Human Vapor Ending Explained: Unpacking the Final Twist and How Kyoko is Connected to Everything

Human Vapor Ending Explained: Netflix sci-fi series closes with a tragic finale that shifts focus away from the supernatural premise to a deeply human one that reminds people how helpless we are when it comes to government conspiracies. As we delve into the monster, light slowly falls on who created him in the first place as the Human Vapor becomes the least of everyone’s worries. Thus, the revenge story slowly turns into a commentary on exploitation, political corruption and countless invisible workers who keep countries functioning but are taken advantage of and forgotten every day.

By the end of the series, we are left with a bittersweet feeling that hurts our hearts, with a version of Ellie My Love reminding us of the sweet memories that are left behind.

The series has 8 episodes, with a runtime of 50 minutes each, and is based on the 1960 tokusatsu film The Human Vapor by Ishirō Honda and Takeshi Kimura.

Human Vapor Ending Explained

Why Did Ren Become Human Vapor?

The story goes back years, to a time when a meteor crashed in Kyoto, and the government decided to keep it all under wraps to not put negative attention on the press. As a result, the government decided to take people from a social welfare organisation called White Center to work at the meteor site. However, due to how dangerous the meteor was, people kept dying. The government refused to let any news leak to the press and used these poor victims to its advantage, people whom no one will look for.

Ren, who was also living in White Center at the time, was invited to work at the meteor site and was attacked by the meteor’s supernatural powers, turning him into this entity.

Who are Mufu and Kai?

After Inspector General Sakamoto’s murder at Yoshida’s hand, Kyoko learns from him that Mufu was a band that Sakamoto started in college with Governor Miura and Otomo. Mufu, till then only known as a corrupt organisation, was used to recruit people to the White Center and abused regularly, were the ones who created all this mess in the first place and the last piece of the puzzle, Kai, is none other than the governor! These high-standing people of society, respected by so many people, were actually exploiting vulnerable people for their own benefit, calling them human fuel – people who are meant to keep everything running quietly and fill these people’s pockets as well.

The most surprising twist comes with Miura’s discovery, as he’s a public person presenting as a respected leader. But, behind the mask, he’s nothing other than a corrupt individual who doesn’t think twice before murdering human beings.

How did the Human Vapor Operate?

The Human Vapor operated via wishes. When dormant, he exists as a statue, but once he listens to “Ellie My Love,” he comes alive and asks the person in front of him for their wish. He fulfils any wish, which people take advantage of. Kyoko, who turns out to be the person closest to Ren, had been controlling him for much of the runtime, directing him to murder those who caused him to turn this way. However, after her secret is revealed to outsiders, his powers start to be abused by Fujita and then Miura.

Why does Miura Control the Human Vapor?

Miura uses Human Vapor to his benefit, making him attack his own people and kill his party members to get sympathy from voters. He instructs him to attack him, but not kill him. He had realised early on that if he is attacked, he instantly becomes favourable to the audience as a symbol of stability and hope, and thus he uses the entity not just to kill Fujita and Kaho, but to cause mayhem among his own staff.

Is the Human Vapor Defeated in the End?

As the series comes to a close, Kyoko does one last favour to Kenji and decides to handle Ren on her own. Knowing that he can’t be defeated, she makes sure that his last target will be her and, taking advantage of the situation, she locks him and herself inside a vault, hoping to end the saga then and there. Inside, when Ren attacks her, he remembers their interactions, including this one incident when she asked him to be her father. It’s an emotional situation that leaves everyone overwhelmed and, in the end, Ren vanishes into thin air with Kyoko, right in front of Kenji.

Does Everyone Associated with Mufu Face Justice?

Everyone associated with Mufu eventually does face justice – Sakamoto is murdered by Yoshida as he was going to confess everything that happened in White Center, Yoshida is killed in a freak accident after he tried to kill Kenji; Miura almost commits suicide, but Kenji stops him and eventually arrests him and Otomo was killed previously by the Human Vapor.

What Does the Final Scene Mean?

The final scene showcases a heartbroken Kenji, one year after the Human Vapor incident, listening to “Ellie, My Love” alone at his home. He looks heartbroken and morose, but just then, something similar to the Human Vapor starts to appear behind him, looking just like how Ren used to look.

He suddenly realises what’s happening, and although we don’t see anything else, it’s quite clear that Kyoko might be back after hearing the song, pulled back by her connection to Kenji. She truly did love him and even wore the engagement ring that he had bought for her before she disappeared. Of course, we don’t know whether this is Kyoko or Ren, but considering Kenji is the one who is present, it might just be Kyoko pulled back by their shared connection.

On a thematic level, Human Vapor represents the exploitation and corruption that hundreds of vulnerable people went through because the government refused to protect them. In fact, it was the government that turned them out to be nothing and willingly abused them to look good in the media. It represents a society willing to discard people it considered expendable, people whose lives never mattered.

In the end, there is no straightforward answer in Human Vapor. It’s a heartbreaking story about exploitation and the love that two people share despite circumstances that keep them apart. Kyoko’s sacrifice is the emotional heart of the story, proving that compassion succeeds where violence eventually fails. It’s important to remember that monsters are rarely born; they are mostly made by those above them.

The series is streaming right now on Netflix. What did you think of Human Vapor’s ending? Let us know in the comments below!

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