Barbie Ending, Explained: Why Did Barbie Choose to Become Human — and What Happened to Ken?

End Barbie leaves the legendary Mattel doll facing a big decision.

The film, with Margot Robbie as the stereotypical Barbie, Ryan Gosling as Ken and Greta Gerwig in the director’s chair, follows a doll who experiences a series of “malfunctions”, including existential thoughts, flat feet and cellulite. Not only do these problems make Barbie doubt her identity, but they also lead her into the “real world” in search of someone who can help her solve them.

To Barbie’s surprise, Ken—whose entire sense of identity depends on Barbie—joins her on her mission. In the real world, Ken discovers patriarchy and decides to bring the concept home to Barbie Land where he can implement it, giving the Kens a sense of themselves beyond Barbie.

While much of the film, now streaming on Netflix, deals with Kens and Barbie’s battle, the centerpiece of the film follows Barbie’s internal shift from wanting to maintain her static flawlessness to the later realization that she might want to be human after all. In the end, Barbie has to make a very scary decision about her future.

Although Gerwig said Barbie’s story mimics a girl’s journey from childhood to adolescence, she clarified The Guardian“It’s not exactly about growing up.” She continued: “It’s about Barbie, an inanimate doll made of plastic. But the movie really ends up being about being human.”

So how does Barbie decide whether to leave Barbie Land for good? Here is everything you need to know about Barbie end, from reconciling with Ken to asking Ruth Handler—Barbie’s creator—for permission to become human.

How to Barbie end?

Margot Robbie as Barbie in ‘Barbie’ (2023).

© Warner Bros.

Near the end Barbieinspired by real-world patriarchy, Ken organizes all other Kens against Barbie. When Stereotypical Barbie discovers this, she becomes depressed, only to be brought back to life by Gloria (America Ferrera) with a compassionate and encouraging speech.

After a touching monologue, Barbie organizes the other dolls to resist the Kens, conquering Barbie Earth and restoring it to its former glory. However, Barbie is not sure if she wants to stay.

Barbie and Ken have a heart-to-heart and she apologizes to Ken for belittling him before they go into the real world. However, Barbie makes it clear that she is not romantically interested in Ken, which he reluctantly accepts.

As Barbie ponders her decision to leave or stay, Handler, Barbie’s real-life creator, makes a second appearance to help her decide. In this scene, Handler tells Barbie, “Take my hands, close your eyes, now feel.”

This moment is accompanied by a video montage of real women and girls in important and ordinary moments of their lives. Set to the song “What Was I Made For?” Billie Eilish, it was an incredibly touching and now viral moment.

In an interview with Andrew Freund in July 2023, Gerwig explained that the montage was composed of footage of the cast, crew, and editing staff. “We got the most beautiful moments from people’s lives. They were human friends, aunts, mothers, daughters, sisters. It was just amazing,” she said.

The “feel now” montage moment has since become a TikTok trend, with girls and women filming their own “girly” montages following Eilish’s lead.

In the end, Barbie opts for the real world, explaining that she wants to step outside of her life as an object: “I want to fantasize. I don’t want to be an idea.” As she leaves Barbie Land, Ken waves goodbye to Barbie, wearing a hoodie that says “I’m Kenough.”

In the last scene of the film, Gloria and her daughter Sasha leave Barbie at the gynecologist, which is a moment of humor, but also an expression of her humanity.

What was America Ferrera Barbie monologue about?

America Ferrera in ‘Barbie’ (2023).

Warner Bros.

After her film debut, not only Barbie attracted attention, but also Ferrera’s Gloria.

In the second half of the film, Barbie visits a strange Barbie, who she originally visited earlier in the film when she started experiencing breakdowns. Now, Barbie experiences depression for the first time, completely defeated by her inability to be everything at once.

When Barbie announces that she doesn’t feel good enough, Gloria counters with a monologue that simultaneously empathizes with Barbie and expresses frustration with what the patriarchy has done to women—including low self-esteem and unattainable expectations.

“It’s literally impossible to be a woman,” Gloria begins. “You’re so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you think you’re not good enough. Like, we always have to be extraordinary, but somehow we always do it wrong,” says Barbie.

Gloria echoes a series of contradictions: “You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be skinny. You have to say you want to be healthy, but you also have to be thin; You must have money, but you cannot ask for money because that is insane; You have to be the boss, but you can’t be mean” and so on.

Tracking BarbieGloria’s monologue struck a chord with women around the world. After a voracious reception, Ferrera said Los Angeles Times: “There is no woman in my life for whom those words do not apply. Not a single one. And when we hear the truth, it hits home in a certain way and you can’t help but hear it, right?”

In which is Ruth Barbie?

Rhea Perlman as Ruth Handler in ‘Barbie’ (2023).

© Warner Bros.

Ruth Handler is the founder of Barbie – she created the famous doll in 1959.

Additionally, Handler co-founded Mattel with her husband, Elliott, and served as the company’s first president from 1945 to 1975. Barbie is known to have been named after Ruth’s daughter, Barbara.

IN BarbieRuth is played by Rhea Perlman and serves as a motherly, even godlike figure to the doll character. The pair first meet in the film when Barbie is taken to (and then tries to escape from) Mattel headquarters. In the first scene between Ruth and Barbie, the doll is still coming to terms with losing her former perfection. Ruth reassures her, “I think you’re right.”

At the end of the film, the couple is reunited just as Barbie decides whether or not to leave Barbie Earth and become human. Ruth explains to her, “Being human can be quite embarrassing. People invent things like patriarchy and Barbie just to deal with how uncomfortable it is.” Barbie responds by saying she wants to be “part of people who have meaning, not a thing that’s made.”

With that, Barbie asks Ruth for permission to become human, and Ruth assures Barbie that she doesn’t need her permission.

What is the meaning of the final line in Barbie?

Margot Robbie as Barbie in ‘Barbie’ (2023).

© Warner Bros.

Just after one of the film’s most difficult moments, when Barbie finally makes the decision to leave Barbie Earth in search of her own human life, the screen fades to what is probably Barbie’s first day as a human.

In this final scene, Gloria drops off Barbie at what appears to be an office building; Barbie waves goodbye and enters. When greeted by the receptionist, she proudly exclaims, “I’m here to see my gynecologist” as the last line in the film.

This last line solidifies her humanity and is open-ended, providing the perfect bridge to the sequel.

Will there be a Barbie sequel?

Margot Robbie as Barbie in ‘Barbie’ (2023).

WARNER BROS/Moviestore/Shutterstock

Although there is certainly popular demand (and no shortage of speculation) regarding the second Barbie movie, there was no official announcement to indicate a Barbie sequel or franchise.

Robbie told TIME in June 2023: “[The narrative] could go in a million different directions from this point. But I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try to set up the first movie while simultaneously planning the sequels.”

After a The Hollywood Reporter the story claimed it Barbie 2 was in the “early stages,” in December 2024, Gerwig’s rep denied the report.

Where can I watch Barbie?

Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken in ‘Barbie’ (2023).

WARNER BROS/Moviestore/Shutterstock

Barbie is available to stream on Max and Netflix.

Additionally, Barbie is available to buy or rent digitally on Prime Video, Apple TV and other on-demand platforms.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education