3 Body Problem ending explained: What are the Wallfacers?

The show, 3 Body Problem, which comes from Game of Thrones writers David Benioff and DB Weiss along with Alexander Woo, follows a group of scientists who have to team up with a counter-terrorist operative (Benedict Wong Wong) to prevent an unknowable threat.

While it received mixed reviews, the Netflix series builds up to a climactic ending. So, what are the Wallfacers, what happens to Will, and how does the show pave the way for a second season?

Here's everything you need to know about that action-packed ending to Netflix's 3 Body Problem – and how it deviates from the books.

You can also check out our explainer on what the three-body problem actually means.

3 Body Problem ending explained: What are the Wallfacers?

Named after the ancient Buddhist name for meditators, the Wallfacers are an intelligence group, brought together to defend humanity from the Santi invasion.

Crucially, the trio must concoct a plan only in their minds and refrain from telling anyone else their plans due to the Santi's constant surveillance of humanity.

The moment they utter their plans to anyone else, they're no longer safe, as the Santi know humanity's every move - but they cannot read human minds.

The Wallfacers are also given top-level authority and security clearance, with it being declared that they never need to explain their actions or commands and they must be equipped with anything they need without question.

The final episode of 3 Body Problem follows Saul Durand's (Jovan Adepo) journey to being named a Wallfacer.

It begins as news of the incoming alien invasion spreads across the world's media. Sure, the invasion is 400 years away, but many are of the opinion that humanity has a responsibility to prepare future generations for what's to come.

Saul has gone all nihilistic about it, and appears to have stopped caring, having a one-night stand that ends tragically. Escorting his date (whose name he can't actually remember) to her Uber, he says his family line will end with him - so why should he care about the invasion?

Just then, a series of connected and very important events happens - Saul takes a step in the wrong direction, meaning a guy on a scooter knocks him over, out of the way of an oncoming car, which runs over and immediately kills his date, who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Saul finally meets Da Shi (Benedict Wong) and informs him that the cars involved in the crash were under autonomous control - meaning someone was targeting Saul and that the only reason he's alive was that he was pushed aside at the last second.

The pair travel together to the United Nations headquarters in New York. He's soon told that there will be a "ceremony" at the meeting for the Planetary Defence Council, but is otherwise left in the dark about what's to come - the Wallfacer Project.

Who are the Wallfacers in 3 Body Problem?

The Wallfacers announced in the series are:

• General Hou Bolin, the renowned author of books on military history
• Professor Leila Ariç, a soldier who rose to prominence fighting ISIS in Raqqa
• Saul Duran, one of the Oxford Five, and a trained physicist

Saul initially rejects the proposition, reasoning that his appointment as a Wallfacer doesn't make sense with him being a "low-level researcher". However, soon after he leaves the UN, he's shot - and only lives to tell the tale because he's wearing a bulletproof vest.

He has a chilling meeting with the assassin sent to kill him, who apologises for not aiming for his head and "freeing" him from his mission as a Wallfacer. Saul insists he's already free as he rejected the position, but the assassin doesn't accept that. His only response is that he's "gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord".

Unfortunately for Saul, no-one will accept that he has rejected the position of Wallfacer.

He asks why he was chosen, only to receive the answer that no-one knows for sure. The only reason he's given is: "I believe you'll know when the time is right."

We won't spoil what happens in the books here, but there are a few things this could refer to - including a major event that will dictate the future of humanity's survival.

Saul's prominence in the final episode suggests that potential future seasons will continue to deviate from the books. After all, he's a character that was only introduced for the TV series, so the suggestion that humanity's future will hinge on him means we must have more major deviations from the novels in store if the show continues.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com about the potential for more seasons, co-creator Woo said: "Well, the most immediate hope is that there's a second one, one thing at a time, today is the first day where we'll find out… the ball has started rolling down the hill, and we'll see how how far we'll go.

"Beyond that, it's the book trilogy – three books, roughly maybe three seasons, but that third book is quite long so it might be a little bit more."

In the novels, four Wallfacers were announced:

• Frederick Tyler, former US Secretary of Defence
• Manuel Rey Diaz, former President of Venezuela
• Bill Hines, Nobel Prize-winning Neuroscientist
• Luo Ji, astronomer

What happened to Will in the Staircase Project?

After deciding to sacrifice himself for the Staircase Project following his diagnosis with terminal cancer, Will's (Alex Sharp) brain is launched into space. Not exactly a happy ending – especially after he lost his best friend, following the brutal death of Jack Rooney (John Bradley) in episode 3.

However, things go wrong, with Will doomed to the chilling fate of being kept on the edge of life for millions of years, lost in deep space.

So, what exactly was the Staircase Project and why did Will give up his life? In the last weeks of Will's life, following his diagnosis with cancer, Jin (Jess Hong) was approached by Thomas Wade (Liam Cunningham) for the Staircase Project.

As someone who had little time left to live, Will was asked to effectively sacrifice his life so humanity could launch a probe with the brain of a person in-between life and death towards the Santi fleet in order to gather intelligence (under the assumption that the Santi will reconstruct the living person to also gather intelligence on humanity).

As Jin points out, it means that the Santi could do anything, even torture Will, but he ultimately agrees, consenting five times to end his life for the good of humanity - but mostly because of his love for Jin.

In the final episode of the show, Jin is seen agonising over Will's decision and the maths, desperately attempting to make sure his sacrifice isn't in vain. She refuses to accept that he's dead, as his brain is still technically alive, and says she loves him, accusing herself of stealing the last weeks of his life from him.

Saul and Jin are both present at the launch – which is initially a success. However, a malfunction with the spacecraft deviates from its predicted trajectory - a disastrous result meaning Will's sacrifice was for nothing.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com about Will's fate, actor Alex Sharp said: "It's such a simple thing, it's about a man who loves a woman more than anything else in the world and what he's willing to do for her.

"It was very simple and very moving and was quite abstract in playing the scenes because Will's not getting involved with the aliens - well, I'm hitchhiking a ride now!"

This storyline follows the books pretty faithfully, with the Staircase Project being adapted almost as it's written in the third novel, Death's End. In the books, though, it's engineer Yun Tianming who sacrifices himself for the Staircase Project.

What is Thomas Wade's hibernation plan in 3 Body Problem?

Wade is the figure throughout the book series who seems in control - but the final episode throws this into question.

Wade previously told Jin that he plans to stick around for the Santi invasion in 400 years to oversee humanity's plan - basically, by developing technology to put himself into hibernation, waking every few decades to ensure that the plan is on track.

However, we're given a terrifying reminder that the Santi are the ones who are actually in control, with Sophon (Sea Shimooka) appearing to Wade while he's mid-flight. She says she's looking forward to meeting him if his hibernation technology works, and that he's part of their plan.

She then causes his plane to malfunction and tells him: "We'll always be with you. Every room you enter, we'll be there with you. Whatever we want you to see, you will see, until the day you die."

Finally, she disappears and the flight goes back to normal, with Wade safe but shaken up. As for whether his plan will work, fans will have to wait for a potential season 2.

What does the final scene of 3 Body Problem mean for the future?

The final scene of 3 Body Problem shows an unusually sincere and optimistic Da Shi taking Jin and Saul to see a beautiful landscape, with swarms of cicadas buzzing around.

Recalling how the Santi referred to humans as "bugs", Da Shi points out how bugs have actually thrived among humanity, pouring out a drink and toasting: "For the bugs."

Of course, humanity's problems are far from over, with the Santi threat looming and no plan having yet surfaced - but the final scene sets the stage for the next steps.

Chatting to RadioTimes.com, Wong, who plays Da Shi, said of this final scene: "They've assigned him to Jovan Adepo's character and he's got to gee up these scientists, and has literally got to get them back on track. They are coming and there's nothing we can do. There seems to be a bit of a Henry V rousing speech he makes to them, and then it's like, 'Yeah, let's get back to work.'"

So, what could happen from here? It seems Saul might have to embrace his role as a Wallfacer, seeing as no-one believes or accepts that he refuses the position.

He'll presumably become more isolated than almost anyone else on Earth as he attempts to come up with a plan to save humanity - without telling anyone else his thoughts.

Elsewhere, we're expecting find out if Wade's hibernation technology has any chance of working, and what the future of humanity will hold.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Jin actress Jess Hong admitted: "There's some dark s**t ahead!" which we reckon pretty much sums it up.

3 Body Problem is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.