The Owl House Says Bye for Now!
The Return of the Good Witch Luz
Rather than dying, Luz finds herself in the In-Between Realm in the presence of someone she never thought she’d meet: the Titan of the Boiling Isles, AKA King’s Dad. They say they’re both “King and Queen, best of both things,” but they settle on Dad. And they look the part, too. They’ve got the Dad bod, the bad girl coven shirt, bathrobe, and pajama bottoms with glyphs on them, and as it turns out, they’ve been watching Luz.
Having been trapped in the In-Between Realm for eons, King’s Dad has been using his powers to watch over his son. In other words, he knows all about Luz and Eda, and how much they’ve meant to King. That kindness led them to reach out to Luz, helping her unlock the secret of the glyphs, whereas he denied them to Belos. In addition, when Luz again doubts whether she’s a good person or just like Belos for wanting him dead, the Titan reassures her she isn’t. While Luz messed up many times, all her actions came from good intentions, making her a better person.
In contrast, Belos deludes himself into thinking he’s the hero to the point no one can reason with him, and now that he’s trying to possess the Titan, King’s Dad is dying. However, as thanks for helping his son out, King’s Dad decides to give her the last of his powers and send her back to stop Belos for good. As a result, Luz comes back looking like something straight out of an anime, like a humanoid Titan with access to all forms of magic.
The Most Anime Final Battle Luz Could Hope For!
What happens next is something I can’t hope to describe in mere words, so I urge you to watch the finale on Disney+ or YouTube. What matters, though, is just how much effort the show’s team put into this final battle. While the show’s no stranger to visually impressive fights, Luz, Eda, King, and later Raine’s final battle against Belos transcends Western animation. In terms of quality, it matches high-budget anime like Demon Slayer, JoJo, One Piece, and more.
They’re not the only ones fighting, either. Amidst all this, the Hexsquad and Camila, who used the light glyph to free themselves, do everything they can to keep the Boiling Isles residents in the Collector’s archives. They’re not alone, either. Despite being poisoned by Belos’ corruption, the Collector gives it everything they got to keep everyone safe. Props to them! All of it culminates in Luz facing down Belos in his throne room as she calls back to Azura’s lines from the first episode.
A perfect bookend to Luz’s journey. And when the dust settles, it’s all over. Belos influence, corruption, and the centuries of darkness he’s forced upon the Boiling Isles are gone. Belos remains, now assuming his previous form as Philip Wittebane. He tries to make pleas to Luz that he is under the influence of dark magic and curses, but Luz doesn’t even dignify that with a response. She just stares at him with disdain as the boiling rain reduces him to his true form: a sad, pathetic excuse for a person, still ranting racist remarks against Witches. But while Luz might refrain from ending him, she doesn’t save him from his greatest victims.
Good Riddance to you, Belos
I know it might seem a little out of character for Luz, but it isn’t. Even though she’s great at getting others to change for the better, she knows that whatever good Philip had in him died long ago. He can’t be redeemed because he doesn’t want to be redeemed; he’s so far gone he doesn’t even understand what he’s doing is wrong. In other words, he brought his death by curb-stomp at the hands of Eda, King, and Raine on himself.
As a side note, besides being cathartic to watch, Belos’ death is also one of the biggest doses of karma I’ve ever seen. He attempted to possess and manipulate Raine as his puppet, and he tried to kill the people that King calls family. Most karmic of all, though, is that Eda Clawthorne helps kill him. Throughout the series, it’s all but confirmed that the Clawthorne family of today descends from Evelyn and Belos own brother, Caleb. The same brother that Belos murdered. In short, having someone likely the descendant of Evelyn and Caleb end Belos proves there is justice in this world.
Burn in Hell, Belos. You were one of the worst villains I’ve ever seen and got what you deserved.
What Happens Now?
The remainder of the finale is the falling action and epilogue to the entire series. With the Boiling Isles now rid of the darkness of Emperor Belos, everyone on the Isles can breathe a sigh of relief.
Having understood what they were doing was wrong, the Collector proceeds to free everyone they turned into toys. This wound up being a blessing in disguise in the end. With most of the populace safe in their Archives, they didn’t fall victim to Belos’ corruption. As a result, the Collector redeems themselves and earns the genuine friendship of the Hexsquad and the Owl House residents. However, they decide to return home to grow more, though King promises they’ll see each other again.
From here, viewers are treated to the sight of everyone joyously reuniting with their loved ones. Boscha gets her teammates back, the Hexsquad finds their parents (or parental figures, in Hunter’s case), and the Owl House is rebuilt into what it once was. However, Belos’ final rampage physically changes the Boiling Isles, forcing everyone to adapt. What’s more, Luz discovers that with the passing of the Titan, the glyph’s she’s been using to do magic no longer function. Despite losing her ability to do magic, Luz doesn’t let this get to her. Her family and friends are safe and can finally rebuild everything Belos destroyed. And while this is the end of one chapter of her life, it’s also the beginning of another.
Epilogue of Two Worlds, One Family
The finale then shifts to the epilogue. Much like the ending to Amphibia, we’re taken several years into the future when Luz and her friends are now young adults. We see that Luz has managed to turn her time in school around, getting top marks as a writer and even getting a scholarship signed by Dana Terrace herself. More importantly, though, we put to rest the fear of Luz’s ultimate decision of where she wants to live.
During the finale, there was a lingering concern about what Luz would decide to do with her life. Would she choose to stay on Earth or live in the Boiling Isles? Either decision would mean saying goodbye to family and friends. Thankfully, the finale settles that question. Thanks to either King or the Collector, Luz managed to create a new portal in the old house, which she, her mom, and Vee now own. As a result, she can travel between Earth and the Boiling Isles whenever she wants!
It seems like a cop-out that deprives us of any stakes, but it’s the best solution we could’ve gotten. It helps contrast with the ending to Amphibia, which saw Anne and her friends say goodbye to Amphibia, potentially for good. When you think about it, choosing both fits Luz’s character perfectly. Rather than choosing one path like others would want, she chooses all of them. I couldn’t help but laugh at this.
“Bye!!!”
The end credits then show what has happened to the Boiling Isles in the last few years. Rather than talk everyone’s ears off, though, I’m just going to share it here and give my thoughts on the key point about Luz rediscovering glyph magic on her birthday at the Owl House.
Again, it might seem like a cop-out, but King’s growing powers leading to the creation of new magic glyphs that Luz can use are sweet. Luz can not only go to college on the Boiling Isles, but she can rediscover her magic.
That last shot of everyone at Luz’s King-Canera shouting “Bye,” is the perfect way to say goodbye to the fans!
My Thoughts on the Ending
And just like that, this three-year-long story about an outcast girl who stumbled into another world comes to a close. What do I think about it, though? Are there any problems I had, or was this the best ending to the story of Luz Noceda?
Yeah, I think it was. I had a few gripes with some minor, unresolved plot threads (we never learn more about the Bat Queen), but they’re unimportant in the grand scheme. Like many fans, I might also wish we got that full third season, but at this point, we can’t do anything besides remind Disney of their mistake. Beyond that, though, I got nothing; no problems. Dana Terrace and the people who worked on the show knew exactly what they were doing and succeeded against all odds.
Think about it for a minute. With Disney limiting The Owl House‘s final season to three extra-long episodes, which could have ruined the show. Rather than let that get them down, the people who worked on it managed to use everything they had to give us the best ending they could. If anything, the fact that the show ended in a way that satisfies fans like it has despite the limited time is a testament to how good a show The Owl House was. That, and how good the writers, storyboarders, artists, and actors who helped bring the show to life.
Thanks for Watching!
Does the end of The Owl House mean the end to story-driven cartoons at Disney, though? Maybe, maybe not. Other great cartoons are airing on Disney right now that have some focus on continuity, like The Ghost and Molly McGee, Big City Greens, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. In addition, more story-driven shows are coming down the pipeline. So, despite concerns, I don’t think this is the end of an era for Disney.
It is, however, likely the end of The Owl House as we know it for now. Disney might want to revisit the Boiling Isles with a spin-off or prequel. However, I doubt Dana would return since she’s left Disney now that her show’s completed. Given how they treated her, I support that decision and hope she can create another amazing show in the near future.
As I now come to the end of this extremely long review to the end of The Owl House, it’s a very bittersweet feeling. Like Amphibia, this show helped me get through the Pandemic, so it holds a special place in my heart. I might revisit the series and review the show as a whole in the near future, but for now, this is goodbye. I’m happy I got to watch this show from start to finish and cover it on this blog, though. That, and there are a few good fanfics out there that will continue to run. So, thanks for everything, Dana. Thanks for Watching, everyone! Thanks for bringing us to The Owl House!
….also, burn in hell, Belos.
I Give “Watching and Dreaming” a 5/5
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