Bullet Train Explosion Ending Explained: Who Planted the Bombs? Why?

Netflix’s ‘Bullet Train Explosion’ ends with the train passengers finding a way out of their precarious situation by coming together as one. However, it takes a whole lot of effort, resilience, and perseverance to overcome the obstacles set in front of them. With time running out, the responsibility of maintaining a level head falls squarely on the shoulders of Takaichi, the train’s conductor. Meanwhile, the identity of the bomber is revealed, leaving everyone on board with a huge moral dilemma to navigate. As the government starts to give up hope on stopping the disaster, the citizens show a newfound resolve to get through their challenges in a novel way. Still, it requires a great deal of sacrifice and bravery to see it all through, especially with everyone’s lives at stake. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Bullet Train Explosion Plot Synopsis

The movie begins with a group of high school kids excitedly boarding the Hayabusa No. 60 bullet train traveling from Aomori City to Tokyo. Takaichi, the train’s conductor, takes great pride in his work as a custodian of his passengers, even though he is sometimes mocked for his low ambitions. He and his assistant, Fujii, get on the train and start going through their series of checks before the train is ready for its trip. In the meantime, we see a whole catalog of passengers from different walks of life take a seat inside. They consist of high school kids, a teacher, a mysterious man in a mask, a scandal-ridden politician and her partner, a rich influencer, and many more. Far away, the JR East technicians (the company’s name) get ready to supervise the train’s trip at their office.

While everything seems rosy as the train takes off, the feeling is short-lived as a phone transmission arrives from an unknown caller stating that a bomb has been planted on the bullet train. The bomber issues a warning that the train will explode if the vehicle drops below 100 km/hr, leaving the technicians, operators, and service crew with a massive problem on their hands. The bomber also goes further to prove that the threat is real by blowing up a freight train elsewhere in the country. As a result, the situation takes on a greater level of seriousness. Kasagi, the general commander in charge of overseeing the different JR East trains in the country, tells his crew to get all the other trains off the network, allowing Hayabusa No. 60 the freedom to travel through its stations without stopping.

After hearing the bomber’s threat, the police and government respond by sending key officials to the control room where Kasagi preserves the chain of command. Eventually, the passengers have to be told about the bomb’s presence in the vehicle, leading to pandemonium breaking out everywhere. Some of the other passengers try to contribute in their way, causing even more turbulence. Takaichi does his best to resolve the different conflicts, urging everyone to stay in their seats while waiting for instructions from his higher-ups. When the government refuses to negotiate with the bomber, Todoroki, an online influencer, uses his charm to seek help from the Japanese citizens. The solution is criticized by some and supported by others. These arguments continue as efforts are made to rescue the passengers and determine the bomber’s identity.

Bullet Train Explosion Ending: Who is the Bomber?

Although saving the train crew is pivotal to the film’s central drama, a big mystery explored within the story is the bomber’s identity. Initially, it seems as if the bomber is Goto, a mysterious man wearing a mask on board. He is shown to be unfazed by the revelation of the bomb. However, this proves to be a red herring later in the story when the real identity of the bomber is revealed to be Yuzuki, the high school girl who stays behind during the evacuation attempt. She tells the truth of her own volition, especially after she accomplishes her primary goal of killing her father. The authorities look into her background, shedding more light on her backstory and why she decided to walk the path of terrorism and take such drastic measures.

Decades before the current bombing incident, a similar case of train bombing took place in the past. The bomber at the time was a man named Koga. While he was attempting to escape, he was shot dead by a police officer named Tsutomu Onodera, Yuzuki’s father. After the incident, Onodera grew incredibly arrogant about his role in killing the bomber. At the same time, he was horribly abusive towards Yuzuki. In truth, Onodera was disappointed by his daughter as he always wanted a son. He harshly beat her on many occasions, leaving her with a painful childhood. As a result, she wanted revenge against her father and wanted to make him pay for his egoistical attitude. Thus, she orchestrated a new train bombing incident as a way to exact some payback. Once she revealed the truth to her dad, she blew him up, satisfied that she had left him stunned.

While she had the will to go against her father, she was also helped in her efforts by another man – Masatoshi Koga, the son of the original train bomber. Yuzuki and Masatoshi grew close after they started talking with one another online. As such, the two began sharing their thoughts on the “hypocrisy of the world,” intending to make a stand for what they believed in. Masatoshi employed his father’s knowledge to craft the bombs, which Yuzuki then utilized for her plan. Meanwhile, he was also able to exact revenge on Onodera for killing his father decades ago. The cops figure out the truth and bring Masatoshi in for questioning, learning all about Yuzuki’s childhood from the man himself. It helps them understand the reasons behind the attack and what fueled it.

How are the Passengers Rescued? How is the Train Stopped?

As the end of the ‘Bullet Train Explosion’ approaches, only nine people are left on the Hayabusa No. 60, with most evacuated during a rescue train mission. These nine try to think of different ways to survive, with each possibility seeming bleaker by the second. Meanwhile, news arrives from up top that the train should be stopped before it reaches Tokyo, meaning those on board must sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Although Takaichi accepts the outcome, Kasagi comes up with one final plan that might be able to save everyone before the train reaches the capital, particularly after learning that not every car on the train is rigged with bombs. However, it requires the cooperation of everyone involved. The plan revolves around switching the train’s last two cars onto different tracks, allowing a forced separation between the parts.

Realizing that they have no other option, the passengers begin working on procuring the material necessary to make the plan work. Firstly, they need an array of soft cushions to lessen the impact when the train cars separate. Secondly, they also need belts, ties, and ropes to keep themselves in place as the car jerks on and off the track. For the plan to work, the train’s driver, Matsumoto, must join the rest of the passengers in the last car. Once everything is in place, the passengers take their position, hoping that the separation does not end up killing them. Meanwhile, Kasagi and the workers outside are faced with the challenge of executing the operation at the right time, allowing the coaches to split apart before the tracks diverge in different directions. Tensions reach a breaking point as the final set-piece approaches.

While it seems dangerously close at first glance, the workers execute the mission perfectly. The train separates onto different tracks, with the main section curving off towards a new direction while the two cars housing the passengers go down a different route. As the train’s speed lowers below 100 km/hr, the bombs explode on the main section. At the same time, the last two cars are slowed down by multiple barriers of water barrels constructed by the workers in a short period of time. Once the car stops, rescue workers rush inside, hoping to find the Takaichi and the other passengers still alive. After stumbling through some distorted footage, the control room crew learns that all nine passengers survived, allowing them to sigh with relief and congratulate each other.

What Pushes Everyone to Come Together?

The central message of ‘Bullet Train Explosion’ revolves around the idea of unity and people coming together as a group to overcome the obstacles that are impossible to navigate as an individual. The movie embodies these principles of collaboration through each action scene, showcasing how everyone contributes to saving the lives of the passengers onboard the bullet train. As a result, we follow multiple perspectives as everyone tries their best to help in some meaningful way. To that end, the film is a call to action for humanity’s better nature, especially when faced with a disastrous situation that requires bravery on all fronts. These values are particularly embodied by Takaichi, who looks after his passengers till the very end, even though his own life may be at risk.

Once Yuzuki reveals herself as the bomber, the nine passengers on board are presented with an ultimatum: kill Yuzuki to stop the bomb or let her live and die together. While it appears as a philosophical quandary with difficult outcomes, Takaichi decides to take the moral high road and accepts dying rather than staining his hands with blood. The same is true for the other passengers, who pity the young girl even though she is the reason they are stuck in their terrible predicament. Instead, Takashi hugs Yuzuki, causing her to break down in tears as he shows her signs of affection she has been deprived of all her life. It illustrates the power of humanity and the ability to change the lives of others through something as simple as a hug.

At the movie’s end, Yuzuki is picked up by the cops as they prepare to investigate her case and punish her for her crimes. Although she is still pessimistic about society in general and apathetic to her circumstances, she is stunned to discover that Japan’s citizens have contributed their own money to meet her over-the-top ransom demands. The inspector assigned to her case tells her that she may have lost her faith in people, but the rest of humanity has not lost its faith in the greater good. It highlights the deep message embedded within the narrative and how it is pivotal to the experience of living in a society with other people. While individual action is vital, acting as a collective is even more important for the flourishing of human existence.