Movies - TV
Breaking Down The Ending Of Blade Runner 2049
By JOSHUA MEYER
One of the most interesting things about Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049" is its subversive ending, which upends protagonist K's perception of himself.
K believes himself to be Rick Deckard's son and the first-ever child born of a replicant — Rachael from the original "Blade Runner." K finds Deckard in the ruins of Las Vegas.
Deckard explains that he abandoned his child with Rachael at an orphanage because they were being hunted. K had childhood flashbacks earlier when he investigated the orphanage.
In the flashback, K hid a wooden horse in a furnace. Years later, he finds the toy in the same furnace, leading him to believe he's more than a replicant — he's the chosen one.
However, this turns out to be false, as K learns that Rachael's child was a girl. He then realizes that Ana, a doctor and memory designer for replicants, is Deckard's child.
Ana illegally implanted her own real memories in K. While he's disappointed with the truth, K rescues Deckard from replicant enforcer Luv, killing her in the process.
Since it looks like Deckard has perished in the crash, it's safe for K to take him to see his daughter. Outside Ana's lab, K lies down on the snowy steps, succumbing to his wounds.
K's end is ultimately a sad yet noble one. While he wasn't the messianic replicant child he believed he was earlier in the film, K was still able to be a hero by the story's end.