Almost a decade later, Darling in the FranXX Episode 24 remains a litmus test for what you value in anime storytelling.
Episode 24 delivers an ending that is both a massive emotional gut-punch and a controversial wrap-up for a series that went from grounded character drama to intergalactic warfare in the blink of an eye. The Final Stand in Space
But if you loved the show for its nuanced take on humanity, growing up, and the pain of connection? Episode 24 is a betrayal. It’s a reminder that the writers had no idea how to land the plane, so they blew up the airport, turned the plane into a flower, and hoped you wouldn’t notice the wreckage. Darling in the FranXX Episode 24
: As their souls drift back toward Earth, they vow to meet again in another life. Earth: Rebuilding Society
In a heartbreakingly beautiful sequence, Hiro and Zero Two touch hands through a glass pane of energy. Their skin is translucent, their veins glowing with magma energy. They don't cry. They smile. Zero Two whispers, "We'll always be together. We are the only ones who can do this." Almost a decade later, Darling in the FranXX
When Darling in the FranXX first premiered, it was heralded as a return to form for the mecha genre, blending high-octane robot action with coming-of-age sexual metaphors and stunning animation by Studio Trigger and A-1 Pictures. For 23 episodes, audiences were captivated by the post-apocalyptic love story of Hiro and Zero Two. But it was the finale, Darling in the FranXX Episode 24, titled "Never Let Me Go," that sparked one of the most heated debates in the anime community in recent memory.
Ambition Without Altitude: Why Episode 24 Crumbled Under Its Own Weight Episode 24 is a betrayal
Hiro and Zero Two don’t “pilot” the final mech. They become it. Their individuality is erased. The show argues that the ultimate form of love is losing yourself completely—becoming a weapon of mass destruction. That’s not romance; that’s ego death. It’s the opposite of what made their relationship work in the beach episode (where they just enjoyed being kids). The finale glorifies a codependent suicide pact dressed in super robot armor.
This is where the episode divides its audience. Instead of a tactical mecha victory, the pair initiates a . The Apus transforms into a colossal, ethereal Sakura tree—a motif representing the fleeting, beautiful nature of life throughout the series. They drift into the VIRM planet and release a wave of pure regenerative energy (the "soul" of the Klaxosaurs), obliterating the VIRM’s physical shell and trapping the alien consciousness in an infinite loop.