'Hazbin Hotel' Season 1 Ending Explained: Do Hell's Favorite Sinners Get Their Redemption? (2024)

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Hazbin Hotel Season 1 finale

Rarely has a series been able to accomplish as much as the Hazbin Hotel has. Created for YouTube by Vivienne Medrano, this series evolved from a pilot on the streaming site to a full-fledged season of top-tier television on Prime Video. Beautifully animated and hilariously crass, this musical show depicting the lives of sinners in a fantastical version of Hell has awed audiences this season for just how complex its story is. While its premise of Hell's Princess attempting to rehabilitate sinners appears like a losing game, the season finale of Hazbin Hotel saw her ragtag group of heathens win against their Angelic antagonists and embody the kindness they've been practicing all season. This finale was so jam-packed with action and heartfelt moments that many viewers may have missed that some of the season's biggest questions were answered! Whether it's if the core conceit of the entire show is true or false, or just where some of this season's shadiest characters have been hiding, this episode revealed some immensely important truths that hold gigantic implications for the show's second season. Breaking these down is the key to understanding where the story may go — and just who the true villains of Hell may have been all along.

Hazbin Hotel

Animation

Comedy

Crime

In an attempt to find a non-violent alternative for reducing Hell's overpopulation, the daughter of Lucifer opens a rehabilitation hotel that offers a group of misfit demons a chance at redemption.

Creator

Vivienne Medrano

Cast

Erika Henningsen , Christian Borle , Alex Brightman , Amir Talai

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

2

Release Date

October 28, 2019

Welcome to the 'Hazbin Hotel'!

Hazbin Hotel focuses on the Princess of Hell, Charlie (Erika Henningsen), who has had to watch in horror every year as ranks of angelic 'Exorcists' descend from Heaven to massacre as many sinners as they can, claiming they do this to limit overpopulation. Being the child of the fallen angel Lucifer (Jeremy Jordan) and the first sinner Lilith means that, unlike most of her friends who died on earth and descended to this domain, Charlie's only home is Hell, and she is tired of seeing its inhabitants suffer. So, she has an idea: what if she helps 'rehabilitate' sinners, converting them from lecherous villains into beings worthy of ascension to erase the risk of 'overpopulation'?

This season sees her and her girlfriend, Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz), trying to convert sinners, and though they make progress with resident Angel Dust (Blake Roman) a meeting in Heaven reveals the truth: not only are these yearly massacres revenge for some unseen 'uprising', but the leaders of Heaven are adamant in denying sinners of entry - even if their souls are genuinely good. Furious at this blatant rigging, the finale sees Charlie and her friend determined to fight back.

Surprisingly, it's one of their losses that reveals the season's ultimate truth: Charlie was right! While the demons do surprisingly well against the Exorcists, they watch as Sir Pentious (Alex Brightman) dies trying to save them. Pentious was a sinful snake who transformed from a power-hungry coward into a kind and loving coward with the help of Charlie. This is a heartbreaking moment, but one of the final scenes shocks angels and viewers alike as Sir Pentious suddenly appears in Heaven with a much more angelic appearance. It looks like sinners can be redeemed! Those who find their souls changed for the better are not only eligible for Heaven but will be sent there if they die, and while Charlie ends the finale unaware of this momentous information, it proves that her work wasn't for naught and redemption is very possible. She was right that those in Hell can find their way to Heaven. If Sir Pentious is any evidence, Charlie and her hotel are their best chances to do just that.

Lilith Betrays Hell to Vacation in Heaven

A question that lingers in the background of Hazbin Hotel's first season is the location of Charlie's mom, Lilith, the First Woman. The exposition shows that she rebelled against her mediocre first husband, Adam (Alex Brightman), finding comfort with Lucifer outside the Garden of Eden. While the fallen angel floundered when they were banished to the underworld, Lilith thrived within the banishment. She inspired millions of sinners with her voice, yet despite this influence and Charlie's clear love for her, she is noticeably absent across (almost) all eight episodes. While flashbacks indicate that she had a close relationship with Charlie and is one of the reasons for her and her father's distant relationship, viewers gain no real insight into who she is or why her daughter hasn't seen her in seven years. The question of her whereabouts looms over the show's core plot, and it's not until the absolute final scene of the season that audiences discover just where she's been hiding. Charlie was desperate to talk to her mother, to ask her advice and learn where she'd been — turns out, all she had to do was look up.

In an infuriatingly mysterious scene, the finale shows the new leader of the Exorcists, Lute (Jessica Vosk), angrily walking along a gorgeous white beach to a woman sunbathing in the sand. Her dialogue unveils the woman's identity, shocking everyone watching: Lilith, the first rebel to deny the will of Heaven, is currently lounging in Heaven. Lute angrily commands that she go down to Hell and stop her daughter from shattering the imbalanced foundations that have ruled their dimensions for eons. More than this, though, she makes comments that with Adam's death, his and Lilith's 'deal' is off. While we never see these two interact, Hazbin Hotel makes clear that Lilith was willing to risk a wild unknown over an unbearable partnership with Adam. Despite this, these lines suggest that somewhere in the past seven years the pair struck up a deal that gained her access to paradise. Access that she chose over a connection with her daughter, though Lute's threats make it clear that a family reunion for the two is imminent. This shocking reveal managed to answer one of the mysteries of this season, yet Lilith's reveal and her new mission sparks a rush of other questions that unfortunately won't be answered until Season 2.

In 'Hazbin Hotel', Love Heals

The first season of Hazbin Hotel was a chaotically fun story of just how soul-changing love and friendship can be. While rooted in Hell, the emotional journey of its character literally transcends dimensions to emphasize an important message about who has access to redemption and what it means to choose good over evil. The reveal that Heaven is not barred to sinners is an extremely heartening one that validates Charlie's mission and shows that there is hope for every person in Hell to change their fiendish ways. While this information is not apparent to the main cast yet, odds are Season 2 will feature the backlash of this development as Heaven's officials realize the restrictions they've used to excuse their cruelty are changing. With this, Lilith's appearance and the importance of her place in Heaven may hint at whom the sophom*ore season's primary villain may be. Just how much does she cherish her residency in 'the good place', and is Lilith willing to compromise not only her daughter but every soul in Hell to keep it? This finale offered just as many answers as it did questions, ones that fans will unfortunately have to wait until Season 2 to see addressed.

Even with its bright colors and crude jokes, Hazbin Hotel grants depth to a story that pairs fantasy with a surprisingly complex narrative. What does it mean that sinners can ascend to Heaven and when will Charlie find out? Why did Lilith abandon her demonic flock, and will she ruin her daughter's dreams for the sake of her own? And, perhaps most pressing: when will Angel Dust and Husk (Keith David) finally kiss!? It may be a while before these questions get answered, but if Season 1's finale speaks to the quality of the series going forward, it will definitely be worth the wait.

Hazbin Hotel is Available to Stream on Prime Video

Watch on Prime Video