The Nun 2 Ending Explained: How Valak Was Born? What Happened to Valak and What Irene Did with Debra?
The Nun 2 (The Nun II) delves into Valak’s story and teases a possible return of the demonic nun in upcoming films in The Conjuring franchise. The sequel is set four years after the first The Nun has fled Romania after possessing the docile handyman Maurice (Jonas Bloquet). She is desperately seeking the eyes of Saint Lucia, which apparently would give him unimaginable power. Once the church realizes that Valak is up to no good, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) and newcomer Sister Debra (Storm Reid) are sent to France to stop the evil creature again. Here, they discover that the “Frenchman” is working in a girls’ boarding school where the very eyes of the patron saint are buried. Irene and Debra will therefore try to stop Valak and save the former novice’s old acquaintance: In the end, the two nuns manage to get the better of the demon, and it seems that Maurice too is finally free from his negative influence…
A seemingly invincible demon in the form of a nun and the spiritual power of relics. These two elements seem to be at the basis of the horror path undertaken first with The Nun – The Vocation of Evil and now with The Nun 2. This means that the religious and esoteric aspect is at the center of the narrative. Furthermore, this is also highlighted by the settings all centered on places dedicated to worship or directed by religious orders. It is no coincidence that a former convent transformed into a girls’ college was chosen for the second clash between Sister Irene and the demon Valak. A very specific turn which, after the first appearance of the demon inside a house in the second chapter of the Conjuring saga, contributed to structuring a style and purpose of its own. Having established this and the strong connection of the sequel with the first chapter, what are the goals of the new horror adventure directed by Michael Chaves? Going beyond the intent to scare through the use of classic jump scares, the film, however, leads to a very specific epilogue and not without interesting ideas. Let’s try, therefore, to explain the ending of The Nun 2.
The Nun 2: The Story Plot
The story is a direct sequel to the events of the first The Nun. And so, from Romania, we move to France at the end of the fifties, and we review some of the protagonists who waged the first historic battle with The Nun. For those who do not remember, the French-Canadian Maurice who had remained involved in the events of the possessions at the monastery of Carta had contributed to defeating the demon, at the cost of becoming (unknowingly) a new potential recipient for the creature, as testified by the inverted cross branded on the nape of his neck.
A few years later, right in the vicinity of Maurice, other mysterious and macabre events occur and this time the ones who pay the price are a girls’ boarding school populated by very young girls, little more than children in reality, who between one prank and another begin to witness the first and tragic supernatural facts. And so, Sister Irene Palmer informed about the Devil’s new moves, sets off again to face her Nun again, this time trying to trace the true origins of the monster to defeat him once and for all. On a narrative level, as previously mentioned, The Nun 2 confirms itself as an all-round heir to the film that preceded it, while still opening up to a new fan base thanks to the new setting and the semi-independent nature of the story, which manages to provide all the necessary information on the previous story if you haven’t seen the first chapter.
The Principle of Everything?
Despite having the characteristics of an independent film, it is clear how closely The Nun 2 is connected to the previous chapters. Both in terms of content and style. Without going too far into the narrative, therefore, it is best to resume the threads from the ending of The Nun to understand the symbiosis with that of the second chapter. The action focuses on the Santa Carta Abbey in Romania. Here Sister Irene and Father Burke begin to investigate mysterious events. In particular, the mysterious death of a nun is what makes the Vatican suspicious. Also accompanying them is Maurice, a character destined to have a central role in the events of The Nun 2. Regardless of who accompanies him in this adventure, however, it is Sister Irene who is destined for the final clash with Valak. Thanks to her seer skills she manages to find the relic of Christ’s blood and, by spitting it on the demon, she defeats him. Or, at least, that’s how it seems.
In this case, therefore, one of the fundamental elements that unite the two films comes into play. The power of the religious relic, linked to the maximum sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the name of faith, is the secret weapon, the only one capable of nullifying the destructive power of the demon. Not everyone, however, is worthy of using it. Among the various characters, only Sister Irene is destined to use it actively. What made her choose was above all her ability to “see”. Let us not forget that thanks to her visions she can see what is unknown to other people. A symbolic gift that makes her blessed and, at the same time, cursed as she cannot escape from the projection of the incursions of evil into her mind. All these aspects, therefore, make her the perfect champion to use the most classic weapon wielded and supported by religion even if it is Maurice who frees her from Valak’s control. The reference, therefore, is to faith. Believing in God is not enough to defeat the demon, but it makes you worthy of discovering and using the power of the relic, the greatest symbol of Christianity.
The Nun 2 Ending Explained: What Happened to Valak and What Irene Did with Debra?
At the end of The Nun, we know that Valak was not truly defeated but possessed Maurice. In this way he manages to move across Europe with his “host”, releasing all the destructive force at the right time. For this reason, therefore, Sister Irene finds herself once again involved in an investigation within a girls’ college in France, where mysterious deaths have occurred. This is how the narrative of The Nun 2 begins, destined to lead the viewer towards an epilogue that, in a sort of circularity, is linked to that of the previous chapter. The narrative structure brings the character of Sister Irene to a very similar ending. Once again, the comparison with Valak is inevitable.
And, as in the first film, a precious relic comes to her aid. These are the eyes of Saint Lucia, kept inside an old chapel that remained sealed for many decades. According to the hagiographic story, we know that the Saint was persecuted for her Christianity and, after various miraculous manifestations, killed. From the cinematic fiction, however, a detail is added. The female lineage of Sister Irene’s family is linked to that of the saint. This would explain the apparitions. But, above all, it highlights how the revelation of the relic is not connected to a form of merit but rather to a sort of blood affiliation. A solution, therefore, which takes us back, as highlighted, to the ending of the first film, highlighting how man, alone, is nothing against evil. Only faith or connection to it, once again, makes him victorious.
How Valak Was Born?
But how does evil arise? Valak’s genesis was revealed in the film The Conjuring: The Enfield Affair. Here we discover that he is a demon from hell known by the name of Valak, the defiler, the Profane, the Marquis of Serpents. Having established this, The Nun offered more details regarding his “biography”. In fact, through the ghost of Sister Oana, we learn that, during the Middle Ages, the Duke of San Cartha attempted to use the abbey to open a door to hell and unleash an unstoppable evil on Earth. That evil is, in fact, Valak. To try to stop the inevitable, however, the Catholic Church kills the Duke and closes the portal using the blood of Christ. Once again, therefore, the symbol of maximum sacrifice and absolute purity is identified as the only element capable of countering the forces of evil. After this intervention, Valak remained dormant until the Second World War. A bombing breaks the seal and releases the evil force. And the constant prayers of the nuns to keep his strength at bay are of no avail. Indeed, Valak takes the form of a nun after killing them to easily blend in with the environment where he finds himself.
How Valak’s Defeated? About halfway through the film, Irene and Debra talk about how the power of their faith can transform the sacramental wine into the blood of Christ. Debra is skeptical about her being a nun and she has difficulty believing in such beliefs: She states that before believing in them she would like to witness a miracle. From that moment, Debra witnesses many events that prove the existence of God and the devil, and when she and Irene confront Valak in the college cellar, the nun claims to have finally witnessed a miracle (i.e., when Irene catches fire but miraculously survives). Once their faith has been re-established, Debra and Irene pray together and transform the wine barrels in the cellar into the blood of Christ: At that point the barrels explode, flooding the nun with “blood”, causing the demon to melt. Even though the demon has been defeated for now, there is no doubt that Valak will return in the future of the horror franchise.
Why Does Valak Long for the Eyes of Saint Lucia?
Saint Lucia is a 5th-century Christian martyr known for being the patron saint of the blind, since – according to some versions of her story – her eyes were removed (probably, either by herself or by her persecutors). Furthermore, some versions also state that when they tried to set her on fire, Lucia did not burn. In the end, the woman died when her neck was pierced by a sword: Although her eyes had been gouged out, when her body was prepared for burial, however, it was discovered that they had been mysteriously healed. That’s why she became the patron saint of the blind… In The Nun II, we discover that Valak is desperate to find the divine power held within the very eyes of Saint Lucia. According to what is narrated in the film, Valak was once an angel but was banished by God: recovering Saint Lucia’s eyes would allow him to regain his ancient powers. What the demon could do with these newfound abilities is never explained in the film: he manages to gain possession of them again but is defeated shortly after.
Are Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren Related?
One of the biggest questions that the first The Nun left us with was whether Sister Irene was in any way related to Lorraine Warren, the demonologist co-star of The Conjuring films. Indeed, some think that Irene, in reality, is Lorraine as a young woman (a theory supported by the fact that Taissa Farmiga – the interpreter of Irene – is the younger sister of Vera Farmiga – the interpreter of Lorraine – in real life, casting that fans do not consider purely coincidental). Unfortunately, The Nun II does not confirm whether the characters are related, although some details hint that this may indeed be the case…
Throughout the film, Irene continues to have visions of Saint Lucia and her martyrdom, realizing that she is descended from her patron saint. Irene then has a series of other flashes that seem to be connected to her family: in fact, she sees her mother and, very briefly, Lorraine. Nothing further is discussed in this regard, but at this point, the implication that there may be a blood bond between Irene and Lorraine appears more and more obvious. It is equally unlikely that Irene is Lorraine as a young woman, given that their respective backstories do not seem to coincide, but we are certain that sooner or later a new film in the saga will shed light on the connection between the two.
What Happened to Father Burke?
In the first The Nun, we saw Sister Irene collaborate with the character of Father Burke, played by the actor Demián Bichir: The latter, however, is absent in the sequel, even if the film clarifies what fate he faced… Unfortunately, we will not see the character again in the universe of The Conjuring: The Nun II it reveals that Burke became bishop following the events of the previous film, but that unfortunately, he died of cholera shortly after the appointment. That’s why the church turns to Irene: she’s the only one who fought Valak and survived.
Did the Ending of The Nun II Pave the Way for a Third Film?
In the finale of The Nun II, Valak is defeated again thanks to the blood of Christ, while Maurice – after four long years – seems to have finally been freed from the demon’s influence. However, considering that Valak is the main antagonist of the film The Conjuring – The Enfield Affair – set 20 years after the events of The Nun II – it is clear that the demonic nun has not been definitively defeated (as private as she was – at least in appearance – of the powers conferred on him by the eyes of Saint Lucia).
Furthermore, we know that the Warrens – during their career – performed an exorcism on the “Frenchman” (the moment is present in the first The Conjuring, but it is only at the end of the first The Nun that we discover the true meaning of that scene), so it is clear that Maurice is not yet completely free from Valak’s influence (which is also made explicit by the final scene of The Nun II ). It is clear, therefore, the direction that the franchise is taking reconnecting the events of The Nun with those of The Conjuring. This means we might see the Warrens Again in The Nun III (not yet officially announced) or maybe Valak return as an antagonist in The Conjuring 4 (already officially announced).
The Mid-Credits Scene?
In The Nun II, there is a mid-credits scene, which takes us back to the Warrens’ house: in the scene in question, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) have a telephone conversation with a priest. It’s a very short scene that provides little context, including exactly where it would fit within the timeline of The Conjuring cinematic universe. Is it the phone call that marked the first meeting of the spouses with Valak in The Conjuring – The Enfield Case or the one regarding Maurice’s exorcism that we saw in the first The Conjuring and – subsequently – in the finale of the first The Nun? It could also be a scene directly linked to the announced The Conjuring 4 (although Ed looks noticeably younger than in The Conjuring: By Order of the Devil). In any case, it is likely that the authors of the film deliberately decided to remain vague, to have some leeway concerning the development of The Nun III.
The True Meaning of the Ending of The Nun II?
One of the most important themes of The Nun II involves faith and hope that, in the end, good will always triumph over evil, no matter how desperate things seem. Sister Debra learns to embrace her faith despite doubting the path she has taken after seeing Irene survive the flames the young nun learns to believe in the existence of a superior power and in the possibility of defeating evil. Likewise, Sister Irene learns to have faith that she can save her dear friend Maurice from Valak’s influence, even if it seems impossible. At the end of the story, Irene manages to save not only him – at least for the moment – but also most of the people who live in the boarding school.
