Alien: Romulus Ending Explained

Alien: Romulus has received mixed reactions from fans and critics, but I believe it can be widely appreciated as an exceptionally well-crafted film that shows deep respect and care for the franchise’s lore. Personally, I loved it and think Romulus will stand the test of time, much like we’ve seen with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant in recent weeks.

Even though Ridley Scott’s original Prometheus trilogy never saw its final entry (which is unfortunate), Romulus still pays homage to the prequel series with numerous references and nods, including a wild ending that feels right out of the Prometheus playbook. Additionally, since Romulus is set between Alien (2122) and Aliens (2179) in the year 2142, it is deeply rooted in the fan-favorite, original Ripley entries in the Alien timeline.

Alien: Romulus Ending Explained

Are you trying to piece together the final moments of Alien: Romulus? Our detailed explanation breaks down the ending, shedding light on the key twists and how they fit into the larger Alien universe. Discover the deeper connections and unravel the mysteries behind the film’s conclusion.

Who dies in Alien: Romulus?

Once the xenomorphs are unleashed, it doesn’t take long for the crew to be eliminated one by one. Navarro (Aileen Wu) is the first to fall, in a classic chest-bursting scene. Soon after, Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Tyler (Archie Renaux) meet their grim ends through acid burns and impaling, respectively.

Pregnant Kay (Isabella Merced) faces a particularly harrowing experience, as she is captured by a xenomorph and held in its hive until Rain eventually rescues her. Following the rescue, she is advised to return to the ship alone and use a cryopod as soon as possible. However, during her journey, Kay consumes ‘Prometheus Fire’ to survive, leading to the horrifying birth of her ‘Offspring,’ a human-xenomorph hybrid, which ultimately kills her.

What is the black goo in Alien: Romulus?

During the film, revelations about the research conducted on Romulus come to light through Rook—a synthetic human and the station’s science officer. Rook is portrayed using a CGI recreation of the late Ian Holm, who played the synthetic science officer Ash in the original Alien film.

Rook reveals that he and his team were researching how to extract black goo from a xenomorph the very first one from the original Alien film, recovered by the Weyland-Yutani corporation and combine it with human DNA. This black goo, known as ‘Prometheus Fire,’ is similar to the viral weapon found by the crew of the Prometheus in the 2012 film, created by the Engineers who are responsible for both the xenomorphs and humanity.

Rook explains that he believed humanity was unsuited for space colonization, describing it as too weak” and “too fragile, and sought to address this by giving humanity an upgrade. Rook explains, ‘Humanity can’t wait for evolution any more.’ Unfortunately, the experiment backfired, leading to the xenomorphs being unleashed on the station, killing all the researchers and leaving Rook badly damaged.

Rain and Andy, stranded on the ground floor, are warned by Rook that shooting the xenomorphs would cause their acidic blood to burn through the floor, exposing them to the deadly atmosphere. This complicates their plan to get back to their ship, as they must navigate through a horde of xenomorphs. In a desperate moment, Rain, seeking solace before what seems like certain death, asks Andy who has recently returned to his original personality after being altered by a module to serve the Weyland-Yutani corporation to share some of his favorite bad jokes. One joke, ‘I was reading a book about gravity, I couldn’t put it down,’ sparks an idea.

Rain realizes that by turning off the gravity, the acidic blood will float in the air when they shoot the xenomorphs. This will allow them to climb the elevator shaft and return to the cryopods where Kay is waiting. Their escape is narrowly achieved, with many xenomorphs being crushed by the elevator once gravity is restored. Andy manages to shoot the last remaining xenomorph, delivering the iconic line, ‘Get away from her… you bich!’ just as it is about to kill Rain.

What happens with the Xenomorph/human hybrid in Alien: Romulus?

In one of the cryopods, Kay goes into labor and ultimately gives birth to a horrifying xenomorph/human hybrid—the result of injecting herself with black goo in a desperate bid for survival. The hybrid attacks and kills Kay, incapacitates Andy, and then turns its attention to Rain.

Rain tries to escape, donning a space suit and clinging on for dear life as the hybrid assaults her. After a fierce struggle and a major jump scare, she manages to eject the hybrid from the ship, seemingly ensuring her safety. This moment also serves as a callback to how Ellen Ripley dealt with the xenomorph in the original Alien film.

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Where are Rain and Andy going at the end of Alien: Romulus?

The film concludes with Rain placing the damaged Andy in a cryopod chamber, assuring him that she’ll ‘fix’ him before setting their destination to Yvaga, an Earth-like planet they had initially planned to reach. She leaves a final voice log, reminiscent of Ripley’s message in the original Alien film. However, it’s important to note that Rain still has a vial of black goo on her ship, hinting at significant potential for a sequel.