The Last Empress ending explained: Emperor Hyuk's final act of redemption and Sunny's shocking decision

SBS's mystery thriller K-drama, The Last Empress, premiered in 2018 and wrapped up in 2019. Set in an alternate universe, the series follows the story of Oh Sunny, played by Jang Na-ra, who gets married to Emperor Lee Hyuk. Her new life in the castle is far from luxurious as she gets entangled in finding out and solving the wrongdoings in the castle.

At the end, she does find out how Grand Empress Dowager died and also puts the people of the royal family behind bars for their crimes. She also helped in abolishing the dynasty, making the country democratic. However, in the end, she lost Hyuk after he was killed by his own mother, who thought he was Na Wang-sik.

Here's what happened at the end of The Last Empress.

The Last Empress ending explained: Emperor Hyuk disguises himself as Na Wang-sik

In the finale of The Last Empress, Hyuk does not reveal the truth about Wang-sik's death to Sunny, who wakes up after a week of the accident and tells her that the latter was the main culprit. After his mother, Empress Kang, asks him to take the blame for the accident on himself, he decides to don Wang-sik's identity due to the guilt he is feeling.

He covers his face with bandages and visits the Island to expose his mother's activities. Kang is told that Wang-sik was still alive and on the Island. She herself goes to trap him and kill him. After she asks her men to set fire to the lab and destroy everything to not get caught, Hyuk jumps in to save the prisoners and is trapped by Kang and her men.

His attempt to escape fails, and his own mother, thinking that he was wang-sik, shoots him, before Sunny could reach and stop it.

The Last Empress ending explained: Sunny brings justice

At the end of The Last Empress, Emperor Hyuk redeems himself by trying to expose his mother and even asks forgiveness from Sunny for all the pain he has caused in her life, before dying. Furthermore, Sunny, with the help of Yoo-ra, records everything Mr. Pyu says about the crimes of Empress Kang. However, the plan still harms them as Yoo-ra gets hit by a brick by Pyo before his death, due to which she loses her memory in the end.

Later, when the police and press arrive, they also hear all the details about the crimes committed by Empress Kang and Seo Kang-hee as they bicker in the room. They both, including Kang's men, are arrested at the end. Furthermore, Sunny, in a press conference, reveals that Grand Empress Dowager had actually committed s*icide after learning about the Empress and Emperor planning to kill her.

With the people's outrage, Sunny, at the end, decides to abolish the Imperial system, making the country a democracy and going back to living her normal life and work in her father's restaurant.

Keep reading Soap Central for more such stories.

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