‘Indiana Jones 5’ Ending Explained: Indy’s Future, Mutt’s Fate & More Revealed

Indy’s still got it after all these years. Harrison Ford’s iconic character teams up with his goddaughter for a globe-trotting adventure that ends on a touching note. Spoilers ahead!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a tale that starts in Indy’s early days during World War II. That’s when he first crosses paths with Archimedes’s Dial and Jürgen Voller, a Nazi who also wants to get his hands on that Dial. Indy and his colleague Basil Shaw are able to acquire half of the Dial and escape the Nazis, but the story isn’t over. Flash forward 25 years later, and the hunt for the Dial is just beginning.

A lot goes down in those 25 years. Indy is now a retiring professor at Hunter College and separated from Marion after their son, Mutt, died in the Vietnam War. Helena, Basil’s daughter and Indy’s goddaughter, shows up unexpectedly and steals the Dial so she can sell it. This sparks an epic and far-reaching journey for Indy and Helena, including fighting Nazis and traveling back in time — literally.

How Did Indiana Jones 5 End?

Voller is on a quest to get the Dial as well and follows Indy and Helena on their journey. It’s a cat-and-mouse game between Voller, Indy, and Helena. Indy and Helena manage to find the other half of the Dial in Archimedes’ tomb. Unfortunately, Voller and his goons have followed them. The second half of the Dial ends up in Voller’s hands after Indy is shot.

Voller wants to use the whole Dial to travel back in time and win World War II. He wants to fix where Hitler went wrong. An injured Indy is taken on the plane with Voller and his men, and Helena follows them. She finds her way onto the plane secretly.

Voller doesn’t think about continental drift when it comes to his time-traveling. The plane doesn’t travel back to 1939. They end up in 214 B.C. when the Romans are invading Sicily in the Siege of Syracuse. Voller and his right-hand man, Klaber, die in a plane crash. Archimedes stumbles upon Voller and Klaber. He takes Voller’s watch and the Dial.

Indy is amazed at what he sees and decides that he wants to stay in 214 B.C. Helena begs him to reconsider. Archimedes comes across Indy and Helena. The portal for Indy and Helena to get back to 1969 is quickly closing. Indy is still insisting that he wants to stay, so Helena takes matters into her own hands. She punches Indy and knocks him unconscious so she can get him on Teddy’s plane and back to their time.

When Indy wakes up, he’s back in 1969. The Dial is with him. Indy believes he could have changed the course of history if he’d stayed behind. “You’re meant to be here, Indy,” Helena says. Not just for her, but for Marion, too.

Marion shows up at Indy’s apartment with Teddy. Helena and Teddy give Indy and Marion some time alone. They finally talk to one another. They’ve been through so much together, but they don’t want to walk through the rest of their lives alone. Indy and Marion reunite and share a passionate kiss.

Harrison Ford has been playing Indiana Jones since 1981. The character has had his fair share of adventures over the last 40 years. With Indy back where he needs to be and reunited with Marion, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a perfect swan song for the action hero.