Maleficent Mistress of Evil ending explained

*SPOILER ALERT*

While Maleficent did curse Princess Aurora, it was because of a terrible wrong that was done to her. She regretted it later and sought to avert it, ultimately being successful.

The second film goes back even further, creating a deep backstory for Maleficent, positing that she is not the only one of her kind. There is an entire different race of people called Dark Fey, though they do not have her powers. Maleficent’s powers come from a phoenix. The Dark Fey are living in imposed exile thanks to their conflict with humans.

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Conall and Ed Skrein’s Borra are two leaders of the Dark Fey introduced in the film. Conall dies while saving Maleficent later.

Meanwhile, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Queen Ingrith wants to obliterate all fairies as revenge for her brother’s death after he ventured into the Moors years ago. The fairies, led by Maleficent and Borra, invade human kingdom. Maleficent is about to kill Ingrith at one point but Aurora stops her.

Maleficent is then shot by an arrow by Ingrith and dissolves into ashes. However, Aurora’s tears, when they fall upon the ashes, revive Maleficent — not in her original form but as an actual phoenix. Prince Phillip refuses to kill Borra in a duel and peace between humans and the fairies is restored.

Ingrith is turned into a goat by Maleficent and horned fairy flies away after blessing Aurora and Phillip.