Toaru Majutsu no Index III Episode 21

Star of Bethlehem (ベツレヘムの星) is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime series. It was broadcast on March 1st 2019, and was directed by Mori Yoshihiro and Kaiho Kojo, was storyboarded by Nihei Yuichi, and the script written by Tamai☆Tsuyoshi.

Synopsis
''The project kicks off at last. The earth shakes, the skies turn pitch-black, and strange objects rise. The light of destruction descends.''

Adapted From

 * War Report, Chapter 5 & Chapter 6

Major Events

 * After speaking with Aiwass, Kazakiri Hyouka flies towards Russia in her angel form, Fuse Kazakiri.
 * Touma and Lessar head for Fiamma's base in Russia.
 * After Acqua deals with the privateers, Hamazura Shiage and Takitsubo Rikou leave the village and head for the Elizalina Alliance due to the arrival of Academy City forces.
 * After making inquiries about the parchments and clearing out Russian spies in the Alliance, Accelerator makes a deal with Misaka Worst and interrogates the spies for information.
 * The Star of Bethlehem takes flight and Archangel Gabriel is summoned in the form of Misha Kreutzev.
 * Misaka Mikoto arrives in Russia and meets up with Misaka 10777.

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Matthai Reese
 * Vasilisa
 * Aiwass
 * Kazakiri Hyouka
 * Lessar
 * Kamijou Touma
 * Hamazura Shiage
 * Digurv
 * Acqua of the Back
 * Accelerator
 * Last Order
 * Takitsubo Rikou
 * Elizalina
 * Misaka Worst
 * Fiamma of the Right
 * Index Librorum Prohibitorum
 * Laura Stuart
 * Stiyl Magnus
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Archangel Gabriel

New Characters

 * Ekalielya A. Pronskaya
 * Sellick G. Kirnov
 * Nikolai Tolstoy
 * Misaka 10777

Abilities

 * Imagine Breaker - Kamijou Touma
 * Accelerator (ability) - Accelerator, Level 5
 * Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5
 * Steel Glove - Lessar
 * John's Pen Mode - Index Librorum Prohibitorum
 * Astro in Hand - Archangel Gabriel

Locations

 * Russia
 * Digurv's village
 * Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations
 * Academy City
 * United Kingdom
 * London
 * St. George's Cathedral

New Locations

 * Star of Bethlehem

Trivia

 * The voice actor of the unnamed Roman Catholic Church priest is Kaneda Makoto.

Cultural References

 * The news channel shown on television in Matthai Reese 's hospital room is named GNN8, a pun on.
 * The fast food chain Touma and Lessar eat fast food of is named WDonald's, a reference to the famous fast food restaurant chain . Amusingly enough, there have already been two previous parodies of the chain in anime adaptations of the Toaru universe: MocRonall's in Toaru Majutsu no Index Episode 18 and Macronall Hamburger in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Episode 17.
 * Ascension_of_materials-2.jpg location in the first shot of churches being pillaged for the Star of Bethlehem's construction is, Italy. The building being absorbed is the , just like it was in the novel.

Differences in Adaptation

 * In the novel, Aiwass explains that Kazakiri Hyouka can go to Russia because the Sisters are spread all around the world, creating a larger AIM diffusion field area.
 * The HsF-00s are not present in the glimpse of the dogfight over the Sea of Japan.
 * Only the Italian city of Florence is shown having materials taken from it to build the Star of Bethlehem. In the novels, hundreds of thousands of Catholic items and masonry came floating in from all over the world, with famous buildings being referenced such as the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in, France, the in , Italy, and the  in , India.