Hellbound Ending Explained, Summary and Theory
by A Maria
Updated Mar 03, 2023
Hellbound
The debut episode of "Hellbound" premiered at the "Primetime program of TV series" during the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9th, 2021. This South Korean dark fantasy series, which is based on the webtoon of the same name created by Yeon Sang-ho, marked the first Korean drama to be showcased at the festival. The show is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix and is set in the fictional future year of 2022. The plot revolves around the sudden appearance of supernatural beings who condemn individuals to Hell. The main cast includes Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Jeong-min, Won Jin-ah, and Yang Ik-june.
Hellbound Ending Explained
During an interview with The Korea Times, Yeon Sang-ho, the creator of "Hellbound", shared the underlying message behind the show's first season finale. Yeon is well-known for incorporating insightful commentaries and allegories into his films, and "Hellbound" is no exception. The series touches on corruption and cult-like groups in South Korea, and according to Yeon, the themes explored in the show can resonate with viewers worldwide. The overarching message of the series is to encourage viewers to question their humanity and contemplate "what it means to be human".
The first season of "Hellbound" ended on a cliffhanger, leaving many viewers with unanswered questions about the demons' origins and Park's resurrection. Yeon believes that if he were to reveal the answers to these mysteries, the series would no longer be classified under the cosmic horror genre. Instead, the show's premise is to use metaphysical beings to highlight human beings' weaknesses and lead the audience and characters to question their philosophical views of life. The series exposes the tendency of people to make assumptions when faced with the unknown, as seen through the New Truth society and the Arrowhead group, who control the "truth" of these supernatural events.
Yeon expressed his satisfaction with working with Netflix, which provided him with more creative freedom than other agencies. He plans to continue working on the webtoon series with Choi before deciding on whether to create a second season of "Hellbound". He hopes that the continuation of his series will provide more insight into the underlying message behind "Hellbound" and shed more light on Park's experience in hell, answering the lingering questions left by the first season.
Hellbound Ending Theory
The story of Hellbound can be split into two acts, each resembling a mini-season within the larger narrative. The first act shows the rise of the New Truth and its leader, Jung Jin-su, as the number of Godsent deaths increases. The Arrowhead, the New Truth's unofficial paramilitary branch, commits crimes that divide public opinion. In the second act, the punishment of Park Jung-ja on live television transforms the world. The New Truth becomes a powerful religion that controls the population and the police, and the Arrowhead moves freely around Seoul. Dissidents exist, but most people accept that the hellbound are sinners deserving of punishment.
However, the unexpected sentencing of Song So-hyun and Bae Young-jae's newborn baby, Toughie, calls this version of events into question. So-hyun records the sentencing of her innocent baby, and Professor Gong explains that the New Truth does not believe in original sin. According to their doctrine, people only become sinners when they commit avoidable sins. Changing the rules for Toughie's case would be too confusing for their followers, according to Professor Gong and a New Truth deacon.
Toughie's fate lends weight to a theory that emerged when Jin-su received his punishment in Episode 3: the executions may have nothing to do with the sins of the hellbound. While Jin-su may have committed sins earlier in life, Toughie has done nothing except be born. It is possible that God has a plan, or that Toughie's parents' sacrifice has a divine meaning, but so far, the New Truth seems to have no idea what they are talking about.
Hellbound Summary
Hellbound is set in South Korea between 2022 and 2027. The series revolves around the appearance of an otherworldly figure known as an angel, who delivers prophecies called decrees that condemn individuals to Hell at a specific time in the future. Within moments or years of the decrees being issued, three massive supernatural creatures appear to kill and incinerate the person's body in a dramatic display of power called a demonstration. The New Truth Society, a cult-like organisation, and the Arrowhead group, a gang-like organisation, manipulate people's fears and gain power as a result.
The first three episodes of the six-episode series follow a detective investigating supernatural events, the chairman of the New Truth religious order, and an attorney with principles. In episodes 4-6, set five years later, the focus shifts to a television producer and his wife as they come to terms with the fact that their newborn baby has been condemned to Hell.
About Hellbound
Specifications
Details
Literal meaning
Hell
Genre
Created by
Netflix
Based on
Hellbound
by Yeon Sang-ho
Written by
Choi Gyu-seok
Directed by
Yeon Sang-ho
Starring
Music by
Score:
Kim Dong-wook
Country of origin
South Korea
Original language
Korean
No. of seasons
1
No. of episodes
6
Executive producer
Byun Seung-min
Producer
Kim Yeon-ho
Cinematography
Byun Bong-sun
Editors
Camera setup
Single camera
Production company
Climax Studio
Distributor
Netflix
Original network
Netflix
Original release
November 19, 2021
Hellbound ending explained - FAQs
"Hellbound" is a South Korean dark fantasy series based on the webtoon of the same name by Yeon Sang-ho. The plot revolves around the sudden appearance of supernatural beings who condemn individuals to Hell.
The debut episode of "Hellbound" premiered at the "Primetime program of TV series" during the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9th, 2021.
Yes, "Hellbound" is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.
The main cast of "Hellbound" includes Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Jeong-min, Won Jin-ah, and Yang Ik-june.
"Hellbound" is set in the fictional future year of 2022.