Succession ending explained: Does Kendall die?

The Succession finale has just aired, and after that jaw-dropper of an ending, viewers may be wondering: does Kendall die? Here’s what you need to know.

After four seasons of TV, full of highs and lows, alliances and backstabbings, it was still all to play for going into the final chapter of Succession: the CE-Bros going up against “Shiv the shiv” and her Swedish “puppet” for control of the family business, Waystar Royco.

The feature-length finale was a rollercoaster befitting of the show: we laughed, we gasped, and we even shed a few tears as it drew to a close… particularly as a result of Kendall’s heartbreaking final scenes.

It’ll be the question on every Succession fan’s mind: did Kendall kill himself, or is he still alive after the ending? Spoilers to follow… obviously.

Does Kendall die in the Succession finale?

The finale cuts to black before we see what happens… but we think Kendall kills himself. Perhaps not there in that exact moment, but it’s inevitable.

Water is a recurring element in major moments of Kendall’s life throughout the series: in Season 1, he crashed into the river at Shiv’s wedding and left the waiter to die; in Season 3, he seemed to attempt to take his own life by drowning himself in the pool; and throughout Season 4, the ocean has been associated with triumph – or at the very least, peace.

As the Waystar board convened to vote on the GoJo deal, Kendall had it all: Shiv and Roman were on his side, he had Stewy in his arsenal, and he was charming everyone he rubbed shoulders with. However, two frosty moments with his siblings soured it: he hugged Roman so tightly he burst his stitches on his face, and when Shiv got cold feet over the deal, he claimed he “false-memoried” the death of the waiter.

Kendall manically begs Shiv to vote for him; one second he’s nearly weeping and pleading, the next he’s furious, with saliva frothing through his gnashing teeth. He also worries that he “might die” if he can’t fulfill his destiny and become CEO. Roman had already voted against the deal, but Shiv storms off and votes for the GoJo deal.

We see Kendall leaving the building in a haze, and the last scene of the show catches up with him walking towards the sea, with Colin following behind him. He stands at the railing overlooking the crashing waves, before standing back and sitting down. As he stares out, we see Colin lingering in the background, and the scene cuts to black.

It’ll be an ending that’s open to debate, that’s for sure – but our eyes are “open”, and it seems like Kendall will part ways with his world after losing everything. In his head, he has nothing, so why would he go on?

In an interview with Variety, showrunner Jesse Armstrong said: “For Kendall, this will never stop being the central event of his life, the central days of his life, central couple of years of his life.

“Maybe he could go on and start a company, or do a thing. But the chances of him achieving the sort of corporate status that his dad achieved are very low. And I think that will mark his whole life.”

Succession ending explained: What else happens?

Well, here’s the answer we’ve been waiting for: Lukas Matsson chooses Tom to be the new Waystar CEO.

Early in the episode, Matsson tells Tom he’s grown a bit wary of Shiv’s pushiness around him. He clearly doesn’t enjoy feeling like a “puppet”, and he also thinks they’re a bit “clickety-clickety” – aka, he wants to have sex with her and he thinks she does too.

“I’m looking for a frontman… a pain sponge. Logan Mark II, only this time he’s f*cking sexy,” he tells Tom, who then tells Greg… who then betrays Tom by telling Kendall. When Tom finds out about Greg’s treachery, they have a fight in the bathroom, and Greg actually hits back.

After the deal is finalized, Tom strolls into the building surrounded by his new team and the “old guard” fawning over him. Greg, rather sheepishly, walks over to congratulate him and asks what his plans are. “You are a f*cking piece of sh*t,” Tom says, and tells him that Matsson hates his guts after what he did. However, he reveals he has “just enough capital” to keep him, and while he’s branded a “Judas” by Matsson, he’s safe with Tom at Waystar.

What about Roman? He’s messed up in all sorts of ways, but he’s more self-aware than his siblings. “We’re nothing, we’re all bullsh*t,” he tells Kendall, and we last see him having a quiet drink in a bar on his own – filthy rich and not one worry in the world.

Tom leaves to meet Shiv in the car. “Congratulations,” she quietly, resentfully says, but he brushes it off. They hold hands – barely – as the car drives away; it’s the beginning of a not-so-beautiful, “real” relationship, as they put it.

Succession Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on HBO and Sky now. Check out our other coverage below:

Season 4 cast | Season 4 release schedule | Season 4 runtimes | Is Succession based on a real family? | What time does Succession drop? | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Episode 9