Hellbound Ending Explained & Biggest Unanswered Questions

Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Hellbound.

Hellbound, the new Netflix fantasy series, ends on several cliffhangers – here’s everything that happened in the finale, explained. Created and directed by Peninsula, The King of Pigs, and Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, Hellbound examines a modern society that’s struggling to come to terms with a series of horrific supernatural events. Mystical beings appear to certain people to inform them that they are bound for Hell, along with the exact date and time of their deaths. This results in the Hellbound being brutally attacked, killed, and burned by demons on the decreed times, which, in turn, has driven the rise of new age religious cult The New Truth Society.

In Hellbound season 1 episode 6, the agents of The New Truth Society, which is similar to the cults in the Aaron Paul-starred series The Path, scramble but ultimately fail to prevent the public from finding out about Song So-hyun (Won Jin-ah) and Bae Young-jae’s (Park Jung-min) newborn baby Toughie being bound for Hell. Meanwhile, Deacon Yuji (Ryu Kyung-soo) is arrested for beating up an old man who speaks out against The New Truth Society, which loses influence in light of recent events that disprove their dogmas. While So-hyun and Young-jae die in Toughie’s place, Sodo organization leader Min Hye-jin (Kim Hyun-joo) gets on a cab and escapes to safety with baby Toughie. Hellbound also ends with Park Jeong-ja’s (Kim Shin-Rock) corpse, around which a sacred site has been built by The New Truth Society, returning to life in a burst of hellfire.

Hellbound ended in a very satisfying manner, but it also leaves behind more questions than it answers. Not surprisingly, Hellbound has risen to rival the success and popularity of even Netflix’s Squid Game, which means that Hellbound season 2 is likely to be underway. This is especially true considering how Hellbound season 1 ended with not just unanswered questions, but also several cliffhangers.

What Happens To Those Burned By Hellbound’s Demons?

Hellbound provides no concrete explanation for why certain people receive decrees nor for the origins of the supernatural creatures that carry out these decrees. The New Truth Society, the foundations of which were formed by Chairman Jung Jin-soo’s (Yoo Ah-in) well-crafted lies, explains the phenomena as acts of God. But as Professor Hyeong-jun (Lim Hyung-Guk) explains, Hellbound’s supernatural events happen randomly, and there’s no evidence that proves The New Truth’s claims that the events are God’s way of punishing sinners on earth. Apart from how they are the same shape and size as MCU’s the Hulk, not much else is known about the unstoppable creatures who appear out of nowhere and carry out Hellbound’s dreaded decrees.

How And Why Did Park Jungja Come Back To Life?

Park Jungja’s decreed death was the first time for the world to witness a live broadcast of the supernatural event. Park Jungja’s fiery resurrection at the site of her demonstration in the finale could potentially contradict the doctrines of The New Truth Society. On the other hand, depending on what happens to Jungja or what she reveals about her experience before coming back to earth, her return might just provide The New Truth Society with some much-needed leverage. Moreover, if Park Jungja survived the ordeal, this could mean that others who were similarly executed, like Chairman Jung Jin-soo, could also potentially return for Hellbound season 2.

How Did Song So-hyun And Bae Young-Jae’s Baby Toughie Survive Hellbound’s Demons?

In an unexpected reveal that rivals both My Name and Squid Game’s shocking twists, newborn baby Toughie survives the decree when his parents sacrifice themselves by shielding Toughie from the demons using their bodies. While it’s unclear how this happened or if it can be replicated elsewhere, Toughie’s survival proves that Hellbound’s decrees and demons are not so unstoppable after all. While Toughie’s decree disproves The New Truth’s claims that only sinners are executed by the supernatural creatures, the baby’s survival threatens the very doctrines that keep The New Truth Society in power. This is why Min Hye-jin escapes with Toughie in tow.

Will Deacon Yuji, Police Detective Kyung-Hun, Or New Truth Leader Chairman Jung Jin-Soo Return For Hellbound Season 2?

Given the resurrection of Park Jungja in the Hellbound finale, there’s a chance that New Truth Leader Chairman Jung Jin-soo also survives his execution, and the world would be shocked by his return. This is especially true after police detective Jin Kyung-hun (Yang Ik-joon), the center of Hellbound’s neo-noir story arc, agreed to keep Jin-soo’s decree and execution a secret. It’s also unclear what happens to Kyung-hun and his daughter Jin Hee-jeong (Re Lee) after the Hellbound time jump, both of which could return in Hellbound season 2. Meanwhile, season 2 could also explore either Deacon Yuji’s time in prison – or his immediate release, as The New Truth, despite its dwindling influence, still holds much authority over the world.

What Is The Core Message Or Meaning Of Netflix’s Hellbound?

In a way, the real origins of the supernatural events in Hellbound aren’t that important. The real focus or message of Hellbound lies in how modern society responds to these events, which, in the case of Hellbound’s universe, means the rise and prevalence of dangerous cults, driven by a blind belief in a central messianic figure. Hellbound is similar to Squid Game in that it criticizes how modern capitalism and technology tears at the fabric of democratic society. Moreover, similar to Frank Herbert’s Dune, Hellbound also warns against humanity’s tendency to follow charismatic messiahs, as even the most well-meaning leaders are bound to make questionable decisions that result in unfavorable outcomes for the majority. Using supernatural fantasy as its hook, Hellbound is really a story about the dangers of dogmatic ideologies, and how quickly such ideologies can spread in the era of social media.

Hellbound season 1 episode 6 culminates with several cliffhangers that set up the foundations for Hellbound season 2. Although Netflix is yet to announce if and when a second season will be made, Hellbound’s runaway success is bound to result in a follow-up, which will likely be released sometime in late 2022 or early 2023. Along with other Netflix K-dramas like Squid Game and My Name, Hellbound is paving the way for the Korean takeover of the largest streaming platform on the planet.

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