Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ follows the story of a wooden puppet who is brought to life by a magical spirit. Because he is not a conventional human, it takes some time for people to process the fact that he is made of wood and can talk and eat and live like any other living thing. What bothers people more is Pinocchio’s curiosity and his penchant for breaking the rules. It becomes very clear very quickly that he has a mind of his own and doesn’t bow down to anyone. While he feels more and more human as time passes, it still doesn’t change the fact that he is not made of flesh and blood. What does this mean about his life span? If you are wondering whether or not Pinocchio dies at the end, we’ve got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD!
What Happens to Pinocchio in the End?
Due to the magical nature of his origins, death is not the same for Pinocchio as it is for normal human beings. Because he is made of wood and experiences some very dangerous situations, he does have quite a few encounters with death. By the end, however, he comes out of all of this alive and well.
Pinocchio first dies when he is hit by a car. He ends up in the Underworld where he meets the mysterious rabbits and an even more mysterious spirit, which is Death. She tells him that it was her sister who brought Pinocchio to life, even though she was never supposed to. Because of this, he might be alive, but he is cursed to never die. His spirit does leave his body for a while, but eventually, it goes back and he can resume his life as if he never died. An added condition is that the more he dies, the more time it will take for his spirit to go back to his body.
Pinocchio soon gets accustomed to this arrangement and meets Death like an old friend. But when Geppetto’s life is endangered, he asks Death to break that rule. This is after he, Geppetto, Sebastian, and Spazzatura escape from the mouth of the sea beast. Pinocchio knows that Geppetto is going to drown if someone doesn’t help him. He is unable to help his father because he himself is dead and is caught in the Underworld. He also knows that it will take longer for him to go back this time, but he can’t afford to wait that long. By the time he goes back, Geppetto will have died, and unlike Pinocchio, the old man doesn’t have the option of getting resurrected every single time.
Because going back before his time would mean breaking the rule, Death warns Pinocchio that this act will turn him mortal and this time, he will die. Pinocchio, however, is more concerned about his father. He breaks the hourglass and finds himself back at sea. He saves Geppetto and gets him to safety, but he himself dies in the process. This would have been the end of Pinocchio, but the spirit who first gave him life comes back. At first, she doesn’t help Pinocchio, stating that this is how it was supposed to be. But then, Sebastian, whom she had promised one wish, asks to bring the boy back to life.
Once again, the spirit works her magic, and Pinocchio is brought back to life, and once again, he is not mortal anymore. With everyone safe and sound, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Sebastian, and Spazzatura go back home. Here, they spend the rest of their days together. Because three of them are still mortal, they die one by one, while Pinocchio remains just as he was the first day he came to life. In the end, with all three of his family and friends dead, Pinocchio ventures out into the world on his own.
Considering that Pinocchio never gets old and can’t really die, one wonders if he will stay like this till the end of time. Will Pinocchio travel the entire world, die from time to time, and be resurrected just like he used to? Perhaps. Since the spirit uses the same spell that she used the first time to resurrect Pinocchio, it looks like conventional death is not on the table for him just yet. This gives him enough time to wander the earth and explore everything. He had always been a curious mind, and it is with this curiosity and sense of adventure that he ventures into the world.
With all the danger that’s out there, especially for a boy like him, it looks like not dying easily might come in handy. But does that mean that he will keep repeating the same cycle for the rest of his days? Most likely not. The last time Pinocchio died was for his father. He loved Geppetto so much that he didn’t care about his own life. While he has lost his father now, it doesn’t mean that Pinocchio will never love anyone again. For someone as compassionate as him, it is likely that he will eventually find someone worth giving over his immortality for. It is also clear that the decision is in his hands. Whenever he feels like he is ready to move on, he can break Death’s hourglass and come back as a mortal, embracing death one last time.
Read More: Does Pinocchio Turn Into a Human Boy in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio?
