Oshi No Ko Releases Its Final Chapter (And Why The Ending is Bittersweet)

The time has come to say goodbye to Oshi No Ko. The Dark Idol series is one that became a dark horse in both its manga and anime adaptation as the story of Ai and her children resonated amongst fans. Unfortunately, much like recent examples in My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, the series from creators Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari has released its final chapter in 2024. Luckily, if you want to learn how Ruby’s story has ended, we here at ComicBook.com are more than happy to share a summer of Oshi No Ko’s grand finale and explain why the series ended on a bittersweet note.

Warning. If you want to avoid spoilers when it comes to Oshi No Ko’s final manga chapter, Chapter 166, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into some major spoiler territory. In the lead-up to the series finale, Ruby’s brother, Aqua, made the drastic decision to save his sister by taking the sociopath Hikaru Kamiki off the map for good. Unfortunately, the only way to do so was for Aqua to sacrifice his own life, grabbing a hold of the “undeniable monster” and having them both plunge to their deaths. Struggling with the loss of her brother, Oshi No Ko’s final chapter is one that explores Ruby’s plans for the future, her impact on the world,

Ruby’s Future

The final chapter begins with Ruby still processing the loss of her brother, coming to the decision to simply run in the face of her own heartbreak. Luckily, the friends that Aqua’s sister made along the way in the series are there to lend an ear and a shoulder to cry on. Most of the finale is free from text bubbles and instead relies on an overarching narrator to break down what is taking place, as they state the following, “We chose to live. We chose to search for the meaning of our lives while occasionally remembering you, who have passed away. It’s not easy, but we believe that if we do our best at what we can do, we’ll find a reason for living.”

Ruby does in fact find a reason for living in that she follows in Ai’s footsteps and becomes a successful idol herself. Ruby’s recent trauma, as explained in the finale, connects the world to her and her popularity skyrockets as a result. In experiencing her tragedy, Ruby is able to make her dreams come true at a cost that might be too much to bear.

Is Ruby Ok?

Our final moments of the last chapter see Ruby explaining to the readers that she is “working again.” The surviving protagonist explains that she needs to tell “lie after lie” and that no matter “how hard things get,” she needs to smile and have fun on stage. She states that she now has an incredibly fun job and will work to the future that was cemented by Ai and Aqua though there is a sadness behind this statement.

In putting on a happy face, Ruby bids adieu to readers as the series comes to a close. Ruby might have had her dream come true of becoming an idol, entertaining the masses, but she has lost her mother and brother in forging this path for her. The line she states in needing to tell “lie after lie” is an illuminating one, as certainly leads us to believe that her happy exterior in the final panels is a lie in and of itself. We might never see what the future holds for Ruby beyond this moment but the ending is one that still has a level of sadness surrounding it despite Ai’s daughter receiving the best ending she could given the circumstances.

Want to see what the future holds for Oshi No Ko following the manga’s finale? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the idol series and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.