Tamal Kundu
As entertainment mediums, manga, anime, and associated industries have constantly challenged the notion of preposterous. This is arguably truer with nothing else than Netflix’s ‘Record of Ragnarok’ or ‘Shuumatsu no Walküre.’ Developed from a manga series of the same name written by Shinya Umemura and Takumi Fukui and illustrated by Ajichika, the action ONA (original net animation) revolves around a grand tournament in which gods and human champions take part to determine the fate of humanity.
The second season of the series was split into two parts, with the first one releasing in January 2023 and the second one in July 2023. ‘Record of Ragnarok’ season 2 part 2 almost exclusively depicts the fight between Buddha and Zerofuku, who is later replaced by Hajun or Papiyas, in the sixth round of the tournament. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Record of Ragnarok’ season 2 part 2. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Record of Ragnarok Season 2 Part 2 Recap
According to the lore of the manga and the anime, every 1,000 years, gods of different pantheons gather together at the Council of Valhalla to determine the fate of humanity. However, after seven million years, the gods finally agree to eradicate the humans because they have grown greedy and selfish. Brunhilde, the Valkyrie, protests against this. Reminding the gods of the article No. 62, paragraph 15 of the super special clause of the Valhalla Constitution, she convinces them to allow a tournament where human champions called the Einherjar will fight the gods in one-on-one bouts to save humanity. No matter who they are, humans cannot match the gods in strength, power, and endurance, so the Valkyries become divine weapons for the Einherjar through an act called Völundr.
When the season 2 part 2 begins, the score is 3-2 in the favor of the gods. Initially, almost everyone in the arena believes Buddha will fight against the humanity. But the moment he takes the field, he switches sides, surprising nearly everyone except Brunhilde, who has been hoping for this. Zeus reveals that Buddha’s opponent is Bishamonten, the Shinto God of Fortune in war and battles and one of the Seven Lucky Gods. However, Bishamonten fuses with the other Lucky Gods to become Zerofuku, their original form.
Record of Ragnarok Season 2 Part 2 Ending: Who Wins the Sixth Round?
As it is often the case with anime in general, we get flashbacks to the past of these combatants while they are fighting. We learn how Buddha became the world’s most powerful adolescent and why he seems to be having a temper tantrum against the gods. More importantly, we learn how he embraced the notion of finding happiness within oneself following the death of a brother figure in his life, Jataka. As for Zerofuku, he was once a young and kind-hearted god who took misfortune from the humans and inflicted himself with it until he discovered that humans had grown decadent and depraved, revealing their true nature. This was when he encountered Buddha, who told him that one can’t force happiness on others. Zerofuku was prepared to destroy humanity but split into seven parts instead. Since then, the Seven Lucky Gods have held a grudge against Buddha.
Buddha ultimately wins the round, but Zerofuku changes during the fight, becoming his older, cheerful self. Just when it seems that the sixth round is over, Zerofuku’s red horns, which had fallen off, seem to come alive and stab into Zerofuku’s head from either side. As almost everyone in the arena looks on with shock, two dragons appear and engulf Zerofuku with their bodies, creating a cocoon. A demonic entity emerges from within it and declares that he is Hajun or Papiyas, the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven. As always, ‘Record of Ragnarok’ mixes mythologies. Hades, the ruler of Helheim, arrives and explains that before he began ruling Helheim, Papiyas was the legendary berserker of the place.
Although Papiyas seems significantly more robust than Buddha, the latter continues fighting. Eventually, Buddha finds Zerofuku’s Misery Cleaver, and through it, his and Zerofuku’s souls merge to form a Völundr. This turns the cleaver into the Great Nirvana Sword: Zero. As Papiyas’ soul is made up of complete darkness, Buddha was unable to use his trump card against the Demon King — Eight Consciousness or the ability to see the future. But as the fight goes on, fear starts to take root in Papiyas’ soul, allowing Buddha to use Eight Consciousness again. Eventually, he deals a killing blow on Papiyas with a move called Blade of the Celestial Eye’s Awakening – Mahaparinirvana.
What is the Significance of the Post-Credits Scene? Who Will Be Hades’ Opponent in the 7th Round?
‘Record of Ragnarok’ season 2 part 2 has a post-credit scene, giving a glimpse of what is to come in the prospective season 3. Hades declares that he will fight for the gods in the next round, claiming that he wants to avenge his younger brother, Poseidon. When Brunhilde learns about this, she selects a king to go against the King of Helheim, and that’s Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin Dynasty. As he is the first emperor to create a unified China, he is regarded as “The King Where It All Began.” In the manga, he forms the Völundr bond with the 10th Valkyrie, Alvitr, who becomes his Almighty Spaulders that take the shape of shoulder plates and armor covering arms, hands, and fingers.
Meanwhile, Beelzebub, or the Lord of the Flies, destroys his notes on the creation of Papiyas. It was revealed earlier that he was the one who collected the remnants of Papiyas’ essence in Helheim, nurtured it, and turned it into a seed before planting it inside Zerofuku. The Papiyas subsequently became a pair of red horns.
Odin approaches him and orders him not to interfere in the Ragnarok again. In Norse mythology, Ragnarok or Ragnarök signifies the end of the old and the beginning of the new. Evidently, Odin wants it to continue, even though it can potentially lead to his own demise as well. Furthermore, it seems Brunhilde has an ulterior motive for starting Ragnarok besides saving humanity. Buddha hints as much while he is taken to the infirmary. It is likely connected to Siegfried, Brunhilde’s boyfriend, who has been imprisoned in Tartarus in the manga.
Read More: Record of Ragnarok Season 2 Post Credits Scene, Explained
