Netflix 'Record of Ragnarok' Ending Explained: Will humans be able to beat gods?
As with most fantasy animes, it all boils down to setting the right premise. 'Record of Ragnarok' begins when the gods decide that after 7 million years, it's time to end all of humanity, until a Valkyrie named Brunhilde, who has a deep hatred for the gods, suggests that they literally allow the humans one fighting chance. She suggests a death match between humanity's best warriors and the gods, each to the death. Should humanity emerge victorious, their lives will be spared.
If you're looking for more anime to check out, you should have a look at the following titles — 'Yasuke', 'Castlevania' and 'Uzumaki'
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However, Brunhilde's ulterior motives remain the gods' downfall and she proves that she's not above using tactics. She even enlists her sisters to create divine forges using their own body, known as 'Volundr' which turns them into sacred weapons, allowing the chosen user to wield them to give the human champions a fighting chance. Season 1 of the anime sees three battles take place.
Lü Bu vs Thor
In the very first battle, Brunhilde picks Lü Bu, to be humanity's representative. Known as 'The Flying General', Lü Bu Fengxian is a military general and a warlord from Ancient China and is considered by many to be the strongest warrior in history. Seeing that he is to battle against the god of thunder, he is assisted by the Valkyrie Randgriz, who transforms herself into the divine weapon, Sky Piercer, to allow the warlord to take on Thor's Mjolnir.
Lü Bu proves to be the ultimate opponent and destroys one of Thor's Jaungrieper, the gauntlet that allowed him to regulate his power. He even manages to push Thor to unleash his entire strength. However, Thor unleashes Geirröd, his finishing move where he flings Mjolnir and retrieves it, which adds velocity and centrifugal force before giving the killing blow. Lü Bu is beheaded by this move, giving Thor the victory after a 16 minute, 28-second battle.
Adam vs Zeus
Humanity's second representative is none other than the first human itself, Adam. Adam is said to be the first human ever created by God, until he and his wife, Eve, left the Garden of Eden. Brunhilde states that if there was any human who truly resented the gods, it was Adam. Adam takes on none other than Zeus himself, chairman of the Gods' Council and the 'God Father of Cosmos'. Adam is assisted by the Valkyrie Reginleif, known as the 'Daughter of the Gods'. She takes the form of his chosen sacred weapon — the Knuckleduster.
It turns into the battle of endurance for the two, seeing that Adam possesses the 'Eyes of God', where he can replicate all of Zeus' attacks. In an attempt to fight back, Zeus enters 'Adamas' mode, where his body is virtually indestructible.
However, Zeus can't hold the form for too long, and Adam too begins to reach his physical peak. The fight ended with Zeus falling to his knees, and it's assumed he's the one that lost; however, Zeus soon reveals that Adam died at the end of the fight, but his stubborn humanity kept him still standing. In a battle that lasts 7 minutes and 13 seconds, Zeus is declared the victor, with his winning attack being a fistfight.
Kojiro Sasaki vs Posideon
Kojiro Sasaki takes on the third round of Ragnarok, as humanity's representative, going up against Poseidon. Kojiro Sasaki is a famed swordsman from feudal Japan, referred to as 'Humanity's Strongest Swordsman' as well as 'History's Great Loser'. The name doesn't sit well with the humans at the arena, since there are multiple people who defeated Sasaki in the past and they are in the crowd. However, it is revealed that Saski's tenacity, precision and sheer determination make him the perfect match for Poseidon.
He's assisted by the Valkyrie Hrist who is known as 'The Trembling One — whether with Fear or with Anger', who also happens to be bipolar. She takes the form of the weapon Monohoshizao. The fight between the two is absolutely fierce, with Poseidon's disdain fueling him and driving Sasaki in a corner. Poseidon even successfully breaks his sword, but Hrist's ability and the fact that she has two personalities allows her to split herself into two weapons, a katana and a kodachi. Poseidon comes at Sasaki with terrifying speed, at such a rate that it seems as though he is creating a dome around them.
With no openings, Sasaki nearly gives up, but is reminded that he cannot lose, for the sake of those who have lived and fought by the blade. He is able to find one single opening, through which he successfully decapitates Poseidon, much to the shock of all the gods, bringing the score to 2 -1, in a fight that took 13 minutes and 7 seconds, with the Niten Ganryu Sword Style — Swallow Tiger Combo, Thousand Blades.
The anime ends with battle number three, while the final episode teases Season 2 and the next upcoming battle. The fourth battle is set to be between humanity's most sinister being and the champion of the gods. The Ragnarok Arena is turned into 19th century London, seeing that the next fighter has requested this unlikely setting. A figure emerges from the darkness, much to the horror of the audience — it is none other than Jack the Ripper, the famed serial killer who was never caught. To take him on, the Greek gods enlist demigod Hercules, as a means of avenging Poseidon's death in the process.
Season 1 ends on quite the cliffhanger, but as you can tell, it sets up rather well for the next set of fights that will be featured in Season 2.
'Record of Ragnarok' is now streaming on Netflix.