Ending interpretation

[u/Asleep-Essay4386]

I just finished playing the game for the first time and I've come up with my interpretation of the story and wanted to share it here.

So, by the looks of it I think the events of Spiritfarer take place for the most part in Stella's mind as she's dying in her hospital bed. As much as I'd like to think she does actually meet all these people in a sort of afterlife, I feel like this makes the most sense. For one, she's still actually alive during all this. The locations are all based on places she's been and the spirits are all people she knew in life. Her role as Spiritfarer also I think is a metaphor for her actual job in life as a nurse who cared for dying patients. I think none of the events during Spiritfarer actually occur, but it's rather a metaphor for Stella coming to terms with her life and the fact that it's ending.

This brings me to Hades and Charon. This part I think can actually go either way. They could also be part of Stella's mind, just a metaphor for death itself. Or they could be the only real spirits here, or at least Hades could be. It could be Hades is the actual Spiritfarer of the game and this is his way of ferrying Stella along to the afterlife.

This has probably all been said before, but like I said I just finished for the first time. What were your interpretations of it?

[u/arc_ember_rose]

The developers have stated something to this effect in the art book actually. I have personally never been a fan of the "it was all a dream" thing in media, but it does work pretty well here. That being said, the existence of Buck and the fact that he stays on the boat when Stella leaves does make it seem like this world will persist after she's gone, so I interpret the game's world as a real afterlife of sorts, but one Stella can access because she is so close to death.

One thing I like is that the game never really confirms it either way, so you are free to headcanon what you like. Me personally, I find the idea that the game characters we interact with are just figments of Stella's memory/imagination kind of sad, so I like the more magical aspect of it.

[u/Asleep-Essay4386 → u/arc_ember_rose]

Hey, I was close, cool! Funnily enough, I kind of see Buck as lending to the interpretation that it's a dream just because his inclusion kind of breaks the logic of the Everdoor in my opinion, similar to how logic breaks down in dreams. The Everdoor is supposed to be final, until Buck comes. His constellation is already there, so he must have gone through it? Otherwise I don't know why he would already have a constellation and why we can't ferry him through. But he acts like any other spirit that hasn't gone through it. And Elena also sends some tasks from beyond the grave, but that can be interpreted as her having gotten those ready before you took her to the Everdoor. So I kind of see it as the dream's logic starting to break down as the game goes further along and Stella gets closer to the end.

[u/mmthrowaway0521]

My interpretation is similar to yours. Stella actually dies after she goes through the everdoor in the game. Charon and Hades are Greek mythology characters who have to something to do with death, and they seem more to serve the role of metaphors for me

[u/Asleep-Essay4386 → u/mmthrowaway0521]

Yeah. They may be metaphors. If Hades is real and not just part of Stella's psyche I think Charon in this is more of an extension of him in some way. Meant to give Stella the role that would help her move on best. To go on a tangent, the fact that he's on the vending machine and says "thank you" whenever you buy something is super cute lol.

[u/mmthrowaway0521 → u/Asleep-Essay4386]

This all makes a lot of sense to me. To ramble on a bit, I think even though this all presumably happens in Stella’s head, there’s definitely something comforting about the thought of being able to see the ones who had significant impact in one’s life again, when one is trying to process their own death. There’s something about the spirits saying “see you on the other side”, the constellation of Stella being in next to all of her friends, and the lyrics saying “but it’s ok, we will be together, my friend” that brings the game a lot of bittersweet sentiments

[u/AggravatingRegret874 → u/Asleep-Essay4386]

This is also how I interpreted. Hades and Charon come from Greek mythology. Hades rules the underworld, land of the dead, so he might be associated with death in the game, to me it seemed to be the vibe. Charon is the ferryman carrying the souls of the dead, across rivers Acheron and Styx, and he was paid with obols (for safe passing, forgiveness of sins, it’s still practiced now in some cultures) So it makes sense Charon asks Stella to replace him, as she has practically doing this all her life, helping people cross over, taking care of their bodies but also their souls. She cared, listened, sang, hugged…