Pan's Labyrinth ending explained

What happens

Ofelia refuses to give the faun her baby brother, and Vidal shoots her. The rebels kill him. As she dies, she is welcomed into the underground kingdom, where her father says her refusal was the final test.

The last image

Ofelia sits on a throne in the underground kingdom, welcomed by her parents, while above ground a flower blooms on the withered tree.

Two readings

1 · A real kingdomHer sacrifice truly earns her a place in another world.

2 · A dying dreamHer imagination comforts her at the moment of death.

What it says

The faun's tasks only seemed to demand obedience. The real test was whether Ofelia would refuse to harm an innocent, even at the cost of her life. The film ends on her choice, which is real either way.