Does Maximus die in Gladiator? Original movie ending explained

It’s been over two decades since we last saw Ridley’s Roman soldiers on our screens, so there’s a chance you’ll want a refresher. Here’s exactly what happened in Gladiator’s ending, alongside how it links to the sequel.

Ridley Scott, a man notorious for not following the conventions of history, is something of an epic cinematic classicist. First there was Gladiator, then Napoleon… and now Gladiator all over again.

Except it’s not all over again! It’s been widely reported that Russell Crowe will not be returning for the new movie, with Paul Mescal taking over the reins in his shiny little soldier skirt.

The Colosseum looks to be getting a revamp too, filled with charging rhinos and sharks that can devour a human whole. But what happened in the original Gladiator ending, and how does that inform what we’re about to see?

The Gladiator ending saw Maximus struck down

Gladiator’s ending saw the death of Maximus, who succumbs to a wound after driving a knife into the throat of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) during a duel.

Universal Pictures

Cast your mind back to 2000. Crowe is playing Maximus, a Roman general favored by Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). In fact, he’s so favored that Aurelius wants Maximus to rule after he’s gone, claiming his son Commodus isn’t fit for the job. Obviously Commodus isn’t having any of that when he catches on, leading to Aurelius’ untimely death (murder).

Commodus proclaims himself as the new Emperor, which gets Maximus arrested by the Praetorian Guard. His hero’s journey starts here – working his way up from lowly Gladiator fighting in local tournaments for amusement to ending up in the Colosseum, fighting for his freedom.

He wins the crowd over while he’s at it, too. Guided by former Gladiator Proximo (Oliver Reed), he spares the life of the undefeated Tigris of Gaul (Sven-Ole Thorsen), earning him the nickname “Maximus the Merciful.”

This enrages Commodus, with Maximus’ former lover and Commodus’ sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) helping to arrange an attack against him. Former legions remain loyal to him, but things don’t quite go to plan. Maximus is captured at the rendezvous point after Commodus becomes suspicious of him and Lucilla. Lucius’ father is called into question (more on that later), with Commodus demanding an heir.

In order to win back control and favor, Commodus challenges Maximus to a duel. Maximus is stabbed before the match for Commodus to gain an advantage, but Maximus reveals a hidden knife to stab him in the throat. We watch Commodus die before Maximus heroically bleeds out, demanding Aurelius’ dream of Gladiator emancipation come true.

His body is carried out of the arena, and we see him honored as “a soldier of Rome.” Figurines of his family are planted in the spot where he died.

Where does Gladiator 2 pick up?

Just like in real-time, Gladiator 2 picks up around 20 years after the events of the first film – and therefore after the death of Maximus.

Universal Pictures

Obviously the events of Gladiator are going to play a huge part in what we see here… but almost none of the original characters are coming back. Makes sense, considering they’re all dead.

However, Connie Nielsen will be returning as Lucilla, while Sir Derek Jacobi is also coming back as Senator Gracchus, a member of the Senate who opposed Commodus’ rule.

While Rome has changed in the two decades, it hasn’t changed that much. There’s a new general in the form of Pedro Pescal’s Marcus Acacius, with Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracella (Fred Hechinger) just as corrupt as Commodus… if not worse.

Historically, this puts this timeline at around 211 AD, though how much the new movie will actually resemble the time period (in the details, of course) remains to be seen.

Is Lucius Maximus’ son?

Yes. Remember the little boy we see in the original movie? Well, 24 years later he’s all grown up, and his name is Lucius.

Paramount Pictures

As you start watching Gladiator, you’ll notice Lucius is introduced as Commodus’ nephew. Officially, he’s supposed to be Lucius Verus’ son, who was the former husband of Lucilla before his death.

(It’s worth pointing out that Lucilla and Commodus are brother and sister, so the notion Commodus wants an heir from her in final scenes is… disturbing).

Anyway, surprise! Lucius is Maximus’ son after all, with Lucilla previously seeing Maximus while she was still married. We see him idolize Maximus during his fights, asking questions about what it takes to become a top fighter. Maximus also talks him through the meaning of his infamous armored vest.

In the Gladiator ending, Lucilla sends Lucius away from Rome, anticipating bad things will happen to the city after the deaths of both Commodus and Maximus. Of course, she’s right… but that’s where Paul Mescal comes in.

How to watch

Obviously the sequel will be heading to theaters, but Gladiator can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

In addition, the movie can be bought or rented on the Microsoft store.

Gladiator 2 comes to cinemas on November 15 in the UK and November 22 in the US. Catch up with the 5 most explicit scenes in Napoleon, Gladiator 2’s first reactions, and the best movies of the year so far.

You can also check out more new movies streaming this month.