Moon Knight Episode 5 Ending Explained: What Happens To Steven?

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Moon Knight episode 5.

The ending of Moon Knight episode 5 comes with a significant twist, with its final scenes progressing in a way that raises numerous questions. Moon Knight episode 5 follows both Marc Spector and Steven Grant as they explore Marc's memories while progressing towards the Egyptian afterlife. It's significant for establishing Marc as the host and Steven as one of his alternate identities, but it also recounts Marc's tragic loss of his younger brother and subsequent abusive childhood, offering greater insight into the character and how he came to be Khonshu's avatar.

Moon Knight episode 5 seemingly answers the question of why Khonshu chose Marc Spector to be Moon Knight, but it also offered perhaps the most significant plot development of the series so far. By exploring Marc's past and establishing the history of his Dissociative Identity Disorder, Moon Knight episode 5 offered the greatest insight yet into the MCU's Marc Spector. Though it may have provided additional context to the stories of both Marc and Steven so far, Moon Knight episode 5 also has a final twist that raises a number of questions.

In the final scene of Moon Knight episode 5, Marc and Steven are attacked by the unbalanced souls of Duat after failing to balance their scales. While fighting off the souls of three of Marc's victims, Steven is thrown from Taweret's ship and into the sands of the Duat, where he's turned to stone. This balances the scales, and Marc Spector finds himself in the Field of Reeds. Moon Knight's Marc Spector suddenly finding himself seemingly stranded in the afterlife makes Moon Knight episode 5's ending somewhat perplexing, although the episode itself offers clues as to what it might mean.

Is Steven Grant Dead? Moon Knight Episode 5 Ending Twist Explained

Steven turns to stone in Moon Knight episode 5

The final twist of Moon Knight episode 5 is the apparent death of Steven Grant, who so far arguably played the main role within the series. Steven landing in the sands of the Duat turns him to stone, as it's stated that his unbalanced soul means he will not be able to pass into the afterlife or through the gates of Osiris. However, the nature of the character means that he's almost certainly not dead, as he exists as one of several identities.

Exactly how Moon Knight's Egyptian gods consider Marc Spector's DID hasn't been properly explored, although the way in which the two identities of Marc and Steven interact in episode 5 subtly evidences that it's considered a conflict. By exploring Marc's memories, Steven develops a greater understanding of him, and the two identities better reconcile with one another by the episode's final scene. Though it seems as though Steven may be dead, it's more likely that he continues to exist as one of the many other unbalanced souls of Duat in the same manner as those who attacked Marc and Steven on Taweret's ship - meaning that some form of rescue isn't entirely out of the question.

Why Steven Doesn't Get To Go To The Field Of Reeds (But Marc Does)

Marc in the Fireld of Reeds in Moon Knight episode 5

The alters of Moon Knight's Marc Spector play a significant part in the hero's characterization, and the relationship between Marc and Steven has been a key element of the series so far. Moon Knight episode 5 specifically concerns the two identities reconciling their differences, with Marc sharing his past with Steven in order to balance their shared soul. However, the episode's final twist complicates the idea, as Steven is lost in the Duat while Marc is taken to the Field of Reeds.

Marc being taken to the Field of Reeds is an unexpected development, as he was shown to be the more conflicted of the two identities. Marc's guilt over his perceived responsibility for his brother's death, as well as his actions while acting as Khonshu's avatar, Moon Knight, were major sources of internal conflict for the character. The implications of Moon Knight episode 5's ending are that by sharing his memories with Steven, Marc has forgiven himself and accepted his past, and that was enough to earn him a place in the Field of Reeds.

Why The Scales Balance When Steven Turns To Stone

Taweret's scales in Moon Knight episode 5

The reason that Marc and Steven were separated in Moon Knight episode 5's final moments was the sudden balancing of the scales. Though it seemed that both Marc and Steven were doomed to the purgatory of Duat, the scales balanced immediately after Steven fell from Taweret's ship and turned to stone. Though it may be coincidental, it seems as though Steven's demise was the deciding factor in the balancing of the scales. Moon Knight's Taweret had specifically told Marc and Steven to stop hiding from one another, and this is perhaps the best explanation for the balancing of the scales.

Steven fighting back against the souls of Duat showed him accepting that he's capable of everything Marc is. This is significant as it was the last barrier between the two identities, particularly as Marc's protection of Steven from his memories was slowly deconstructed over episode 5. Steven accepting that he was created by Marc comes just before he's turned to stone, and this seems the most likely explanation for why the scales balance immediately after his sacrifice.

What Happens Next To Marc Spector If Steven Is Dead?

Steven and Marc in Moon Knight episode 5

Whether or not Steven Grant is actually dead isn't explicitly clear, although it is heavily implied by the ending of Moon Knight episode 5. Marc Spector's Dissociative Identity Disorder is a significant part of the character, and Steven Grant has been one of the series' most important protagonists so far. As Moon Knight episode 5 reveals Marc to be the host identity and Steven an alter, the exact nature of how Marc will deal with the loss of Steven is unclear.

This idea is complicated by the nature of Steven's apparent death. He wasn't killed in a physical sense, as technically Marc's body is already dead, and both identities were on their way to the afterlife. Steven's soul is instead trapped in Duat, and separated from Marc's, which is in the Field of Reeds. If Steven is in fact dead, it's possible that Moon Knight will introduce a third alter or find some way to bring Steven back. Spector's DID is a significant part of the character and the death of an alter isn't something that should be tackled lightly, even if the context of his apparent demise makes his return possible.

What The Song At The End Of Moon Knight Episode 5 Is (& What It Means)

The song playing at the end of Moon Knight episode 5 as Marc finds himself in the Field of Reeds is "Más Allá Del Sol" by Manuel Bonilla. Más allá del Sol translates to "beyond the Sun", and the song's Spanish lyrics are about passing into heaven peacefully. The song references Marc's passing into the Field of Reeds, with its serene tone at odds with the traumatic loss of Steven and revisiting his memories over the course of the episode (which included sharing Marc's Moon Knight origin with Steven). The Field of Reeds represents peace, and "Más Allá Del Sol" evokes the idea of peaceful paradise, even if Marc will ultimately need to escape in order to stop Moon Knight's villain, Arthur Harrow.

Next: Moon Knight: Why Khonshu Hates Steven So Much

New episodes of Moon Knight release every Wednesday on Disney+.