Parasyte: The Grey Ending Explained: what happened to Su-in, Kang-woo and Jun-kyung
Jeong Su-in’s (Jeon So-nee) tragic life takes a turn for the worse when the strange parasite takes over her body in Parasyte: The Grey (Gisaengsu: Deo Geurei in its original language), a South Korean Netflix series based on the legendary manga “Parasyte” by Hitoshi Iwaaki. Throughout eight episodes, a group of special police officers wage war against unidentified parasitic life forms that threaten humanity. Meanwhile, Su-in finds herself in the middle of the two sides. What happened to her and the other characters? Next, I tell you the main events of the suspense fiction directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Parasyte: The Grey, a Korean series directed by Yeon Sang-ho and inspired by the very famous manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, recently arrived on Netflix. The series tells of an invasion of parasites on the planet, willing to do anything to survive and feed on human flesh. As we underlined in our review of the series, Parasyte: The Grey expertly mixes horror, action, and human drama, telling not only how mankind is forced to do everything to get rid of these monstrous parasites, but also how a new species is doing everything it can to survive while trying to understand the purpose of its existence.
As we will see in this explanation of the ending of Parasyte: The Grey, in the last episodes of the series it is precisely this need to understand one’s nature that creates different alignments even among the parasites themselves: we have the leader of the parasites, the shepherd, who wants to insinuate himself within human society, on the other Kyung-Hee, sister of Kang-Woo (Koo Kyo-Hwan) who is also occupied by a parasite who only wants the survival of his fellow men and does not accept betrayal, and finally the protagonist Su- In (Jeon So-nee), who lives with one of the creatures, Heidi, different from all the others and ready to do anything to protect her. Let’s analyze in detail what happens in the final episode of the series.
Parasyte: The Grey: Plot Summary
One day, suddenly, a strange species of parasites falls on Earth, in different places. These insect-shaped parasites enter the human body and, after eating the host’s brain, take control of it. In Korea, the first parasites find themselves in the middle of a concert and exterminate dozens and dozens of unfortunate people. From that moment on, a special team was established with the sole task of exterminating the parasites, a military team led by Jun-kyung (Lee Jung-Hyun). But what is the purpose of these beings who came from who knows where? Survive and feed, on human flesh. They can be killed if hit badly enough (especially with firearms) and are easily recognizable, contaminated individuals being completely expressionless. The big problem is that they are really difficult to exterminate because when they take control of a body they transform it into a real weapon of war: fleshy membranes that become blades, clubs, or even wings, all gathered around the monster’s head.
At the same time, we also meet Su-in (Jeon So-nee), a young woman with a tormented past who, after being attacked by a madman, is “involuntarily” saved by a parasite. The parasite that finds her dying, treats her wounds but is unable to take control of her brain, and is thus forced to live with her. The parasite inside Su-in can transform at will, but not for long, without the girl remembering anything of what happens when the monster’s consciousness takes over. Su-in becomes a target both for Jun-kyung’s special team and for the parasites, who are organizing themselves to exterminate the human race in an increasingly efficient way. Helping her, however, are Kang-woo (Koo Kyo-hwan), a delinquent willing to do anything to avenge his sisters killed by parasites, and a kind policeman (Chul-min) who helped her when she was a child. How does Su-in fit into this battle between forces, mankind, and monsters? The young woman could be the key to a completely different future for our planet…
Parasyte: The Grey Ending Explained: What Happened to Su-in, Kang-woo and Jun-kyung?
Although he tries to resume his daily routine, Su-in realizes that he is no longer the same person and confirms this thanks to Seol Kang-woo (Koo Kyo-hwan), a member of the Mangnani Gang who escapes from the rival gang and who is desperately searching for his younger sister. After following Seol Kyung-hee (Yoon Hyun-gil), her older sister who is behaving strangely, she discovers that she is the host of a parasite, just like Su-in. Jeong Su-in’s parasite leaves Seol Kang-woo alive to explain to Su-in what is happening and warn her to stay away from the members of the Saejin Church who were parasitized and formed an organization to exterminate Jeong Su-in. The humanity. When the young woman regains consciousness, she begins to communicate with the parasite through a notebook in which she writes her questions.
What Happens in the Final Episode?
As we were saying, in the last few episodes we have witnessed a reversal of sides: the shepherd has betrayed and sold the members of his own species to insinuate himself into human society in a role of power. To do this he wants to take the body of the mayor, then a candidate for the country’s presidential elections, and goes from one guest to another: first he kills detective Cheol-Min (Kwan Hae-Hyo), which unleashes Su-In’s anger, and then that of his colleague Kang Won-Seok (Kim In-Kwon), who has always been allied with the monsters (in a flashback we see that the shepherd had faced him with the choice: either you ally with us, or you too will be killed ). The final clash will take place during the Music Festival, in which the mayor himself will participate. To further mess up the cards on the table, the presence of detective Choi Joon-Kyung (Lee Jung-Hyun), head of the Team Gray task force and who still doesn’t know whether to trust Su-In and of Kyung-Hee, who is betrayed by the pastor desires revenge.
In the final clash, Kang-Woo manages to bring the mayor to safety, targeted by the pastor’s attacks on Kang Won-Seok’s body, thanks to the help of Kyung-Hee, who however loses her life in the clash, and Su-In. The pastor and Su-In come face to face, and this is the moment when Joon-Kyung enters the scene, pointing a gun at the protagonist. However, the intelligent detective realizes that Kang Won-Seok is a parasite so instead of shooting Su-In he shoots him and kills him. Finally, the pastor has been eliminated and Heidi “entrusts” Su-In’s well-being to Joon-Kyung, who now trusts her and does not reveal her secret when the army arrives.
Why is Su-in Still Human?
Due to her injuries, the parasite used all its energy to keep Su-in alive, so it failed to take over her brain. For this reason, she becomes a mutant and only takes control when the life of the protagonist of Parasyte: The Grey is in danger, and she can only do so for short periods. After a raid on Saejin Church, Jun-kyung begins to suspect that Kim Chul-min is hiding something. Later, he follows him to a meeting with Su-in and Kang-woo. While the detective is concerned about her protégé, the leader of Team Gray sets out to capture her. Kang Won-seock, Chul-min’s colleague and ally of the parasites led by Pastor Kwan Hyuk-ju, takes advantage of the chaos to assassinate the “Hunting Dog”.
Who Was the “Hunting Dog”?
The guest Choi Jun-kyung calls her “Hunting Dog” is none other than her husband, who was parasitized while shopping at a supermarket. In the middle of the attack, the leader of the gray team loses an ear and realizes that her husband has died and that what now inhabits her body could be used to track other parasites. Despite Chul-min’s efforts to protect Su-in, he cannot prevent her from being captured and becoming the new hunting dog. To free her from her, he joins forces with Seol Kang-woo, who infiltrates the facility where the supermarket cashier is being held. After overcoming some difficulties, they manage to rescue her and escape from her.
The Death of Kim Chul-Min?
While escaping with Seol Kang-woo, Su-in senses that a relative is nearby, so she decides to return to help Detective Kim, who is cornered by Kang Won-Seaock and Pastor Kwan Hyuk-ju. Su-in runs with all his strength to protect the detective, but arrives just as the shepherd transforms, cuts off his head, and takes over his body. At that moment, Heide (the name Kang-woo gave to Su-in’s parasite) appears and a fight breaks out that ends with Su-in fleeing. While the parasite takes advantage of Kim Chul-min’s position to infiltrate the Gray team and keep the organization informed of the police’s movements, Su-in tries to warn Jun-kyung of the danger, but she refuses to listen to the arguments. Also, Seol Kyung-hee starts hunting Su-in.
What is the New Objective of Parasites?
During a Team Gray raid, Su-in and Kang-woo realize it’s all part of a bigger plan. They sacrificed a few parasites to make the Gray team believe that the mission was a success and that the authorities give the green light to the music festival, thus, the parasite that is in the detective’s body will be able to take over the mayor of Namcheon Seol Kyung-hee joins the protagonists of Parasyte: The Grey after seeing that the detective betrayed them. Therefore, when the time comes, she dies protecting the mayor and Kong-woo from the parasite, which to survive she takes over Won-seok’s body. Shortly after, Heidi appears to confront him. When Jun-kyung arrives, she has doubts about who to attack, but she decides to follow his instincts and they manage to defeat the parasite. At the end of the Korean Netflix series, Heidi “abandons” her host’s body, Su-in returns to work at the supermarket, Kong-woo joins Team Gray and visits her friend to deliver a letter from Heidi and offers a place in the group of Choi Jun-kyung, who meets Izumi Shinichi, a supposed parasite expert. What is it really about and what are you looking for? Will there be season 2?
Su-In’s Happy Ending?
Sometime later we find Su-In working in a department store. Kang-Woo visits her and reveals that Joon-Kyung hired him to work with her on her pest squad. Then he gives her a letter that Heidi wrote for her and sent to him so that he could read it to her: Heidi reminds her that she is no longer alone, and she will always have someone to trust, and who will protect her. Before leaving, Kang-Woo says that Joon-Kyung has kept a spot open for her on her task force too, and we deduce that this is the path she will probably choose to take. Even though Heidi appears to have handed over full control of her body to Su-In, she obviously hasn’t abandoned her, as from what we now know neither of them could survive without the other. Heidi is in a dormant state, but she will be able to regain control Su-In will need it.
In the last episode of the series, we realize how both Su-In and Heidi have changed: the former has found confidence in herself and others, and even after her traumatic past she has understood that in life there is always something to fight, instead Heidi, the parasite in her body, understood something about humanity by living with such a sweet and kind girl. Has Heidi perhaps understood that the nature of parasites should not be the destruction of the human race but this kind of cohabitation that is beneficial for both? In Su-In’s body, which could not change unlike the other parasites, Heidi understood the value of human life and the need to protect it at all costs.
Who is Shinichi Izumi?
The very last scene with which the series ends is particularly interesting and could have implications for a second season. We find Joon-Kyung in the Gray Team headquarters, a colleague of hers warns her that a journalist expert in parasites is there to see her. The boy introduces himself as Shinichi Izumi and extends his hand to shake it with the detective. Shinichi was the protagonist of the original manga created by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Kiseiju – The Uninvited Guest. Shinichi also lives with a parasite, Migi (Destry in the Italian version of the manga), who has taken control of his right arm (this is why so much emphasis is placed on his hand in the final shot of the series). Unlike Su-In with Heidi, however, Migi can communicate whenever she wants with Shinichi, with whom she has formed an increasingly strong relationship of trust and friendship.
In the original manga, Migi initially failed to reach Shinichi’s brain (the boy was wearing earphones that prevented him from entering through his ears) and was forced to make an emergency move to survive by entering his arm. Shinichi therefore has his conscience intact and together with Migi will have to fight against the other parasites, who only wish to destroy mankind and feed it. The final scene of the Netflix series, therefore, could pave the way for a second season in which Shinichi collaborates with Team Grey. From what we are told during the series, Korea is where the most in-depth and timely studies on parasites were done, for this reason, Shinichi may have been interested in Team Gray and came to Korea from Japan.
