Netflix’s Damsel Ending, Explained

To paraphrase the movie’s tagline, Netflix’s Damsel isn’t your typical fairytale. It has a noble marrying a prince, but after that, things go sideways, and protagonist Elodie finds herself sacrificed to a dragon. Does she live? How does the movie end? I’ve got you covered with Netflix’s Damsel ending explained. 

Netflix’s Damsel Ending, Explained

Does Elodie live? Yes, and so does the dragon, though there’s a fair amount of death involved in Damsel‘s ending. Noble Elodie, her father, stepmother, and sister go to the kingdom of Aurea so Elodie can marry Prince Henry, next in line to the throne. But after the wedding, during an odd, supposedly traditional ritual, he hurls her into a cavern in the mountains. 

She’s meant to be a sacrifice to the dragon that dwells in and around the cavern. Why? Because one of Aurea’s past kings was responsible for slaughtering the dragon’s three children, and ever since, they’ve been offering up sacrifices to appease it.

It looks like the queen and prince are going to get away with it, but Elodie outsmarts the dragon and escapes. Her father is killed attempting to rescue her, and the dragon kidnaps Elodie’s sister to lure her back. Knowing the true history of Aurea, Elodie tries to reason with the dragon (who, helpfully, speaks English).

She explains how they’ve both been conned and that, while the dragon thinks her and the previous brides/princesses are Aurean blood, it’s because there’s a wedding ritual where the prince and the bride cut themselves and mix their blood. The dragon isn’t convinced, but Elodie manages to beat the dragon, leaving her dying.

However, instead of finishing her off, she uses some glowing blue worm-like creatures, which healed her own injuries earlier, to heal the dragon, explaining that she’s through taking orders.

She returns to the Aurean palace to find Henry marrying another girl. Elodie warns her off and tells everyone else to flee as well. The queen, prince, and some courtiers stay, too proud and arrogant to flee, which is when the dragon arrives. And, as Elodie stands out of the way, the beast incinerates the queen, the prince, the few remaining loyal courtiers, and the palace.

Elodie’s relationship with her stepmother becomes less frosty, as she addresses her as just “mother.” Elodie, her sister, and her stepmother head back to their home with enough supplies to support their little kingdom, ready to rule it together. And as they sail back, the dragon flies alongside them.

Related: How Does Netflix’s The Gentlemen Series Connect to the Movie?

Damsel’s Dangling Questions

The ending of Damsel does leave a few things unanswered. Is the dragon going to live in Elodie’s kingdom, or will they part ways? A Damsel sequel has yet to be announced, but you can bet if there is one, the dragon will likely return. Also, what happens to Aurea? Again, the movie doesn’t address this, but you can assume that, with the royal family annihilated, one of two things will happen: either the people will discover the joys of democracy, or some other kingdom will see it as an opportunity to seize control. 

But that’s Netflix’s Damsel ending explained. The bad guys are punished, Elodie gets to go home and live well, and the dragon survives, having got her revenge against the Aurean royal family.

Damsel is streaming now on Netflix.