Violet Evergarden: The Movie - Ending Explained

Violet Evergarden: The Movie provides definitive closure by confirming that Major Gilbert Bougainvillea is alive. He survived the final battle but lost an arm and an eye, and has been living in self-imposed exile on the remote island of Ekarte, working as a teacher for the local children. He chose not to contact Violet out of immense guilt, believing he had ruined her life and that she would be better off without him.

When Claudia Hodgins and Violet arrive on the island, Gilbert repeatedly refuses to see her, causing Violet an emotional breakdown. The narrative's turning point occurs as Violet prepares to leave the island to fulfill her promise to a dying client, Yuris. Before departing, she writes one final letter to Gilbert, pouring out all the emotions and understanding of love she has gained over the years. This letter, combined with encouragement from his brother Dietfried, finally breaks through Gilbert's wall of guilt.

In a climactic sequence, Gilbert reads the letter and races to the port just as Violet's ship is leaving. Violet, seeing him, jumps off the ship into the ocean. He meets her in the water, and they finally embrace. He tells her he loves her, and she is able to reciprocate. The film's epilogue reveals that Violet chose to leave the CH Postal Company to live with Gilbert on the island, fully completing her journey from a soldier awaiting orders to a woman who has chosen her own path to happiness. The frame story concludes with Daisy, in the future, learning about Violet's legacy of love and connection, showing that her work continued to inspire generations.

While the film's ending is quite direct, a major point of discussion among viewers revolves around whether Gilbert's return was necessary for Violet's character arc. One perspective is that the reunion provides a perfect, emotionally fulfilling conclusion to her journey, finally allowing her to answer the question that started it all and act on her own feelings. From this viewpoint, the happy ending is earned and thematically completes her story of understanding and expressing love.

An alternative interpretation, however, argues that Gilbert's survival slightly undermines the series' powerful themes of moving on from loss. Some viewers felt that Violet's growth into an independent person, capable of living on her own while cherishing his memory, was the true culmination of her journey. In this view, bringing Gilbert back shifts the focus from a story about overcoming grief to a more conventional romance, potentially cheapening the lessons she learned about the permanence of loss. Director Taichi Ishidate himself initially felt the story could end without their reunion, lending weight to the idea that her continued life was the core message, though he was ultimately convinced by the script's handling of Gilbert's return.