting with the western nobles alongside Roswaal, Annerose Miload, Frederica, and Clind. After a short confrontation with the renowned chef, Dias Fatsbalm, she witnessed as Roswaal attempted to convince the other nobles into backing Emilia of their own accord. Shortly after the meeting began, Roswaal had Petra speak on his behalf regarding Emilia, as if he were to do so, it may sound insincere or manipulative. She did as she was asked and gave her opinion and facts on Emilia, and she successfully managed to convince the other nobles to back her. Later, after learning some dishes from Dias, they returned to Roswaal Manor.
Following the successful Pleiades Watchtower Expedition, the expedition team returned to Roswaal Manor, carrying the news of Subaru and Rem’s disappearance. Following the revelation, Anastasia Hoshin and Julius Juukulius decided to enter Vollachia through Kararagi, and Roswaal decided to have Clind use his Authority to take everyone else where they needed to be. Leaving Meili in the Royal Capital with Annerose, the rest of the camp arrived in Picoutatte. After settling an issue between Otto and Diadora Regundra and making a deal with the Suwen Company, the group decided to pass through the Everlasting Darkness with the assistance of the molepeople.
As they passed through the area, however, they were forced to speak with the representative of the molepeople, Musica, who expressed concerns on behalf of his people about the emergence of a second Demi-Human War because of Emilia’s partaking in the Royal Selection. Since Emilia was disguised as a bodyguard while wearing her recognition obstruction robe and Petra was acting like a noble lady being escorted into another country on the camp’s behalf, Musica and Petra entered discussions, where she deduced his true intentions to sacrifice their race in order to bring down Emilia. Musica agreed to back off from the molepeople's preexisting plan to meet and discuss things with Emilia when their business in the Empire was concluded, willingly bearing an oath bound curse mark in the process to show her intentions were genuine. Afterward, they were brought into Vollachia.
Abilities
Magic (魔法, Mahō): Petra has a yang affinity and can thus use yang magic, which she has used for offensive purposes in the form of Jiwald and support purposes to boost one’s physical resilience. Emilia tried to tutor her in magic, but due to her teaching methods relying on instinct, she now receives lectures from Ram.
Jiwald (ジワルド): Using yang magic, Petra is able to conjure and manipulate visible light into beams of scorching heat that attack whatever stands in its way. Due to her inexperience in magic, her version of Jiwald is underwhelming, producing enough heat to leave small burns on the skin or ignite fire magic stones.
An oath bound curse mark carved onto Petra’s chest
: Following a confrontation with Musica and the mole humans in Stand by me Pleiades, Petra upheld her oath and had a curse mark carved onto himself. According to her oath, if she is to ever break her promise and not allow them to meet Emilia, she shall be engulfed in a purifying flame, scorching her body and tainting her soul, never allowing it to return to Od Lagna.[1] Petra's curse mark appears as a light circle with a carving of the crest of House Mathers displayed in the circle's center.
Self-Defense: Frederica gave her lessons in physical combat in order for her to learn how to defend herself.
Trivia
According to the author, Petra's birthday was on the 14th of February, which also happens to be Valentine's Day.
She was able to see who Subaru truly was when he was wearing one of Roswaal's anti-recognition cloaks.
On February 14, 2018, responding to a question asking which arc that Petra would “shine the brightest” in, the author concluded it would likely be Arc 8.[2]
As the original plan for Arc 7 changed and it was split into two separate arcs, it can be assumed that this statement about Arc 8 now applies to Arc 9.
Petra once wished to become a tailor. She displayed quite remarkable sewing skills, which she learned from her mother.
Petra's favorite color is red.
Petra played hide and seek in Roswaal Manor before becoming a maid, which allowed her to remember all of the rooms there.
In order to become a maid and get close to Subaru, Petra asked all the girls who applied for this year to refuse the invitation for enlistment at Roswaal Manor.
Petra has been ranked among the five weakest characters in Re:Zero.[3]
According to the author on a talk show held on April 6, 2025, Petra was not originally written to be the first person to learn of Return by Death.
References
↑“Should I renounce this oath, my soul shall be tainted and my flesh enveloped and burned away by purifying flame. And my soul shall fall into the void, never to return to Od Lagna again.”Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 15, Closing Chapter, Section 5.
