Rebel Moon ending explained: How did [SPOILER] survive?

The first part, titled A Child of Fire, follows Kora (Sofia Boutella), a young woman with a mysterious past who's made a quiet farming colony her home.

But when it's threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee), and particularly his henchman Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), she's forced to take action, seeking out warriors from neighbouring planets to help her make a stand.

Meanwhile, Part Two - The Scargiver, which was filmed at the same time, will hit Netflix in April 2024, giving us a few months to process what just happened.

Exclusively speaking to RadioTimes.com about that cliffhanger, Snyder said: "The [second] movie comes in April so it's not like I'm gonna torture you for two years while you're waiting for me to make another movie. I really wanted the cliffhanger to be really intense, like you could turn on the second movie immediately.

"That was what I really wanted, a lot of momentum. The second movie has kind of a different tone - the first movie's gathering the team and the second movie's kind of like we start to get to know the village, it's [like] Days of Heaven, kind of a weird harvesting movie and then it's like a full war. It's kind of a different experience but with a real ending. With a real, 'This is where we are.'"

Rebel Moon ending explained: Why did Kai betray Kora?

The final scenes of Rebel Moon show Kora having gathered her warriors, with the team ready to head back to her colony to make their stand. But Kai (Charlie Hunnam) says he wants to make one last trip to Gondival to sever his ties to his life as a thief.

But it soon becomes clear that Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein) and his henchmen are waiting for them - and that Kai has betrayed them all for money. They all become trapped into exo-skeletons - other than Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), as Kai has other plans for him.

Kora asks Kai when he betrayed them and he tells her: "On Velt, in Providence, the first time I heard your story. I thought with your ideals of resistance, I could round up a couple of heads - Tarak for instance. His world enslaved. Then there was Nemesis. Her whole family slaughtered. But General Titus, have you any idea how much he alone is worth? They would have all jumped at the chance to exact any small vengeance against the realm, even if the payment was only a sack of grain."

Referencing Kora's links to Princess Issa, he adds: "Then there was you, Kora, or should I call you Arthelais? The biggest prize of them all."

Kai goes on to tell Kora that the Motherworld tortured the people of his planet - and that taught him to "never set a foot on the wrong side of history".

How did Admiral Noble survive?

Of course, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein) soon crawls out of the woodwork after being summoned by Kai, and is confident that his seat in the senate will be secured. Kai tells Gunnar to disable Kora with a sedative injection - but at the last minute, he unlocks her and the team are able to fight back.

After a blazing gun fight, it's left to Kora and Admiral Noble on a high ledge and, after Kora knocks him unconscious, Noble appears to fall to his death.

But we return to a broken Noble who is rescued by the realm. As he's brought onto a ship on a stretcher, technicians are told to "ready him for transmission" as Balasarius (Fra Fee) is ready for him.

Noble is plugged into a 'Neurolink' which allows him - or at least his consciousness - to speak to Balisarius, who isn't happy that his "dangerous" daughter is surrounded by seasoned warriors.

Balasarius makes it clear that there's no love left between him and his daughter, as he orders Noble to crush the insurgency and bring him Kora so as he can publicly execute her. He says that, if he fails, it will be Noble who is executed.

Noble still isn't stabilised, so the technicians power up the Neurolink and send a high powered electric volt through him, which resuscitates him.

Speaking about how the first movie sets up Part Two, Skrein exclusively told RadioTimes.com: "I like the way Zack once described Part Two to me, he said that he wanted it to feel like Dunkirk. And I think that that gives you some indication to the kind of proportionate time in setup, and the proportion of time in combat and war. Return of the King was also a reference. So I think you can kind of read into those references and understand the kind of ramping up that you're gonna feel and the action.

"But I think what's so unique about this as well is more service to the characters. This is not just mindless explosions and fights for the sake of it, we're gonna learn more about the emotion and an emotional trauma that is informing the characters these decisions in building up to the conflict."

Who is Balasarius and what will happen to Kora?

The tyrant Balasarius is Kora's adoptive father and the ruler of the Motherworld. Earlier in the film, we learn that Balasarius tore apart Kora's home planet, killed her family, and took her with him - hence her being a "Child of Fire".

She trained in battle and became the guardian of the Princess Issa.

Teasing what else is coming for Kora, Boutella exclusively told RadioTimes.com: "There is a movie number two, that you'll find out there is something quite complicated about Kora, that I had to find that was so complicated for me.

"I kept going back and knocking at Zack's door, to ask him, 'Where does that come from? What am I supposed to do with that?' I did not know how to not judge Kora. I had a judgement on her action that I did not understand and I think until you understand your character, even if you disagree, understanding your character is is essential to play a role.

"I did not only not agree, but I did not understand and I couldn't comprehend how Cora can could be the person that she is, as the lead female role, but as a human... butI found it, I forgave her. And I love her even more after that."

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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