'The Protector' Season 4 Ending Explained: Did Hakan Demir defeat Faysal and save Istanbul?
Spoilers for Season 4 of 'The Protector'
Netflix's first Turkish original series, 'The Protector', came to a satisfactory ending by the end of its fourth season. Multiple plot points from previous seasons came full circle to explain many of our questions in such a way that viewers are left feeling at peace in the end. To understand how 'The Protector' ended, it is necessary to look at the events of the past season.
In the first season, we met Hakan Demir (Çağatay Ulusoy), a 20-something shopkeeper and part-time con artist, whose life changes after his adoptive father, Neset, is killed. Hakan then meets the Loyal Ones, Kemal (Yurdaer Okur), and Zeynep (Hazar Ergüçlü). The Loyals Ones are part of an ancient secret order whose duty is to protect the city of Istanbul from the Immortals. Hakan himself is the Protector, who is the only one who can kill the Immortals and prevent the destruction of the city with his talismanic shirt that gives him mystic powers.
The first immortal we meet is Faysal (Okan Yalabık) who is the only Immortal left alive. Faysal wants to do is bring his wife, Ruya (Burçin Terzioğlu) back from the dead using Hakan's blood -- this is a property that the Protector's blood has. However, as Ruya came back to life, so did the other Immortals -- except one. The Immortals then wreaked havoc in the second season. This season also introduced us to Hakan's brother, who unwittingly helps Ruya's plan to bring about the city's destruction.
However, in the third season, we meet Nisan (Funda Eryiğit) who is revealed to be the most powerful Immortal known as Vizier. Vizier had been pulling the strings for much of the third season and we learn that she wanted to destroy Istanbul because Hakan's ancestor, Harun (also played by Ulusoy) betrayed her and killed her. In the third season, Ruya seemed to have had enough of the Immortal life and takes the potion to become a mortal. She is killed later in the season. Heartbroken, Faysal joins up with Vizier to destroy Istanbul. Hakan reaches just in time to take the key to the portal -- the same key the Loyal Ones tattoo on themselves to identify one another.
Now, we are almost caught up with all the relevant points that build up to an epic ending in the final season. Over the course of the fourth season, as Hakan travels back and forth in time to become Harun using the key, we learn that Harun's killing of Vizier (then Valeria) was plotted by Faysal, who could not kill him herself because he would be cursed. The Faysal in the present, meanwhile, tries to use the key to bring Ruya back to life but fails in his multiple attempts. In the past, Faysal was helped by another Immortal, Okhan (Boran Kuzum), who wanted to kill Vizier because she had fallen in love with a mortal.
Meanwhile, Zeynep had taken the Immortal "cure" and had become one herself. Because of Faysal's blood coursing through her veins, she crossed over to the dark side and began to do his bidding, even mercilessly killing those who were once her friends.
Over the course of the season, Vizier comes to learn of Faysal's hand in her demise in the past. Okhan also realizes that he was being manipulated. By the sixth episode, both are on Hakan's side, helping him to go back to "clean up the past." We also learn why the Immortals were in this realm and why they were trying to destroy Istanbul -- they could only go back home to their realm if they brought the city to its ruins. With Okhan and Vizier's help, Hakan (as Harun) is able to give nearly all the Immortals the mortality potion.
When Hakan wakes up in the present, he is horrified to learn that Faysal is still alive. Faysal had recognized the potion smell and did not get tricked. Unfortunately, 600 years of solitude had turned him vengeful. We also learn the shocking truth that Hakan's lineage is special because Faysal was actually Harun's father. Though Faysal tries to turn Hakan into an Immortal so they can ruin Istanbul, Hakan kills Faysal and sacrifices himself.
Hakan's sacrifice pays off. We were a little worried for a bit that Hakan would not get his happy ending but the next scene shows Hakan happily walking through the bazaar to go to the shop he once despised working at. What's more, it seems like Hakan and Zeynep finally have their happy ending together.
All seasons of 'The Protector' are now streaming on Netflix.