Ne Zha 2 - Ending Explained

"Ne Zha 2"'s central twist reveals that the main antagonist is not the vengeful Dragon King, but Master Wuliang and the celestial Chan sect, who were presented as the arbiters of justice. The most shocking revelation is that Wuliang orchestrated the complete destruction of Chentang Pass, massacring its inhabitants, and successfully framed the Dragon Clan for the atrocity. This was part of his larger plan to consolidate power and incite a "Deification War."

During the three trials, Ne Zha and Ao Bing (sharing a body) are tasked with capturing various 'demons.' This quest, which seems righteous at first, is shown to be part of an oppressive system. The demons they capture are not inherently evil; one is a teacher to children, another is a peaceful rock demon simply minding its own business. This subplot reveals that the sect's mission is not about justice but about ethnic cleansing of those deemed 'impure.'

In the final act, after Wuliang's betrayal is exposed, he traps Ne Zha, Ao Bing, the dragons, and the other demons in a giant cauldron-like superweapon, intending to refine them all into magic pills. This forces a powerful alliance between all the oppressed groups. Together, the heroes, dragons, and demons team up to break out of the cauldron in a visually spectacular climax, fighting Wuliang's army and forcing him to retreat, setting the stage for a future installment centered on the Deification War.

Beyond its surface-level fantasy-adventure plot, "Ne Zha 2" has been interpreted as a complex political allegory. Some analyses suggest the oppression of the Dragon Clan by the celestial Jade Void Palace is a metaphor for geopolitical struggles and the manipulation of narratives through propaganda. The film's villains are not monstrous outsiders but the established, unelected authorities who commit atrocities against their own people to maintain power.

This reading views the film as a surprisingly anti-authoritarian text, exploring how corrupt institutions defend themselves and how oppressed groups can sometimes become defenders of the very systems that oppress them. Ne Zha's rebellion is therefore not just against his personal fate but against an unjust and tyrannical power structure, making the final alliance between the heroes, dragons, and other 'demons' a powerful call for solidarity among the marginalized against a common oppressor.