Scream 6 Ending Explained: Who Is the New Ghostface Killer?

Every movie in the Scream franchise hinges on its big third act twist, revealing its killer (or killers) and sending them on a monologue about their twisted motives. Ever since Stu and Billy laid out their big plans back in 1996, the Scream films have constantly aimed to keep audiences on their toes with each and every killer. The newly-released Scream VI is no exception. After a killing spree in the Big Apple, a new Ghostface has been unmasked.

WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Scream VI! Continue reading at your own risk...

Scream VI's Ghostface represents a couple of firsts for the long-running slasher franchise. This movie is the first time there have been three killers behind the Ghostface murders, in addition to being the first time a character we've seen "die" on-screen turn out to be one of the killers.

Dermot Mulroney's Detective Bailey is the first character to be revealed as a Ghostface killer in Scream VI. In the trailers, he's the Ghostface wearing the tattered mask that belonged to Billy Loomis, setting him apart from the others. Throughout the movie, Bailey helps Sam and the others track down Ghostface because his daughter, Quinn, was one of the first victims in this particular spree. 

The second killer is revealed to be Jack Champion's Ethan, the roommate of Chad Meeks-Martin. Mindy suspects Ethan the entire movie but he is with her when she's attacked on the subway, seemingly clearing his name. Part of his unmasking is the reveal that he's actually Detective Bailey's son and Quinn's brother.

Speaking of Quinn, Liana Liberato's character was never actually killed by Ghostface, regardless of how gruesome her death looked earlier in the movie. It was all staged and she was one of the killers. Detective Bailey was the first on the scene of the crime and helped her escape, unnoticed, swapping in a dead body double.

This killing spree is a family affair, carried out by a father and his two children. In the final twist of Scream VI, it is revealed that the killers are actually the family of Richie Kirsch, Sam's ex-boyfriend and one of the killers in the previous film. Richie was a Stab fanatic and his father enabled his obsession throughout his life, working together to collect real-life Stab memorabilia and build a shrine to Ghostface. After Sam killed Richie, his father and siblings plotted their revenge. They started by turning the Internet against Sam, using conspiracy theories to paint her as the real killer behind the latest Woodsboro attacks. Then, they drew the group of survivors to New York City and planted themselves in their lives as new roommates.

In Scream VI, Mandy indicates that this round of killings isn't just a sequel to the last murder spree, but also a remake of Stab 2 (Scream 2). That idea comes full circle with the reveal that Richie's dad is behind the killings. The mastermind in Scream 2 was none other than the mother of Billy Loomis, the boyfriend/killer of the previous movie who died at the hands of his heroic girlfriend. Sound familiar?

Scream VI is now playing in theaters.