Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ending explained

Need help understanding the Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire ending? We’ve got you covered. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has finally hit theaters, but with all the ghostly goings-on, it’s easy to get a bit confused about what’s happening. Don’t worry, though; we’ve broken the ending down for anyone who totally lost the plot.

Set a few years after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Frozen Empire opens with the Spengler family (and Gary) living in New York and bustin’ ghosts for a living (Don’t worry, this isn’t a full-on horror movie). While all seems well, there’s trouble on the horizon when Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) sells Ray a mysterious bronze orb that contains a powerful demon known as Garraka.

Thankfully, Garraka can’t escape the orb without help. Still, the insidious ice monster has already devised a scheme to free himself from prison and conquer the world. It involves poor Phoebe (McKenna Grace). If you want to know what we made of the film, then check out our Frozen Empire review here; otherwise, read on, oh, and warning there are spoilers ahead.

Sony Pictures

What happens in the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ending?

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ends with Phoebe and the rest of the Spenglers using a modified proton pack to weaken Garraka before sealing him permanently in the firehouse’s main containment unit. 

But how did we get here? Well, it all starts when Phoebe meets the ghost Melody, a young girl who died in a house fire. The pair form a strong bond over the course of Frozen Empire, but the fact they live on different dimensional planes prevents the relationship from developing any further. Long-distance never works, does it?

After an argument with Gary and her mother, Phoebe boldly decides to use a new Ghostbusters gadget to temporarily separate her spirit from her body. Unfortunately, once this is done, it’s revealed Melody is a servant of Garraka, and this is all part of his plan. You see, while Garraka could control ghosts, even from inside his orb, he was unable to influence the living. But now that Phoebe’s bridged that gap, he can use her to open his orb.

Once freed, the sinister sentient snowstorm makes a beeline for the Ghostbusters firehouse, where he plans to tear open the containment unit and use the ghosts within as his personal army. With the fate of the world in their hands, the Ghostbusters, new and old, barricade themselves in the firehouse and wait for the demon to arrive. 

Sony Pictures

During this time, though, Ray and Trevor help Nadeem realize why the orb is in his family’s possession. He’s a descendant of the Firemasters who originally sealed Garraka, and they believe he’s the key to defeating the icey incubus. Phoebe meanwhile notices that while normal proton packs have no effect on Garraka, he has a weakness for brass, and she modifies her collider to take advantage of that fact.

No sooner is this done than the demon arrives, but the Ghostbusters are no match for the mighty demon. Even Phoebe, with her modified pack, can barely hold back the monster, and, in a vicious display of power, Garraka tears the containment unit open, freeing the spirits within. 

When all seems lost, though, Melody – who comes to the conclusion that Garraka manipulated her – lights her last match (from the fire that killed her), giving Nadeem a source of power. As Nadeem hurls fireballs at the demon, Phoebe and the rest of the Ghostbusters are freed from the ice, and they open fire with the modified proton pack. With Garraka now seriously weakened, Ray and the older work out they can trap him, and with the containment unit now empty, it’s the perfect vessel for the snow god. 

As they run downstairs and Garraka tries desperately to escape, the original Ghostbusters throw the switch on the containment unit, pulling the demon into the trap and sealing him away. As Phoebe goes to thank Melody, the pair share one last goodbye as the young ghost moves on to whatever comes next.

Still, there’s plenty to celebrate as Garraka is now gone, New York unfreezes, and the city celebrates the Ghostbusters saving the day once again, much to the chagrin of Mayor Walter Peck. 

If you need to know more about New York’s finest, check out our guide explaining how many Ghostbusters there are and whether Sigourney Weaver is in Frozen Empire. We’ve also revealed whether Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has a post-credit scene, and we’ve looked at whether Rick Moranis is in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

We’ve also got interviews with Frozen Empire’s director Gil Kenan, and the man himself, Paul Rudd. And, we discuss whether there will be another Ghostbusters movie after this.

That’s not enough for you? Well we’ve also put together a comprehensive list of the best new movies coming to streaming this month. We’ve also put together an article of everything we know about Wednesday season 2 and we’ve got the latest on the Beetlejuice 2 release date.