The Old Guard 2 is a long-awaited sequel to Netflix’s original action movie, following a group of immortal mercenaries as they fight against a growing threat from within their own ranks. The Old Guard 2 received fairly underwhelming reviews from critics, with many complaining that it didn’t quite live up to the compelling storytelling of the first movie.

However, one thing The Old Guard 2 does really well is explore how the rules of immortality are much more complex than they initially seemed. The role of a sequel should always be to expand the world and develop the characters in ways that audiences wouldn’t expect, and The Old Guard 2 certainly does that.

How Andy Lost Her Immortality In The Old Guard

The Old Guard 2 makes a huge change to the lore of this unique franchise, revealing that Andy’s loss of her immortal powers in the first movie wasn’t a coincidence, but rather a consequence of Nile stabbing her. Through the records in his library, Tuah realizes that Nile may be the “final immortal,” and it was her blade that ended Andy’s powers.

This twist to The Old Guard’s immortality system has an enormous impact on the sequel’s story, as much of the narrative focuses around Nile’s status as the final immortal and Discord’s quest to exploit the young hero to gain her own immortality back. It’s unclear exactly what it means to be the final immortal, but it’s evident that Nile has some very powerful abilities.

As Tuah and Booker learn from the former’s extensive library, the final immortal was long understood to be a myth—a person with the ability to transfer immortality between other people at their own whim. It’s clear that Nile really is the final immortal because, over the course of The Old Guard 2, she steals the immortality of both Booker and Quynh.

Nile also destroyed Andy’s healing powers in The Old Guard, despite not knowing her special status. There’s no official confirmation in the first movie that Nile was the one responsible for demoting Andy to regular mortality, but the sequel finally confirms this. However, it’s not until Discord puts two and two together, using their shared birthmark, that the immortals realize Nile is the stuff of legend.

How Andy Regains Her Immortality In The Old Guard 2

Through Tuah’s knowledge of the old legends, the group also learns that it’s possible for a wounded immortal to transfer their immortality to somebody else, as long as it’s done with their true consent. Tuah and Booker initially keep this knowledge to themselves, knowing that it has immense consequences for Nile’s safety.

The Old Guard is clearly aiming for another sequel in the future, and this expanded lore does a great job of making the universe feel richer and more complex. The legends of the final immortal are explained very succinctly, even if most of the characters remain unaware of what they mean for the majority of the film.

Only Tuah and Booker know the complete truth, and it’s the latter who ultimately sacrifices his own immortality to restore Andy’s healing powers. During a sparring session with Nile and Tuah, Booker intentionally lets the young recruit wound him, thus getting rid of his immortality. He then manages to pᴀss them on to Andy during their team-up at the nuclear facility.

Booker understands exactly what he is doing when he pᴀsses his immortality to Andy. Even though Tuah thinks his actions are reckless, he seemingly sees this as a way to atone for his prior betrayal in the first movie. There doesn’t seem to be a specific action required to transfer immortality; Booker’s meaningful thoughts appear to be enough.

The Old Guard 2 does a great job of tracing the path of Nile’s powers throughout the film; she first wounds Booker during their duel, then Booker manages to transfer his powers to Andy, and this allows Andy to survive her encounter with Discord in The Old Guard 2’s ending sequence.

What Andy’s Immortality Means For The Old Guard 3

Although The Old Guard 3 hasn’t officially been confirmed by Netflix, it’s very obvious that the sequel’s writers are setting up some kind of grand showdown between Andy and Discord beyond what happens in this movie. By giving the character her immortality back, the film clearly sets the stage for this duel in a very exciting way.

Throughout much of The Old Guard 2, Andy’s newfound mortality means she can’t always put herself in danger like she’s used to. The character has to reckon with the possibility of death for the first time ever, and this triggers a very important development in her character: a sense of purpose that’s only heightened by Booker’s sacrifice later in the film.

Without this journey and these key moments, Andy may not have been able to overcome her differences with Quynh, which are going to be crucial in the third movie. By the time The Old Guard 2 ends, the two enemies are finally back on the same side, and with the final immortal fighting alongside her, Andy finally has the advantage.