The Searchers ending explained

What happens

Martin kills Scar and Ethan, instead of killing Debbie as he had planned, lifts her up and carries her home. The family takes her in, but Ethan stays outside the door, then turns and walks away.

The last image

The door closes on the family inside, leaving Ethan alone in the doorway before he turns and walks off into the open land.

What it says

The door mirrors the opening shot: the man who made the home safe cannot belong in it. Ford lets you admire Ethan's toughness, then shows its cost, so the hero's reward is exile, and his hatred is never excused.