Summary
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off debunks a long-standing theory about whether Scott actually killed the Evil Exes in battle when they turned into coins. The new anime reveals that the Exes were actually resurrected in their home, completely debunking fan theories about their fate. This was actually confirmed by Bryan Lee O’Malley a decade ago. While Exes can resurrect, Scott Pilgrim can die and doesn’t have resurrection privileges like villains.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Scott Pilgrim Goes On! A long-standing theory about the movie Scott Pilgrim has been officially debunked by a clever detail in Scott Pilgrim takes off. Although Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was not a financial success, but the film eventually became a cult classic among fans thanks to its fast-paced humor and epic action scenes. However, one theory that has been considered for many years concerns whether Scott actually killed the Exes in battle when they switched to coins. Now, the new anime has officially addressed this question and completely debunked it.
In the seventh episode of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, titled “2 Scott 2 Pilgrim,” the story focuses on Scott and his future self dealing with what he is doing while Ramona is looking for look for him. While there, he is shocked to learn that Old Scott has actually befriended the Katayanagi Twins even though he comes from a timeline where he actually defeated all seven Evil Exes. Old Scott solves this problem by mentioning to his younger self that the two actually never died but were resurrected in their home.
This reveal completely destroys any theories fans had about the fate of the Exes since they never actually died. Rather, they simply return to where they started.
Author Scott Pilgrim explained what happened to defeated exes before
They don’t die, they just revive.
What’s interesting about the reveal surrounding the fate of League of Evil Exes is that it effectively canonizes something that Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley confirmed more than a decade ago when the anime first debuted. Firstly. According to O’Malley on his RadioMaru Tumblr page, once defeated, the Exes “resurrected in their home and have learned their lesson. CANON.” It’s clear that O’Malley wants to use this new animated film as a way to officially end the theories once and for all by canonizing it in an official Scott Pilgrim media outlet.
Exes’ resurrected Canon opens up new questions about Scott Pilgrim’s takeoff
Scott Pilgrim could actually die.
With this huge theory officially debunked, it seems there will no longer be any questions surrounding the battle between Scott and the Evil Exes. However, one big question remains regarding the series’ big turning point. If Scott was said to have been defeated in battle by Matthew Patel, why did his friends immediately assume he was dead? After all, if everyone in this world could be revived after being defeated in battle, Rockit wouldn’t have been much of a shock since his friends would have assumed he’d probably just returned to the by Wallace. However, this is solved by a fairly simple answer: Scott is not like Exes and can die in battle.
Unlike the Evil Exes, Scott died in both the original comics and the 2010 movie. The only way he could escape death was from an extra life he picked up during his journey to defeat the Evil Exes. This may be because he is considered the “hero” of this story and therefore has a limited number of “lives” before the game is over for him. Villains have the ability to revive to continue attacking heroes, but Scott doesn’t have that privilege. If he fails after a certain number of tries, he will die permanently.
Regardless of the logic behind Scott’s ability to live or die in his world, it’s great to see such a huge theory finally resolved with an official entry in the series. It’s something fans have been wondering about for a long time, and until now, the answer has only been known to followers of O’Malley’s Tumblr page. Now, everyone knows about the truth behind the Evil Exes’ fate after being defeated in battle, and it’s one of the many clever details and Easter Eggs incorporated in Scott Pilgrim takes off that makes it a defining entry in the franchise.
Watch on Netflix
Source: RadioMaru/Bryan Lee O’Malley
Scott Pilgrim takes off
Release date: 2023-11-17
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Satya Bhabha, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman
Category: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy
Rating: Not yet rated
Seasons: first
Story by: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Writer: Bryan Lee O’Malley, BenDavid Grabinski
Streaming service(s): Netflix
Franchise(s): Scott’s pilgrimage
Director: Abel Góngora
MC: Bryan Lee O’Malley, BenDavid Grabinski
