Season 3 of 'The Umbrella Academy'- Explained Ending

Have you finished watching Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix?

It was time to save the world again, but this time the approach, and stakes ,were a little different. The Hargreeves siblings appear to have succeeded in preventing the total collapse of the universe. But what about the outcomes? They’re understandably difficult.

After the Hargreeves battle the rival Sparrow Academy, a universe-destroying black hole, and vicious warriors known as the Guardians, this is where things stand. Did they successfully reset the universe, or did they merely make matters worse? Let’s get into the nitty gritty.

What exactly is a Kugelblitz?

The full explanation of this season’s equivalent of a big bad can be found in Episode 5. (not counting the initial antagonism from the Sparrow Academy and the trio of Guardians at the end). In a nutshell, the Kugelblitz, which appears as an orange ball of energy, randomly collapses matter across time and space until all existence becomes black. This black hole is the universe’s reaction to Harlan, Sissy’s superpowered son, who created the Grandfather Paradox.

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Viktor met Sissy in Dallas, 1963, and the two fell in love. Viktor accidentally gave Harlan some of his powers while saving him from drowning. Viktor thought he’d saved Harlan from exploding by absorbing his powers in the season 2 finale, but an altered Harlan kept them for the rest of his life.

Sissy died of cancer on October 1, 1989, the same day the Hargreeves siblings were all born inexplicably. Harlan’s grief linked him to Viktor, whom he wished would return to them. This connection prompted Harlan to unleash an energy burst that was directed at Viktor’s closest associate at the time: his mother. Harlan, along with the mothers of the other Hargreeves siblings, accidentally killed her. This resulted in a Grandfather Paradox: the siblings were never born in this alternate timeline. They arrive in an altered 2019, where their pasts have been erased and the Sparrow Academy is the main superhero show in town, after jumping forward in time from the 1960s.

Luther and Klaus are sacrificed-

Father Reginald, I’m sorry. You appeared to have changed your ways (thanks to Pogo of the Sparrow Academy secretly drugging you to become more docile), but nope! Klaus hoped that the Hargreeves’ (and Sparrows’) adoptive father would treat the siblings with more love and care. In season 2, he literally revealed a new layer- A lizard-like blue alien lurks beneath the austere exterior.

This alien has a razor-sharp arm, which he uses to stab Luther to death in the penultimate episode of season 3. This is a strategy he’s used in the past to bring the siblings together. Then, as the Kugelblitz descends on Hotel Obsidian (later revealed to be Hotel Oblivion), he sacrifices Klaus, closing the door behind him while the remaining seven siblings flee. So much for changing his ways: Reginald is only concerned with the correct number of siblings he needs to reset the universe.

Thankfully, after some persuasion, Klaus returns from the afterlife to save the siblings from the Guardians, briefly summoning Luther at the ideal save-the-day moment.

Lila is pregnant- for real this time

When Lila leaves Stanley on Diego’s doorstep, we see Diego mature and eventually accept responsibility for his newfound son. Only later does Lila reveal that Stanley is not his son, but rather her friend Trudy’s (unfortunately, Stan ends up Kugelblitzed). She “borrowed” him to see if Diego was up for the job of caring for his real son. Yes, Lila is currently pregnant with Diego’s unborn son, whom they can only save if they defeat the Guardians and reset the universe.

Allison goes rogue for once

Allison’s arc this season saw her lose patience with always being the nice one, especially after experiencing racial discrimination during the 1960s American civil rights movement. She discovers her daughter Claire no longer exists in the altered present after losing her husband Raymond Chestnut in the past. She leans into the full extent of her powers, discovering (with the help of Harlan’s residual energy) that she can influence people without having to say, “I heard a rumor…”

She goes even further out of character by agreeing with Reginald to do whatever it takes to bring Claire (and possibly Raymond) back. This primarily entails persuading the other siblings to fight the dangerous Guardians and reset the universe.

The seven bells to reset the universe

To save the world this time, all one of the siblings needs to do is press a literal reset button. Seven stars can be seen across the floor of Hotel Obsidian, which was later revealed to be Hotel Oblivion, a massive machine built by whoever created the universe in the first place. Aside from Allison, the remaining seven siblings stand on these “bells” to form a sigil that uses the particles within their bodies as fuel. Meanwhile, Reginald appears to alter the machine’s settings, which could explain why the universe does not return to its normal state. Allison kills Reginald to prevent the siblings from being drained to death, then decides to press the big red reset button anyway.

What the hell happened to everyone?

With the universe back to “normal,” Allison gets exactly what she wanted: Claire and, inexplicably, Raymond. Is he just a figment of her imagination? She interacted with him while under high stress before. Or has he actually traveled to 2019 from 1963?

Luther reappears, but he’s not the same; he’s no longer half-ape. None of the siblings’ powers have returned. One thing remains constant: Ben is still the Sparrows’ asshole. Luther desperately flees to find his love Sloane, who may still exist somewhere in the reset world, but not as a member of the Sparrow Academy. The remaining siblings all go their separate ways.

That midcredits scene

Season 3 isn’t done with future hints; in a midcredits scene, we travel to South Korea, the camera snaking through a train until a familiar face appears. Yet another Ben! This one is dressed sharply and is reading a book as he travels to Yeouido Station in Seoul. So there are two Bens in this reset universe.

What’s in store for season 4?

Season 4 has yet to be officially greenlit by Netflix, but creator and showrunner Steve Blackman has some ideas for what could happen next. Unfortunately, it appears that season 4 will be the final.

“I think if we get a season 4, it’ll inevitably lead to an endgame,” Blackman told TheWrap. “I’m not sure where we’d go after season four at this point. We must exercise caution. My plan for next year is to not keep treading on the same ground we’ve been on before. It’s difficult to think of a new way to subvert this storyline, but I believe we have an idea.”

“However, I believe that if we made it to season 4, it would be a fitting end to the show’s run. I’m not saying I couldn’t do more, but I think four seasons would be very satisfying for the audience.”

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