X-Men Origins: Wolverine, ends with an unexpected plot twist and an anticipated post-credits scene. But with the X-Men spinoff stuffing so many new characters together, it can be confusing for viewers to keep track. Mostly playing out as a standalone adventure within the X-Men franchise, the movie deals with Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, flying off to Tokyo to meet an old acquaintance, who is on his deathbed. Yet as new allies and enemies are thrown into the mix, the mutant antihero must release his adamantium claws yet again.
While The Wolverine is notable for depicting its title character's connection to Japan, as in the comics, the movie is also set in the aftermath of Jean Grey’s death in the hated (but underrated) sequel X-Men: The Last Stand. This goes on to become an important theme toward the movie's ending, reminding Wolverine of how he cannot escape his traumatic past even as the emotional overtones of his arc are still not fully fleshed out. Filled with one-on-one fights in the snow, excessive claw action, and the appearance of the Silver Samurai, there is enough action in The Wolverine’s ending to make it memorable.
Where Does The Silver Samurai Come From?
The plot twist at the end of The Wolverine reveals Ichirō Yoshida had faked his death and, seemingly out of nowhere, is now the Silver Samurai. While operating the mechanical suit, Ichirō attempts to defeat Wolverine in combat and extract the mutant’s healing abilities. But he is stabbed by Wolverine's original bone claws (viewers previously saw them in X-Men: Origins Wolverine, which is considered to be X-Men's worst movie), and he dies for real. The Silver Samurai reveal comes unexpectedly, but then it's presumed that Ichirō's colossal armor was being developed all this time so that Wolverine could have had a final boss battle.
The massive suit Ichirō dons is just "plot armor" with little importance to the final showdown, and doesn't offer much emotional depth behind his betrayal. Considering Wolverine saved his life in 1945, as shown in the movie's opening, Ichirō might have felt something before backstabbing his former friend. Rather, he just plays out as a menacing one-dimensional villain who is conveniently brought back from the dead in a protective suit in the poorly reviewed Wolverine movie just so he can extract Wolverine's adamantium on his own. All of Wolverine's previous fights seem to have been providing Ichirō more time to test out the Silver Samurai suit before making his entrance.
What Does Logan’s Hallucination Mean?
When Logan finally kills Ichirō Yoshida with his regenerated bone claws at the end of The Wolverine, he collapses from exhaustion. At that moment, he experiences a hallucination of Jean Grey. Laying on the same bed as his former love interest, he imagines her asking him to her in what seems to be the afterlife. After bearing the guilt of killing Jean in the Dark Phoenix saga of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan decides to let go as he acknowledges that she had been hurting people. The hallucination makes for a surreal, yet integral moment as Logan learns to move on from the emotional baggage of his tumultuous past.
While Logan is not one to easily forgive himself, it is a major moment for him to go a bit easy on himself and make his peace with Jean’s death. The atonement that he was seeking is now attained toward the end of The Wolverine. Logan is no longer the punchline-delivering superhero that he once was. Rather, The Wolverine depicts him as an aging hero coping with loss, a theme only multiped further in the next Wolverine solo movie, Logan, which portrays him as an old man.
What Happens To Mariko & Yukio?
Mariko might be Ichirō Yashida's granddaughter, but it was her life that was threatened due to his will. She becomes the CEO of Yashida Industries by the end of The Wolverine, but there are high hopes she will invest in technologies for the betterment of humanity instead of harboring selfish goals like Ichirō. Meanwhile, the mutant and assassin Yukio also vows allegiance to Logan and serves as his bodyguard for future missions. However, this partnership isn't explored in any other movies. Also, a budding romance between Mariko and Logan is hinted at, furthering the idea that he is finally moving on from Jean Grey.
The Wolverine's Post-Credits Scene, Explained
Post-credits scenes in superhero movies had become the norm around the time of The Wolverine's release, courtesy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Wolverine signals the return of Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier and Ian McKellen's Magneto as they ask Logan to them for a cause against what is to come. A TV playing in this scene also addresses the technological advancements of Trask Industries, subtly hinting at the development of mutant-hunting robots called Sentinels that were developed by Bolivar Trask. All these new threads come together in X-Men: Days of Future Past, released a year later.
The Wolverine's ending is heightened by a post-credits scene that teases major characters without giving away too much. Comics readers are quick to pick up what's in store with the Sentinels, but there's enough surprise for even the X-Men film fans as Xavier had been thought to be dead. Further, even Magneto's powers seem to have returned fully. While Xavier's return was subtly hinted at in X-Men: The Last Stand's own ending, it was exciting to reunite him with his arch-nemesis, Magneto. The unexpected alliance even surprises Wolverine, hinting at how big a threat the future holds.
Why The Wolverine's Ending Is Considered Disappointing
Ever since the Silver Samurai was teased as a potential villain in the trailers for The Wolverine, fans grew cynical of the character's increasingly mechanical appearance. When the movie was released, the third act still came as a disappointment due to the pacing and the wasted potential of the Silver Samurai. In the comics, the character plays out as an intimidating mutant with a personal vendetta against Wolverine. The Wolverine's version is just an excuse for Ichirō Yoshida to be youthful again, an evil goal that just reduces the antagonist to a selfish millionaire. Despite the moral undertones and adrenaline-fueled action of The Wolverine, the ending ultimately ruins the movie.
