What Is The Ending Of 'Netori Vengeance'?

I just finished 'Netori Vengeance' and that ending hit like a truck. The protagonist finally gets his revenge on the noble who ruined his family, but it costs him everything. In the final battle, he sacrifices his own life to unleash a forbidden technique that wipes out the noble's entire bloodline. The twist comes when his childhood friend, who he thought betrayed him, reveals she was actually working undercover to gather evidence against the noble. She survives and uses that evidence to clear the protagonist's name posthumously, turning him into a martyr. The last scene shows her visiting his grave with the family crest restored, bittersweet but satisfying.

The ending of 'Netori Vengeance' is a masterclass in tragic payoff. After dozens of chapters building up the protagonist's rage and meticulous planning, the climax subverts expectations in the best way possible.

Instead of a clean victory, the protagonist realizes too late that his obsession with vengeance has made him just as monstrous as his enemies. His final confrontation with the main antagonist becomes a mirror match - both bleeding out while still trying to kill each other. The noble laughs maniacally while revealing that the protagonist's little sister is actually alive and was manipulated into hating him all along.

What makes it work is the epilogue. The sister finds their dying brother and finally remembers the truth, but it's too late to save him. She inherits his weapons and journal, setting up a sequel where she continues his mission but with less brutality. The author leaves enough threads unresolved to keep readers hungry for more while still delivering emotional closure.

That ending wrecked me emotionally. 'Netori Vengeance' concludes with the protagonist achieving his revenge but losing his humanity in the process. The final chapters show him becoming what he hated - using the same underhanded tactics that destroyed his family.

In his last moments, he sees visions of his happy childhood before the tragedy, realizing too late that vengeance didn't bring him peace. The actual killing happens off-screen, emphasizing that the act itself wasn't important. What lingers is the cost.

The most powerful moment comes when the camera pans to his abandoned weapon collecting dust years later, with villagers debating whether he was a hero or a monster. This moral ambiguity elevates the story beyond typical revenge plots. If you enjoy complex endings that stick with you, try 'The Sword of Kaigen' next - it handles similar themes masterfully.