The Nun II Ending Explained
Contains spoilers for "The Nun II"
The Conjuring Universe returns to deliver its supposed "darkest chapter yet" with "The Nun II." The film sees Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) once again face off against the demonic nun known as Valak (Bonnie Aarons) after their initial encounter left Irene traumatized. Although it's been years since Irene stopped Valak, she's still haunted by the lasting horrors of Valak's power. However, she learns that Valak is still causing devastation and death across France through her possession of Irene's old friend Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet). Now, Irene must act alongside her new friend Sister Debra (Storm Reid) to stop Valak from causing more harm, after she finds that Frenchie has taken a position at an all-girls school.
"The Nun II" brings fans back into The Conjuring Universe for another scary thrill ride with Valak, and she holds nothing back in delivering nightmarish visuals and jolting jump scares at every turn. Additionally, there are other demons who appear to pit Irene and others in terrifying fights for survival. "The Nun II" also delivers more story tidbits for the wider universe by further fleshing out Valak's story and motivations, as well as hinting at an interesting future that could connect to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren from the original "Conjuring" films. Let's delve into everything that happens in the film's tense finale and talk about how "The Nun II" links to the wider Conjuring Universe.
What you need to remember about the plot
Before we jump into the chaos of the film's finale, let's recap some of the important details of the film. As Irene and Debra investigate the inexplicable devastation that Valak has caused, they come to realize what she's after. While possessing Frenchie, Valak has been searching for a powerful religious artifact known as the eyes of Saint Lucy — the patron saint of the blind. Along the way, Valak has been brutally killing different descendants of Lucy so that no one can stop her from gaining an incredible power once she finds the eyes. Eventually, Irene and Debra track down Frenchie, who has been acting as a handyman for an all-girls school where he's gotten close to a young teacher named Kate (Anna Popplewell) and her daughter Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey).
When they arrive, Valak has already started to take full control of Frenchie and even caused the arrival of another demon — who is supposedly the devil in his infernal goat form. In all the chaos of people being chased by demons and Frenchie tossing people around while being possessed by Valak, Irene ends up finding the eyes of Saint Lucy in the school's chapel. Unfortunately, Frenchie storms in and nearly rips the eyes right out of Irene's hands. Thankfully, Sophie is able to grab the eyes and run toward a bell tower — where she ends up being chased by a possessed Frenchie.
What happened at the end of the movie?
After an unnerving cat-and-mouse game between Sophie and Frenchie causes the bell tower to fall apart, Irene and Debra rush in to try and save Sophie. While no one is hurt during the tower's collapse, Frenchie is still in hot pursuit of Sophie, and Irene is forced to make a tough choice. She uses the power of the eyes to freeze Frenchie and start to weaken him, but this action could cause Frenchie to die. At first, this seems to be the case as Frenchie lies dead on the ground, but then he reawakens to steal the eyes from Irene's hands — which gives Valak the power that she's been craving. With this power, Valak not only gains some seriously creepy yellow eyes, but also a massive height advantage as she grows in size to tower over everyone.
With all hope seemingly lost as Valak has now gained a dangerous power that's tough to withstand, Irene and Debra notice that the floor is covered in wine — which reminds Irene about the power of faith. In a conversation between Irene and Debra earlier on a train, Debra tells Irene that she has her doubts about the stories told in the church and questions what really makes communion wine the blood of Christ. Irene says that it's faith that makes people believe and they use that sense of faith to empower the wine and defeat Valak by dousing her in it.
What are the fates of the characters?
Once Valak is defeated and her dark presence over the school has lifted, Irene is left in a different state this time around. In the middle of the final fight with Valak, Irene remembers a time with her mother and ultimately connects it to what she's learned about the descendants of Saint Lucy, coming to the conclusion that she's likely one of Lucy's descendants. It's something that ultimately gives her the power to defeat Valak and makes her realize that she's destined to fight against and hopefully defeat Valak once and for all. But despite this realization and newfound purpose in this fight, Irene is feeling far from gleeful.
She still knows that Frenchie is susceptible to Valak's power and doesn't fully believe that he's totally shaken Valak's control over him. Even with his tomatoes finally growing and the dark aura around the school being diminished, Irene can feel that there is still a haunting presence around him. While Frenchie walks away with Kate and Sophie to likely start a better life together, Irene knows that it won't be long until Valak gains control over him again. It's a far more daunting and harsh ending than Irene's first battle against the demonic nun.
What happened in the film's mid-credits scene
"The Nun II" doesn't just stop when the credits start rolling since — like the first film — it features a connection to beloved franchise protagonists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren. After a few credits that feature some creepy imagery and photographs in the background, fans are treated to a mid-credits scene that starts with the sound of a ringing phone. We then cut to the inside of a comfy-looking home as both Ed and Lorraine come to answer the phone.
They answer it and it seems like the person on the other end is asking for their help. It's unlike the Warrens to simply refuse a request for help, so they obviously seem like they're ready to head somewhere new. Now the question is: Where are they going? Is this mid-credits scene simply a tease for the upcoming fourth "Conjuring" film? Is it clearly connected to the events of "The Nun II" — meaning that the Warrens could be facing off against Valak next? The answer is unclear for now, but the possibilities are very exciting for fans and the future of this franchise.
What does the end of the movie mean?
While "The Nun II" could simply be seen as a filler story for Valak that sets the stage for a bigger conflict with franchise favorites, it does shed some interesting new light on the demonic nun's intentions and power. Although Valak hasn't really seemed like a force with any motivations or intentions aside from tormenting anyone who stands before her, this film shows the type of plans she can concoct. She takes over Frenchie to not only become a dark plague across France, but to also take out the descendants of Saint Lucy so that she isn't thwarted in her efforts to find Saint Lucy's eyes. The idea of Valak searching for powerful religious artifacts might even make some likely to think that she wants to destroy them, but instead we learn that she wants to use the power for herself.
Valak clearly has bigger plans for herself, and the way she's depicted in "The Nun II" perhaps hints at a developing storyline for the antagonist that could play out in a future movie. It doesn't seem like Valak is completely defeated by the end of the film and there's potential for her to be a major part of the next "Conjuring" entry. "The Nun II" isn't just a simple return for Valak: it gives her intriguing motivations and planning capabilities that could impact the character's future in The Conjuring Universe.
Another possible explanation
One of the big overarching themes that fuels debate between Irene and Debra as they go off on this adventure together is whether faith is strong enough to make miracles happen. When Debra tells Irene why she decides to join her, she mentions that she desperately wants to see real-life miracles — which the Church believes Irene performed when she first defeated Valak. After her mother died, Debra started to lose her faith, question the Biblical stories, and doubt that the miracles that Jesus performed were true. She even asks Irene why people believe that the wine they drink at mass is really the "blood of Christ"– which leads Irene to say that it's their faith that makes them believe.
This conversation comes back in the film's finale, when Irene uses the wine she and Debra see on the ground to defeat Valak. Irene — remembering the conversation she and Debra had on the train — decides to show Debra how powerful faith can be by having them call on the power of God to empower the wine and defeat the evil in front of them. Given that it works, the film highlights how a strong sense of faith can empower people to go beyond themselves and do things they often would think are impossible. Their strong belief allows them to tap into a power they generally wouldn't see, and it's what lets Irene and Debra defeat a monumental evil that seems impossible to crush.
Familial connections
It's worth delving into the connection that's made between Irene and Saint Lucy in the final moments of the film, since it frankly might seem a little forced and unclear at the time. As Valak's power grows and she wreaks havoc, Irene starts to recall a memory she has of her mother, and their conversation about Irene having her eyes starts to make her connect some dots. Although the film never directly says it, it's alluded that Irene is another descendent of Saint Lucy. While it feels a little too good to be true, there are small clues throughout the film that do point to this conclusion.
For instance, during Irene's vision of Lucy losing her eyes, it can be seen that Lucy actually looks like Irene a bit — perhaps a small hint about their familial connection. There are also some thematic connections between Lucy and Irene: A key part of Lucy's story in Christianity is that she would often deliver food to those in need in the dark — wearing a crown of candles or carrying a lantern while she made deliveries in the middle of the night. That idea of being a beacon of light in the darkness is undoubtedly true for Irene as well, in that she's tasked with keeping the light of the Church alive in places that have been darkened and corrupted by Valak's presence and power. So Irene's connections to Saint Lucy do make a little more sense with more thought.
What the ending could mean for the franchise
Now for the biggest question coming out of "The Nun II": when are we going to see Valak again? Currently, there has been no announcement made about another "Nun" movie going into development, but the ending makes it pretty clear where the story is heading. Based on the mid-credits scene, it seems like the Warrens are about to get involved — which makes sense. It's worth remembering that the first film, "The Nun," featured a scene that saw the Warrens performing an exorcism on Frenchie, which leads to Lorraine being connected with Valak. So it does makes sense that the Warrens would finally become involved, but that doesn't mean that this will necessarily lead into the next "Conjuring" film.
Remember, the Warrens don't solely appear in films with "The Conjuring" in the title. The third "Annabelle" film — "Annabelle Comes Home" — was largely focused on the Warren family facing off against the titular haunted doll. There's nothing that says the Warrens can't be involved in a potential "The Nun III" rather than just another "Conjuring" movie. There's no doubt that Valak is returning at some point, and it could be for another "Nun" movie to cap off the trilogy.
What does the ending mean for the Conjuring Universe?
If a third "Nun" movie isn't announced at some point, then it could easily be assumed that the events of "The Nun II" will play into the upcoming fourth "Conjuring" film. With the Warrens showing up at the end of both "Nun" movies, the franchise is clearly gearing up for the Warrens and Valak to clash again — and it's not hard to see why. Frankly, it's been far too long that the Warrens and Valak have been kept apart — especially given their importance in the franchise — and having them come face to face in another "Conjuring" film would definitely please fans. Plus the idea of having sisters Taissa and Vera Farmiga onscreen together in this universe would get the fan base psyched for the next "Conjuring" film.
More importantly, with the next film currently titled "The Conjuring: Last Rites," that could hint toward Valak being involved in some sort of grand finale that ties the entire universe together — especially since we still don't know much about the plot. The inclusion of the Warrens in the mid-credits scene of "The Nun II" opens up so many possibilities for The Conjuring Universe and could have a huge impact on the next mainline "Conjuring" film.
Why future Nun or Conjuring movies could be delayed
Despite Warner Bros. having some ambitious plans for The Conjuring Universe, it doesn't matter what the studio has planned if the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes aren't resolved. As long as the strikes are ongoing, Warner Bros. won't be able to start development on "The Conjuring: Last Rites" or a potential "The Nun III" or make any announcements about the future of The Conjuring Universe. That means we could be waiting a while for a potential collaboration between the Farmiga sisters, which could excite fans but might also be stuck in development hell for quite some time.
The box office performance of "The Nun II" could change things as well, since if it doesn't perform well, the studio and producers could skip a third "Nun" film entirely and maybe just end this storyline with the next "Conjuring" film. Not to mention that Warner Bros. is currently in a legal battle with Bonnie Aarons, the actor who plays Valak, over fair compensation for the use of her image on merchandise, so they're facing obstacles on multiple fronts.
The end of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes seems nowhere in sight either, as tensions continue to rise between major studios like Warner Bros. and writers and actors looking for a fair deal. So the enticing potential future of The Conjuring Universe that's presented in "The Nun II" will likely stay at a standstill for quite a while.