The Last Witch Hunter ends on a poignant choice for Vin Diesel’s тιтular hero, creating a spectacular finale for the centuries-old battle between good and evil he finds himself at the center of. Released in 2015, the fantasy epic The Last Witch Hunter stars Vin Diesel as Kaulder, a knight who once fought and slew the Witch Queen who created the Black Plague centuries ago, only to be cursed with eternal life via her dying breath. One of Vin Diesel’s strongest characters, Kaulder survives into the modern day, acting as a sort of law enforcement for an ancient pact.

Hunting down the witches who betray this old secret treaty with humans as part of the organization the Axe and Cross, Kaulder becomes suspicious of the disappearance of the organization’s 36th priest, called the “Dolan”, just before his retirement. Aided by the new 37th Dolan, who was chosen to be his replacement, Kaulder launches an investigation against the sinister forces at play behind the disappearance. Recruiting a witch named Chloe to help him scour his memory, Kaulder discovers long-forgotten secrets to the Witch Queen’s ancient resurrection plot, with her old allies poised to revive her via her hidden heart.

How The Witch Queen Survived Kaulder’s Ancient Attack

And How She Came Back

It turns out that when Kaulder and his fellow knights initially killed the Witch Queen all those years ago, they only managed to destroy her body, burning it to ash. Her heart was magically preserved by the first Dolan and hidden, despite the fact that it left the possibility of resurrection on the table, because fully killing the Witch Queen by destroying her heart would effectively undo the effects of her curse, killing Kaulder. The first Dolan judged that keeping Kaulder alive as an immortal witch hunter was simply too important, secretly pᴀssing this knowledge on to all future Dolans.

A witch named Belial turns out to be behind the death of the 36th Dolan, who was interrogated as to the heart’s final resting place, possibly allowing other witches to resurrect their ancient queen to unleash another plague upon humanity. Ultimately, the plot is successful, and the Witch Queen returns to the world thanks to the sacrifice of her followers. It’s up to Kaulder, Chloe (played by Rose Leslie of Game of Thrones cast fame), and the 37th Dolan (played by Elijah Wood) to defeat her once and for all.

Why The 37th Dolan Betrays Kaulder

His Sudden Heel Turn His Hard To See Coming

The Last Witch Hunter is one of many movies to offer a surprise twist villain in the final act, however. Before Kaulder and Chloe can go about stopping the evil Witch Queen’s return, Kaulder finds himself attacked by none other than the 37th Dolan. It turns out that the 37th Dolan was actually the son of a witch and warlock couple that Kaulder had previously killed, though he never manifested their magical abilities. Vowing revenge, 37 suddenly throws a horrible monkey wrench into Kaulder’s plans.

In his last moments, The 37th Dolan tries to make an appeal to the Witch Queen, asking her to grant him the same powers once held by his parents. However, out of spite, rage, or pure villainy, she refuses and kills him instead. It’s a shocking and tragic end to the last priest of the Axe and Cross that never pᴀssed on his тιтle, potentially only gaining the position through deception in the first place.

How Kaulder Ultimately Defeats The Witch Queen

Her Death Calls Back To The Intro While Giving Kaulder A Dangerous Moral Choice

Towards the beginning of the film, Kaulder is seen confiscating dangerous weather runes from a teenage witch on a plane. It’s this contraband that aids him in the final battle, applying the magical runes to his sword and flinging it into the Witch Queen’s body to burn her to cinders once more. Thus, he is presented with the Witch Queen’s heart, armed with the knowledge that he could kill her for good here and now at the cost of his own long life.

Initially, Kaulder intends to follow through with doing so, judging that his continued existence as an eternal peacekeeper between the realms of humans and witches isn’t worth the possibility that the Witch Queen could arise again. However, Chloe is able to make him see the error in this line of thinking, convincing Kaulder he can have value outside of the narrow, limited tool the Dolans used him as. Besides that, Chloe implies that there are magical threats out there more dangerous than the Witch Queen that Kaulder needs to be there for.

What Comes Next For Kaulder And Company

Not To Mention The Franchise Itself

Kaulder’s ultimate choice to keep on living comes with sever changes to his life, officially freeing him from the limited bondage of servitude he survived under for so many years. Though he was a valuable weapon in the fight against evil, Kaulder never truly lived. But with his new companion Chloe, and the 36th Dolan, now recovered from the hexes of the witches who tortured him, Kaulder has friends for the first time as well as trusted comrades. The three form a new version of the Axe and Cross together, free from the restrictive traditions of the old one.

In the end, the Witch Queen’s heart is placed in an ancient vault, alongside his old weapons tying him to his previous life. Now free to protect humanity in the way he sees fit, Kaulder is officially a free man for the first time in 8 centuries. However, as the film closes, the Witch Queen’s heartbeat can still be heard, ominously promising that her resurrection will always be a possibility so long as Kaulder lives. Indeed, if there ever is a sequel to The Last Witch Hunter, it’s very possible that the Witch Queen will once again be involved.

Shockingly, Vin Diesel has teased that The Last Witch Hunter 2 will indeed be happening after over a decade, despite the original’s poor critical response and box office mediocrity. It’s possible that the movie’s renewed success on streaming platforms was able to combine with Vin Diesel’s personal pᴀssion for the project to finally be greenlit. In either case, there are plenty more adventures for Kaulder, Chloe and the 36th Dolan to have in future installments of The Last Witch Hunter, considering the satisfying conclusion of the original that left the door open for future projects.