Record Of Ragnarok Season 3 Ending Explained: Who Won The Ninth Round Of The Tournament?

The third season of “Record of Ragnarok” has concluded on a high note with several hints provided about hidden motives and major upcoming revelations concerning both the opposing sides of humans and the gods. On the other hand, after a spectacular battle, the beauty and beast matchup of the ninth round of the Ragnarok tournament between Spartan King Leonidas and Greek god Apollo ends dramatically in the final episode of the season, tipping the scoreboard in favor of the gods. The final moments of the episode also tease the upcoming matchup, which is going to be the most crucial one in the context of humanity’s survival.

Spoilers Ahead

Who Won the Ninth Round?

While lionhearted Spartan King Leonidas, assisted by the proudest Valkyrie sister, Geirolul, put up a valiant fight and even made the Sun god Apollo kneel on several occasions, it unfortunately was not enough to take him down for good. Thanks to his warrior’s instinct, Leonidas was able to deflect one of Apollo’s lightspeed arrows coming towards him by pure warrior’s instinct, grievously injuring him in the process. However, Apollo got back up, and it became clear the next clash between the warriors was going to be the final one. Emphasizing the importance of human free will, Leonidas followed his heart’s guidance to take his last stand by honoring his legacy as a Spartan and, with Geirolul’s help, created the classic Aletheia Sparta red phalanx shield for ultimate defense. To pierce the strongest shield known to humankind, Apollo posited himself as an arrow and, connecting lightstrings of Moonbeam of Artemis, created a gigantic bowstring to launch himself—creating the attack formation known as Argyrotoxus. Using his blindingly fast speed, Apollo was able to break through Leonidas’ shield and kill him by lodging his hand straight inside the Spartan king’s heart. Before taking their last breath, Leonidas and Geirolul land a punch on Apollo’s smug face, and the sun god acknowledges their bravery with deep admiration. Every defeated human champion exemplifies some of the best traits of humanity, and no one could have celebrated the ideals of freedom and valor better than Leonidas. It should be noted that this defeat has put Brunnhilde and humanity in a precarious position, as the next match has turned into a must-win affair for humankind. The tally is five against four, with gods leading the scoreboard at the moment—and if the result is repeated in the next round as well, then nothing can save the mortals. 

The Tenth Round Will See Asian Legends Squaring Off

Speaking of the decisive next round, two renowned Asian champions are going to face each other in an updated arena, which is appropriately set in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu era. Soji Okita, the legendary samurai of Shinshengumi, touted as the best swordsman in human history, is going to represent the mortals. On the other hand, Susanoo no Mikoto, the Japanese god of sea and storms, is going to represent the gods. Soji was previously seen trying to defend Buddha against seven gods of luck, and his desire to fight a worthy opponent has been highlighted a number of times. Susanoo, an unpredictable, eccentric individual, has gained the title of “godslayer,” which indicates his notoriety.  The tenth round will see these two legendary swordsmen engaging in a fierce battle, and I am already getting major “Bleach” vibes from this one. 

Siegfried’s Connection with Brunhilde 

Brunhilde, the eldest Valkyrie, invoked the Ragnarok tournament in the first place to give humanity a lease of another millennium and survive the gods’ wrath, but that was not the only reason for her to arrange such a high-stakes battle of cosmic scale. The finale of the ongoing season at last provides some hint about Brunhilde’s ulterior motive when Buddha is seen speaking with Odin about the role of Siegfried. The half-god, half-human Siegfried, aka Sigurd, whom Odin has held captive in the deepest quarters of Tartarus, was supposedly Brunhilde’s former lover. Buddha speculates that Odin might have held Siegfried captive, as he had killed the mighty red fire dragon, Fafnir, who was Odin’s favorite. It is previously hinted that Siegfried holds immense power, and even demons of Helheim don’t engage in a conversation with him in fear of letting him loose. Buddha mentions Brunhilde wants to free her former lover, and for reasons still unknown, Odin wants him to remain imprisoned. Buddha is conducting his own investigation in this matter, and as he confronts Odin about all this, the Allfather’s sudden outburst of anger indicates something fishy is going on. Buddha had sent his friend, Sakata Kintoki, to take a closer look at Siegfried’s background, which will shed light on the demigod’s role in the upcoming continuation. 

Odin’s True Motive

As an enraged Odin swings his mighty demon spear, Gungnir, towards Buddha, Beelzebub comes to his defense and mentions his own speculation about what Odin’s true agenda is. As it turns out, winning Ragnarok will allow Odin to fulfill one of his deepest desires, revive the primordial gods, or alternatively, bring about Arche, the creation of cosmos. Beelzebub has dedicated his life to gathering knowledge, and needless to say, that Allfather’s quest for knowledge motivated the malevolent Helheim god as well. This is the reason Beelzebub knows what Odin is up to, and judging from Buddha’s reaction to the news, invoking primordial gods seems like major trouble. The next season of “Record of Ragnarok” will showcase the full extent of Odin’s plan and who the primordial gods really are. Sooner or later, Odin himself will step into the arena, and it will be interesting to see who his opponent is going to be. 

Aside from all these, several other hints about future storylines have already been presented in this season—the most important of which is Beelzebub’s search for Satan. Nostradamus, the mystical human candidate who nearly destroyed Bifrost—the gateway that acts as a barrier between Valhalla and Helheim—is going to represent humanity, and his clash with gods is going to be quite interesting. At one point, Brunhilde and Goll have to step into the arena to provide assistance to the remaining human warriors as well. 

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