Ramayana Ending Explained: What Happens To Rama & How It Sets Up Part 2

The following contains spoilers for Ramayana: Rise of a LegendRamayana: Rise of a Legend is one of the year’s big cinematic epics, with an ending that directly sets up the sequel in more than just one way. Based on the Hindu myth of the same name, Ramayana focuses on the epic battle that brews between the noble Rama and the dangerous Ravana. The first film takes its time laying out the world and setting up the conflict, with the pair not even meeting in the film.

Instead, the movie explores both characters’ strengths and weaknesses to underscore what separates them on a deeply moral and human level. The film is uninterested in doing a typical ‘good vs. evil’ narrative, instead adding little touches of nuance to characters like Ravana, who are portrayed almost heroically in the cold open of the film as he leads his people to freedom.

Ramayana is a foundational morality tale that has endured for ages, with those same core themes present in the blockbuster film that’s dividing critics. The movie is very much a part 1, leaving the stage open for next year’s sequel. However, there’s a lot more going on in the film’s ending than just a tease for the follow-up.

Ramayana’s Climax Sets Up Rama To Fight Ravana In The Sequel

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend ends on a big cliffhanger, with Rama set to venture across the realms to confront Ravana in a bid to save his wife Sita. For much of Ramayana, Rama and Ravana operate outside of one another’s lives. Even when Ravana learns that Rama has been born and could pose a risk to him, he chooses restraint and patience rather than wage war.

However, the discovery that Rama and his family had defined his sister and subsequently wiped out her demon army prompts him to target the prince, capturing Sita and killing Jatayu when he tries to intervene. For the most part, the first film is laying the groundwork for the world and the characters, establishing Rama’s might and showcasing his gradual growth into a man capable of fighting Ravana.

The film concludes with a deliberate tease of the next movie, with Rama learning a bit about Ravana’s champions and family members that he’ll have to overcome to reach the enmy king. Coupled with a furious Rama’s final vow to kill Ravana and save Sita, the finale of the film is a very overt tease for the sequel, which is poised to be a far more direct and action-packed affair.

Chaos Vs. Order: The True Point Of The Film’s Conflict

One of the interesting wrinkles of the film is the way Ramayana doesn’t simply make Ravana a villain for Rama to overcome. The film takes pains to portray the character as a multilayered person, whose origin story centers around his efforts to life his people out of exile and back to the surface world. He is, in many ways, the protagonist of his own story instead of just an antagonist.

This plays into the movie’s focus on the balance between order and chaos, but quietly inverts them in effective ways. Rama, as the mortal avatar of Vishnu, is tied inherently to order. However, he’s also a chaotic whirlwind in battle and resists expectations to stay true to his heart. Conversely, the chaos-bringing Ravana is shown as a king, commanding a system built up in the wake of his victories.

The film isn’t necessarily about good vs. evil, even when Ravana begins crossing serious moral lines within the narrative. It’s a story of two forces that circle one another and contrast against each other. While Rama is content to abdicate his throne and is quick to rage when Sita is threatened, Ravana proves deceptively cruel and patient when it comes to ensuring his rule.

The True Meaning Of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend

The thing to remember about Ramayana is that to millions of people around the world, the tale of the Ramayana is just as much a religious text as it is a mythic epic. The central story of the film is rooted in the morals and messages laid out in the original tale. Ramayana has inspired people for ages, underlining the importance of honor, loyalty, and humility through Rama’s arc.

Ravana, by contrast, showcases the power that can be amassed, while laying the groundwork for his defeat. His overwhelming confidence leaves him open to being defeated in the follow-up. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is still about those things, reinforcing its perspective on the danger of pride and hostility by having other characters like Shurpanakha and her husband Vidyutjihva suffer for theirs.

Ramayana is in many ways a morality play, highlighting the inner strength that comes from Rama and Sita that provides them with a happiness and peace that Ravana and his people have never known. Despite the power they’ve gained, there’s still an aura of chaos in their perspective on the world that will invite chaos to their door, with a vengeful Rama in the follow-up.