Troll Ending, Explained: Is the Troll Dead?

The Norwegian action-adventure movie ‘Troll’ is brought to the big screen by famous director Roar Uthaug. Best known for films like ‘Tomb Raider‘ and ‘Cold Prey,’ he presents the story of a gigantic mythic creature who has been dormant for thousands of years. Featuring Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, and Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, the movie follows Professor of Paleontology Nora Tidemann as she begins to decode the world of Trolls and the strange occurrences that follow. The Troll’s sudden awakening destroys the city, leaving people anxious. The movie holds a mirror to the modern world with the themes it highlights. If you have questions about the ending of ‘Troll,’ we have the answers for you here! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Troll Plot Synopsis

The movie revolves around Nora Tidemann, who is a Professor of Paleontology. When a strange incident occurs in the tunnels in Dovre, she is called upon by the government to help navigate the situation. The government and the administration consider it a high seismic activity at first. They gather geologists and other professionals to get a second opinion.

As Nora enters the meeting, she hears distant roars in the footage. She also notices the footprint shape of the craters around the affected area. When Nora was a kid, she climbed the Troll Peaks in Romsdalen with her father. He used to tell Nora about the mythical stories and folklore around Trolls. The other members of the meeting laugh her off as she points out these aspects. Nora dismisses the fantasy thought process but asks the Prime Minister for some time to investigate the matter.

Being assigned as a special adviser, she goes to another spot where the footprints are found. She is accompanied by Andreas, who is an adviser to the Prime Minister, and Captain Kristoffer Holm from the military. Nora pays a visit to her father, Tobias, who has gone mad after his theories and myths, to get further answers. He goes deeper down the rabbit hole after his wife dies. Nora and Tobias have been estranged for quite a few years and rarely meet.

The group then flies to the region where the Troll’s footprints disappear. Nora, Andreas, Holm, and Tobias encounter the Troll, who is found camouflaging with the mountains in the area. They nearly escape the grip of the Troll and live stream the event to the government and military officials. After seeing the footage, they launch a military operation to eliminate the threat. Nora, Andreas, and Tobias convince Holm to take them along so that they can observe the Troll’s actions. Due to massive firing and attacks, the Troll gets agitated and kills a few soldiers. Tobias manages to calm it down, but at the last second, someone fires at it, angering it again. Tobias dies in the scruffle but leaves Nora with a few distinct last words.

Saddened by her father’s death, Nora explores all the research material he has collected. She finds various threads connecting the folk stories to actually proven Troll instances. She uses the insight to tackle the giant creature one last time. The operation fails, and the PM throws Nora off the operation. As a last resort, the government and the military opt for secret missiles to kill the Troll. The deadly consequences of the same and the ultimate resolution form the climax of the thrilling movie.

Troll Ending: Is The Troll Dead?

After the government sanctions the use of lethal missiles, the military gears up to evacuate the city. Soldiers take their positions and remain on the lookout as the Troll is headed for the capital city. Fearing the consequential impact of the missile. Nora and Andreas decide to make a counterplan. They include Captain Holm and plan to divert the Troll away from the military vehicles and the city.

Nora and Andreas lure it away from the developed parts of the city and direct it toward a park. Holm sets up a structure to capture the Troll rather than killing it completely. In the research and mythical stories, Nora reads that Trolls come from darkness and die in the light. The UV rays in sunlight and in artificial lights can harm the Troll. To action this plan, Andreas asks his friend at the government office to hack into the program and not fire the missile.

They lure the Troll to the center of the set-up successfully. Holm turns the lights on, and the Troll begins to wail in agony. Nora starts feeling bad about their actions. She turns off the lights and saves the Troll. Like her dad, she yells at the Troll to hide away. But alas, a new day dawns on them, and a ray of sunshine falls on the Troll. It begins to disintegrate again and finally falls to ruin.

The movie makes us question the origins of myths and folk stories. It makes us wonder what other superstitions and rumors hide the truth. The Norwegian tales painted Trolls as the villains in the story. In reality, the King of Oslo built a kingdom by ruining their world. ‘Troll’ dives into the relationship between humans and nature. The irreversible damage that we are doing to this earth will haunt future generations. From the Christianization of Norway to the spread of commercialization, ‘Troll’ dissects the intricacies of our inhumane actions on the environment. As viewers, we end up feeling sad when the Troll collapses.

Are Any Other Trolls Alive?

In the movie, we only see one Troll terrorize the people of Oslo. No trace of other Trolls is spotted throughout the film, barring the remains of previous Trolls. So, it is natural for Andreas to ask Nora if she thinks there are more Trolls out there. To this, Nora smiles and leaves the question hanging. Thus, leaving the audience in suspense.

But, the surprising mid-credits scene in the movie comes to our rescue. We see the tunnel again, where the explosives were used to make way for the track. The stones begin to rattle as the ground shakes. The screen blacks out just as something rises and scatters the stones. Thus, it is safe to believe that Trolls are still alive. The King of Oslo vanquished their entire race as it stood against the faith, but the creatures were powerful enough to survive for years after that. Moreover, they are made of earth and stones so they can camouflage in the mountains. This makes it easier for them to stay away from humans and keep themselves safe.

In the movie’s fictional world, we consider other Trolls to be living and breathing. They can be sitting dormant and invisible to the naked eye. Trolls are smart creatures who once had a whole kingdom to themselves. It’s nearly impossible to prove that they are extinct altogether. Trolls are also a huge part of the Norweigian folklore, including fairy tales and myths that every child grows up with.

Why Is The Troll Named Tobias Boulder?

When the Troll falls to death, Nora and Andreas talk about the name of the spot, as it will soon become a famous tourist spot. “Dovre Boulder” is one of the suggestions made because of the Troll’s first appearance or speculated origin. Andreas also suggests “Tidemann Hill,” as Nora helped control the threat and secure the city. Eventually, the duo settles on “Tobias Boulder” as the name of the spot where the Troll dies.

Nora chooses this name as a tribute to her father, Tobias Tidemann, the only person who believed in Trolls and explored their existence. He left his family and even his career behind to venture into the world of mysteries and theories that the Trolls pose. People around him labeled him a madman as he fervently believed that Trolls were alive. He was relentless in his pursuit to prove his beliefs to the people and shine a light on the lost history of Trolls. By naming it the “Tobias Boulder,” Nora expresses her gratitude towards his father’s contributions to the expedition and keeps him alive in the city’s history.

What Was The Meaning Behind Tobias’s Last Words?

Tobias turns out to be a valuable piece in the puzzle of understanding the motives of the Troll. It is poetic to see him urge his daughter to believe and keep an open mind when he dies, just as we see in the movie’s first scene. But before that, he mentions random words that initially don’t make much sense.

In his last breath, he mentions something about “the palace, the king and home” to Nora. At first, Nora cannot comprehend what her father is trying to say. His ragged breath makes it hard for him to speak. He dies with the word “Believe” as he encourages her daughter to keep her spark of curiosity alive. Later, Nora rifles through his research and notes to find clues that connect his dying words. Nora finds the connection, and they head to the Royal Palace to learn more.

Rikard, the Palace Lord Chamberlain, greets them at the Palace and expresses that he has been waiting for someone to show up. He takes them to the basement and shows them the Troll family’s remains. Rikard explains how past myths made them believe that it was good luck to build a kingdom on another king’s home. Thus, he unveils the home of the Troll King that is now beneath the Royal Palace. Rikard reveals that Olav the Holy got rid of anything incompatible with the new faith he introduced. He killed everyone in the King’s family and lured him to the mountains in Dovre to lock him up.

In the movie, this is why the Troll heads to the Royal Palace in the city. He is going back to his home, his previous castle. The destruction caused by the Troll is nothing compared to the massacre helmed by King Olav. This further proves that Trolls are innocent creatures that thrive in peace. The humans intervened and messed up their lives in the process.