This article contains spoilers for the Lucifer season 5 finale.
During the final episode of Lucifer season 5, “A Chance at a Happy Ending”, Michael (Tom Ellis) arrives at Lux with an offer for Lucifer (also Tom Ellis). The loss of Dan Espinoza (Kevin Alejandro) still fresh in his mind, Lucifer lashes out at Michael when he suggests that Lucifer could get his old job back as the Hell’s king, but having assembled the Flaming Sword and with the angels on his side, it appears that Michael will be victorious in his efforts to rule Heaven.
Michael tries force Lucifer’s hand, saying that Chloe’s guilt over Dan’s death – which Michael ordered his men to carry out – means that she will go to Hell, too. If Lucifer wants to be with Chloe forever he’ll agree to return to Hell to keep her company. Michael says this is Lucifer’s chance for a happy ending, but Lucifer certainly isn’t about to go down without a fight.
He meets with Chloe and admits he’s been going about his quest to be God all wrong. The thought of Dan in Hell and Chloe set to join him as soon as her fragile mortal heart stops beating has helped Lucifer understand that the situation is much more complex than he realized. After Chloe explains to Lucifer that she can’t simply stop feeling guilt over Dan’s death, her guilt is compounded when she discovers that Dan’s soul is now suffering in Hell.
Remiel arrives and interrupts the heart-breaking scene but dies almost immediately. Chloe and Lucifer realize from examining Remi’s wounds that Michael hasn’t yet constructed the Flaming Sword. He is still missing at least one piece: Amenadiel’s necklace, which includes the key that locks Azrael’s Blade and the Medallion of Life together to create the Flaming Sword – the most powerful weapon in the universe. Lucifer tracks the necklace to TJ the fence, but Michael snags it.
What Was Lucifer’s Plan to Fight Michael?
The episode is chock-full of thoughts from various characters about standing up after a fall, and accepting death while fighting for the greater good even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice, and we see Chloe and Lucifer both accept this journey in the Season 5 finale.
When Lucifer tries to reason with the angels on Michael’s side, he is virtually unsuccessful. Michael suspects that the angel vote might have to be unanimous to install himself on the throne, and a fight breaks out between Lucifer’s crew and Michael’s angel cohort. Even with Mazikeen, Amenadiel, Chloe, Eve, Zadkiel and a whole bunch of newly Hell-sent souls from a crashed prison transport on his side, Lucifer can’t quite beat Michael. After all, Michael has the Flaming Sword, which is capable of killing Lucifer and anyone else that stands in his way.
But Lucifer and Chloe have a plan. While Lucifer fights Michael, Chloe will dart into the fight and rip the key from the sword, disabling it and giving Lucifer a chance to steal it. Meanwhile, Lucifer picks up Azrael’s blade, only to see her suddenly appear at his side. With Lucifer distracted for a brief moment, Michael runs Chloe through with Zadkiel’s staff, killing her.
Mazikeen snaps, and a war breaks out between the angels and demons.
How Did Chloe Come Back to Life?
As Chloe lies dying in his arms, she tells Lucifer that they all made an individual choice to be in the fight one way or another, and knows that she isn’t really responsible for Dan’s death.
As Chloe no longer feels guilty about Dan, her soul ascends to Heaven when she dies at the hands of Michael. Naturally, Michael feels very smug about this turn of events, because he knows that Lucifer can’t follow Chloe to Heaven or he’ll die. Those were the terms of Lucifer’s original banishment, and the Devil understands this when he decides to sacrifice himself to bring her back.
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In Heaven, Chloe is enjoying an idyllic picnic with her dead father when Lucifer crashes into the scene. He hasn’t died instantly because he’s still wearing Lilith’s ring, which grants the wearer immortality. Lucifer also discovers that when a person finally faces their guilt in Hell, they can ascend.
Chloe is reluctant to escape Heaven and her father’s comforting presence at first, but her death would leave her young daughter Trixie an orphan. Meanwhile, Lilith’s ring is running out of power and Lucifer must make the choice to save Chloe by giving it to her. He places the ring on her engagement finger.
Wait, did these two just get engaged?!
Lucifer tells Chloe he loves her, and her soul returns to her body, resurrecting the Detective back on Earth. As for Lucifer? That appears to be the end of him.
How Did Lucifer Return From Heaven?
Of course, Lucifer isn’t dead because a sixth and final season of this show was ordered by Netflix at the last minute, forcing the showrunners to undo their planned ending for the series. Perhaps this is how it all would have ended had Lucifer not been revived one final time, but here we are.
Chloe fights Michael wearing Lilith’s ring. She is still holding the key, which gives her increased strength, so she is suddenly more than a match for Michael. As she debates slitting Michael’s throat for his actions against them, Chloe hears a familiar voice shout “Detective!”
It’s Lucifer, and he’s very much not dead. Chloe gives Lucifer Azrael’s Blade, and he wields the Flaming Sword against Michael. Their fight was supposed to be “to the death” but Lucifer decides to slice Michael’s wings off instead.
“I’ve learned everyone deserves a second chance,” Lucifer tells Michael, adding “even me.” It appears that Lucifer has been given one, but he doesn’t know how exactly it was granted, or by whom. The angels and demons understand, however, that Lucifer has won the war, and they all kneel to him – including Michael.
Lucifer lifts the Flaming Sword aloft hesitantly. “Oh my me!” he exclaims.
Is Lucifer God Now?
It certainly appears that Lucifer has now been accepted as the new ruler of the universe by angels and demons alike, but we should remember that we haven’t yet seen any proof that Lucifer is now all-powerful. God may have retired, leaving his successor to take over, but we won’t find out until season 6 what kind of powers Lucifer will have over Hell, Heaven and Earth.
If Lucifer has indeed become God, will he make some big changes in the way things are run? Will he be able to rescue Dan’s soul from Hell? And will he still want to help Chloe and Ella solve murder cases in Los Angeles? Feels like he might be a little bit too busy for all that now, although we can’t imagine Lucifer not creating at least a little downtime for a few piano numbers at Lux in season 6.
We’ll find out the answers to these questions and more when the series returns with its final block of episodes. Lucifer Season 6 hasn’t set a release date on Netflix yet, but it’s definitely incoming. When it finally arrives, it will be time to say goodbye to Lucifer for good.