Preacher Series Finale Ending Explained

The series finale of Preacher has finally arrived wrapping up the sordid tale of the Apocalypse with a final showdown between Jesse Custer and God with the mysterious power of Genesis at stake. So does the heavenly father emerge victorious in his quest to restart life on Earth, eliminate humanity, and introduce a new creation? Or does Jesse manage to give humankind another chance at existence? Well, as with all things Preacher, it’s not that simple, but our heroes do manage to earn a somewhat happy ending.

A key facet of the Apocalypse hinges on the involvement of Humperdoo, the tap-dancing progeny of Jesus Christ with special needs. And while Tulip and Cassidy fought over his fate, Tulip eventually won out and killed the boy before he could signal the end of the world. This prompted God to turn to Jesus Christ — who was fresh off of choking Hitler to death — but the Son decided he was through with earning his father’s approval.

So God realizes his plan was done with and flees. Meanwhile, Jesse managed to convince the Saint of Killers that he’s not the true enemy, and the Saint did something we never expected: he repented for his sins. Jesse then delivered a swift death, sending him to the next chapter in his journey.

Jesse goes on to tell agents of the Grail that God has abandoned them yet again, and uses the Word of Genesis to command them all to go find their Lord. Two years pass, Jesse and Tulip have seemingly settled down (as much as they can) with a baby daughter until word comes in about God’s whereabouts; he has fittingly holed up in his trailer now parked out front of the Alamo, waiting for Jesse.

The two have a talk about God’s testing, and Jesse comes to the realization that the Lord simply wants to be loved, and the human race didn’t give him enough affection. Even though he realizes the Word can be used on God, Jesse instead releases it into the world and gives God a warning to not return to Heaven.

But God cannot be commanded by any mere mortal, so he goes against Jesse’s advice only to find the Saint of Killers waiting for him. The Saint kills God in his sanctuary and takes the throne for himself.

It’s not clear if the Saint dispenses a new brand of justice as the leader of Heaven, but there are some interesting developments. Eugene goes on his way to become a popular musician; Herr Starr, having killed Featherstone, lives his life on the run with his restored beauty; and Jesus goes on to work in a hardware store, echoing his days as a carpenter during the time of the New Testament.

40 years later, Cassidy finally returns for the first time since Jesse and Tulip’s child was born. Unfortunately, he returns to the site of his friends’ graves. Jesse and Tulip are buried side-by-side, and Cassidy laments to their daughter that he let time get the best of him.

This is the most poignant scene in the finale, as their daughter explains to Cassidy that they both missed him very much, and that his mother did in fact love him. But given their fight over Humperdoo and Cassidy’s hurt feelings over Tulip preferring Jesse, he couldn’t bring himself to experience any more heartbreak.

But Tulip’s daughter, also played by Ruth Negga, provides him a sense of closure, and the series ends with Cassidy leaving behind his umbrella and embracing the sunlight. The vampire catches on fire and embraces his death after centuries of walking the earth.