‘The Judge from Hell’ ending explained: Know the fates of Bit-na and Han Daon

Major Spoilers ahead for season 1 of The Judge from Hell!

From demon Bit-na sacrificing her life to bring justice to her human lover Han Daon to angel Gabriel gifting Bit-na a miracle, The Judge from Hell documented a tense finale with a rather interesting ending. Curious to know how director Park Jin-pyo ties up the action-packed fantasy thriller? Here we bring you all the details of the K-drama The Judge from Hell, from plot to ending explained.

Deemed by Disney Plus as a “courtroom drama with a demonic twist”, The Judge from Hell is led by Park Shin-hye and Kim Jae-yeong, who play protagonists Kang Bit-na and Han Daon respectively. Written by Jo Yi-soo, the 14-episode supernatural K-drama focuses on demon judge Justitia, who is sent to Earth to send ten sinners to Hell. Justitia has no regard for Earth’s judicial system and offers light sentences to criminals so that she can kill them in secret and send them to Hell. But after meeting compassionate detective Han Daon, she embarks on a journey to becoming a true judge.

According to Korea’s viewership data analytics platform, Nielsen Korea, The Judge from Hell, one of the highest-rated K-dramas of 2024, recorded an average finale viewership rating of 11.9 percent.

The Judge from Hell ending explained: The cast and the characters they play

Park Shin-hye as Kang Bit-na

Kim Jae-young as Han Daon

Kim In-kwon as Gu Mando

Kim Ah-young as Lee A-rong

Kim Young-ok as Oh Mija

Shin Sung-rok as Bael

Kyu Han-lee as Jeon Tae-gyu

The Judge from Hell K-drama ending explained: Is Bit-na still alive?

[13회 엔딩]
칼에 맞고 숨이 멎은 박신혜
그리고 그걸 지켜볼 수밖에 없는 김재영

SBS 금토드라마 <지옥에서 온 판사>
☞ 최종회 [토] 밤 9시 50분#SBS금토드라마 #지옥에서온판사#TheJudgefromhell #지옥에서온판사엔딩#지옥에서온판사13회엔딩 #13회엔딩#박신혜 #김재영 #김인권 #김아영 pic.twitter.com/wSPAftNsTe

— SBSNOW (@SBSNOW) November 1, 2024

In the ending of the fantasy Korean drama The Judge from Hell, viewers see Oh Mija’s prophecy — that if Bit-na and Han Daon are together, one of them must die — unfolding.

After sentencing serial killer J, aka Jung Tae-gyu to death during his trial, Bit-na proves her stature as a just judge and restores people’s faith in the system. However, Bael had already made it clear to her that If she didn’t release Jung Tae-gyu, she would face eternal death in Hell. But viewers see Bit-na choosing death rather than breaking Han Daon’s trust in her.

After the trial, she meets Daon at a bridge and informs him that she needs to leave soon. She then confesses her feelings, “I loved you a lot Han Daon”, before bidding him a final goodbye. She also admits that he is the only weakness in her life.

Elsewhere, A-rong, aka demon Venato rushes to Daon’s workplace and informs him that Bit-na will soon be dead. Daon runs to her but in vain as Bit-na is already stabbed by Bael’s underling. Daon finds her mortal bloodied body on the ground and rushes her to the hospital. However, soon the doctors declared her dead.

Inside Hell, Bael is not happy with Justitia for disobeying him and bestows eternal death upon her. However, Gabriel suddenly shows up on God’s behalf and informs that because Justitia, as Bit-na, has been a fair judge, God has granted her a second chance at life by overruling Bael’s command.

On earth, Bit-na wakes up all healed at the hospital and Daon cherishes her return. Later, the duo pay their respects to their neighbour Mija at her funeral. For context, Mija’s body was a host for the angel Gabriel. After helping Bit-na in Hell, Gabriel returns to Heaven.

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The Judge from Hell K-drama ending explained: What happens after Jeon Tae-gyu escapes jail?

넌 짐승이니까 사냥해 줄게
박신혜가 선택한 완벽한 복수 방법은?

통쾌한 복수 보러가기
☞ https://t.co/7yQxgC6wqF

지금까지 SBS 금토드라마 <지옥에서 온 판사>를
사랑해 주셔서 감사합니다#SBS금토드라마 #지옥에서온판사#TheJudgefromhell #박신혜 #김재영 #김인권 #김아영 #이규한 pic.twitter.com/0wqD9WJ5S6

— SBSNOW (@SBSNOW) November 2, 2024

After serial killer Tae-gyu gets out of prison, he meets his attorney, who was his accomplice in orchestrating the escape plan. However, Tae-gyu kills him and heads to the airport to get his fake passport. On his way, he receives an urgent call and learns that something is wrong with the passport and he will only receive it the next day. This turns out to be Bit-na’s doing, who with the help of Mando, manages to lure him back to his vacation home.

Bitna then puts on her judgement day outfit and meets Tae-gyu. In her trial, she goes all-out with her punishment and shows Tae-gyu no mercy. She uses her powers to transport him into nightmares that feel all too real. At first, Tae-gyu finds himself in a jungle where Bit-na hunts him for sport and brutally injures him. Then Tae-gyu finds himself in Hell where Bit-na has his father, aka Satan, brought up to swordfight and the former is mercilessly slashed. Finally, the nightmares get over and as Tae-gyu begs Bit-na for mercy, she gives him the same treatment he used to give his victims and chops him up with an axe. She then conjures the Gehenna blade, stabs Tae-gyu with it and sends him to Hell.

She leaves Tae-gyu’s mortal body hanging by a pole on the front lawn of his house. When the police arrive, they also find 14 coffins containing the body parts of Tae-gyu’s victims that he had initially stored in a secret room in his mansion.

The Judge from Hell K-drama ending explained: Does Bael summon Bit-na back to Hell?

Yes, he does. After Bit-na successfully sends Tae-gyu to Hell, Bael meets her and congratulates her for completing her mission on Earth. He then informs her that she is to return to Hell and remain loyal to him as his sole heir. She agrees to it but requests Bael to give her 3 years on earth to make the most of her life as a human judge. Bael grants her wish.

Do Bit-na and Han Daon get their happily ever after?

서로의 사랑을 확인하는 빛나❤다온

지금까지 SBS 금토드라마 <지옥에서 온 판사>를
사랑해 주셔서 감사합니다#SBS금토드라마 #지옥에서온판사#TheJudgefromhell #박신혜 #김재영 #김인권 #김아영 pic.twitter.com/RkCtlL9UGR

— SBSNOW (@SBSNOW) November 3, 2024

Bit-na informs Daon about her deal with Bael and decides to enjoy her three years on Earth. Daon is content with anything she offers him and respects her decision.

Two years later in the supernatural K-drama, Bit-na, who was transferred from Seoul, is sent back to work in Seoul Central Court. She is happy to be in the company of her old colleagues and Daon. She also moves back to Hwangcheon Dong and shares a meal with her old neighbours and checks up on the families of the victims. However, her happiness is short-lived when Bael meets her at her office and in one of the most shocking twists of The Judge from Hell, informs her that Lucifer is impatient to make a final deal with her. In her third year on earth, if she manages to kill ten sinners and send them to Hell, Lucifer will let Bit-na stay on earth as a human for the rest of her life.

In the ending moments of The Judge from Hell, Bit-na informs Daon about Lucifer’s deal. She expresses her discomfort at having to give light sentences to sinners during their trials so that she can kill them in secret and send them to Hell. But accepting the deal would mean that she can stay on earth with Daon for the rest of her life. The latter reassures Bit-na saying that he will support her in all her decisions.

Before the credits roll, Bit-na, who is on her way back from a hearing, meets a bunch of school kids. When they question her if she is a good judge or a bad one, she breaks the fourth wall and quips, “I am a judge from Hell”. This hints at the fact that Bit-na did accept Lucifer’s deal of sending ten sinners to Hell once again, to stay human forever and spend a lifetime with Daon on earth.

Watch The Judge from Hell on Disney Plus here.

(Hero Image: Courtesy IMDb; Featured image: Courtesy SBSNOW/@SBSNOW via X)