Freddy vs. Jason Poster - Freddy vs. Jason ending
New Line Cinema

It’s been almost two decades since the film graced theater screens, and the endless debate with horror fans continues over the Freddy vs. Jason ending. Released in 2003, the epic crossover film was directed by Ronny Yu, who had previously delved into the world of slasher films by helming the comedy-horror flick Bride of Chucky. The writing duo of Damian Shannon and Mark Swift — who also co-wrote the 2009 Friday the 13th reboot — provided the final screenplay, although the film had been given many, many rewrites by the time it made it to production.

Fans had been looking forward to Freddy vs. Jason since the two horror titans were simultaneously dominating pop culture during the horror boom of the ’80s. Producers were quick to see the financial potential in such a crossover as well and were just as eager to make the project a reality. Unfortunately, this would take years to really make any significant traction, as constant rewrites from a revolving door of screenwriters kept the crossover clogged in development hell.

The waiting came to an end when Freddy vs. Jason was finally released in theaters, finally bringing the iconic movie murderers together to share the screen. As with any installment of either series, the movie was not without its complaints from fans. These concerns include the controversial decision to replace veteran Jason Voorhees actor Kane Hodder with no explanation. Still, most fans seem to be in agreement that the final showdown between Freddy and Jason in the film was pretty badass, delivering an epic brawl with both villains looking strong and serving as a swan song for Robert Englund’s legendary run portraying Freddy Krueger.

So, who won? As any of us who’ve seen the film will remember that the Freddy vs. Jason ending shows with Jason and Freddy both seemingly perishing at Camp Crystal Lake after horribly mutilating one another. A bonus scene then shows Jason emerging from the lake while holding Freddy’s severed head, with Englund turning to the camera and winking just before the film cuts to black. This seems to suggest that Jason Voorhees is the “winner” of the fight, as losers are seldom seen carrying the severed heads of their opponents.

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However, A Nightmare on Elm Street fans have suggested that Freddy Krueger is the real winner of the fight and that the evidence of his victory is just a little more subtle. Some say the film playing the Elm Street music after Freddy’s wink implies that Jason is actually in a dream, meaning the Springwood Slasher still has the upper hand. It has also been pointed out that Freddy was only defeated in the end, with Monica Keena’s Lori Campbell delivering the final decapitating blow, suggesting that Freddy put on a better performance and would have certainly won the battle if not for the outside interference.

Meanwhile, another group of fans insists that neither of the two really won that fight, declaring Freddy vs. Jason to be a draw. To this day, you can still find these kinds of varied opinions on the subject, typically any time Freddy vs. Jason is discussed on social media. In any case, for the film to still be generating this much discussion so many years later, it’s also just as easy to make the argument that the ending was executed exactly as it should have been, where both Freddy and Jason could be perceived by their respective fans as the winner.

Here’s what fans think about the Freddy vs. Jason ending:

 

 

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