It’s Been 30 Years And The Xena Finale Still Hurts
Vengeance never tasted so bitter.
They say parting is such sweet sorrow, but when it comes to our beloved TV series, oftentimes it's more bitter than sweet. Showrunners face an insurmountable task when crafting a finale. There’s the creative urge to take big swings, try new stuff, take advantage of this final opportunity to explore something they always wanted. But they have a duty to the fans as well. People who developed strong attachment to the characters and their journey have their own, often loud, opinions about the right way to end things. Twenty-five years ago, the fans of Xena: Warrior Princess got their finale, and many still haven’t gotten over it.
When Xena: Warrior Princess ended in 2001 with the two-part finale “A Friend in Need,” it delivered one of the most divisive conclusions in television history. While some viewers appreciated its tragic themes and visual ambition, the dark themes, new characters, and an odd shift in setting delivered a deeply unsatisfying ending to a beloved six-season journey.
The finale takes Xena and Gabrielle to Japan, where Xena confronts a dark chapter from her past. The story reveals that years earlier Xena had inadvertently caused 40,000 people to perish during a devastating fire. By Season 6 of the show many viewers had either forgotten, or were completely unaware, of Xena’s origins as a villain on Hercules. She’d come a long way as a character, and one thing fans agree the finale did right was give credit for this shift to her companion, Gabrielle. The bond (and queer-coded romantic tension) between the two became the driving force of the series and, unsurprisingly, provides some lift to an otherwise bleak storyline.
Other than Gabrielle, however, the finale revolves around new characters. Xena arrives in Japan at the behest of Akemi, a dear, old friend of Xena’s whom no one had ever heard of or seen until now. She asks Xena for help in defeating Yodoshi, a powerful and malevolent warrior spirit who captures and torments wayward souls. Akemi explains that if Xena can defeat him it will free the 40,000 innocent souls slain by Xena’s accidental arson.
What follows is one of the most violent storylines in the series. Xena takes on an army of warriors single-handedly, and the beginning of the second episode in the two-part finale sees her slashing her way through a forest while getting absolutely porcupined by arrows. Despite her heroic efforts she succumbs to her wounds, losing the fight and ultimately her life. Xena’s been dead before, but this time it’s different. This time she has Yodoshi to contend with.
The two-part finale brings Xena to Japan.
When she arrives in this newfangled Japanese afterlife, complete with bathhouses and geisha, Yodoshi beats her relentlessly with a flaming whip. Akemi informs her she must find a way to drink from the Fountain of Strength on Mt. Fuji if she wants to defeat him and free everyone forever. Meanwhile, Gabrielle is searching for a way to bring Xena back to life. She learns she must cremate Xena’s remains and bring them to Mt. Fuji for a special ceremony by the next day’s sunset. The clock starts ticking. Gabrielle’s quest is shockingly dark. She travels to the enemy village, slaughters the guards, then sees Xena’s arrow-riddled body trussed up in a public square. Some quick edits and clever camerawork hint at the fact that Xena’s been beheaded. Don’t worry, the subtlety stops there. Garbielle then screams “GIVE ME HER HEAD!” After defeating the samurai general in charge we’re treated to a shot of Xena’s severed head sitting on a table. Yikes.
Despite her headlessness, undead Xena is essentially still Xena for the whole episode. Her “ghost” is visible to everyone, and she’s ready to fight. Xena and Gabrielle confront Yodoshi at the Fountain of Strength. He manages to drink from the fountain and uses the surge in power to defeat Xena until Gabby drinks from the fountain then gives Xena a “kiss of life.” Yes, they finally kiss. Yes, there had been some technical kisses before, like the peck Xena gave Gabrielle at her wedding or the clever “Xena is trapped in Bruce Campbell’s body so when he kisses Gabrielle it's really Xena kissing Gabrielle” but those were both in Season 2. This kiss is literally and figuratively steamy (they’re on a snowy mountain) and gave fans the romantic payoff they wanted.
Unfortunately, things go downhill quickly. The epic final battle between Xena and Yodoshi shows the influence Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had back in the 2000s with lots of treetop tiptoeing and mid-air grappling. As far as series villains go, Yodoshi is one of the most forgettable. His overdone kabuki makeup and limited dialogue make him more of a glorified special effect than memorable character, especially when put against the likes of Callisto, Ares, and Karl Urban’s portrayal of Julius Caesar.
At least the finale gave us the Xena-Gabby kiss fans always wanted.
Xena ultimately defeats Yodoshi but stops Gabrielle from spreading her ashes and resurrecting her. She explains there was a twist in the deal that Akemi never told her, or the audience for that matter. Xena has to stay dead because the souls require “vengeance” to be free. So instead they sit and watch the sunset go down together as Xena fades from reality.
Many viewers felt betrayed by the decision to off Xena permanently. Even decades later, discussions among fans frequently describe the finale as one of television’s most disappointing endings. Many viewers objected not simply to Xena’s demise but to how it occurred: at the hands of unfamiliar enemies in a storyline introduced at the last moment. Others argued that the finale ignored years of character development by suggesting that redemption could only be achieved by giving one’s life. And it broke the hearts of everyone who expected to see Gabrielle and Xena ride off together, ultimately severing one of the most iconic relationships in television history.
