Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival kept the tone of the classic horror franchise without making any sacrifice to the body-horror grotesque horror people love about the series. The roughly 12-hour journey leads to an ending where Aiden must choose the route that is perfect for his life. We are not getting a traditional good or Bad ending, where one path leads to heaven and the other leads to hell.
Here we are presented with two different options, each drastically changing the life of our main character. It’s up to the player to choose the one that we see fit. In this guide, I will offer details on both endings, consequences, and talk about which ending is perfect for your playthrough.
All Endings in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival
After Sunny gives birth to the Ascendant, Aiden learns a harsh truth about Sunny: she has been using him throughout the game to accomplish her own goal. Right at the end, we finally see Sunny agree to join the Cenobite and attain true enlightenment, and we also learn she made the deal with the Cenobite for the task of rebirthing the Ascendant. After learning about Sunny’s motive and being manipulated by Sunny, we see Aiden broken down on the floor.
The Ascendant then takes everyone, including Sunny, to the other realm by going through the portal. Aiden is left broken after learning about the betrayal from Sunny; here, Deep Throat offers Aiden a choice to join the Cenobites to live a better life than a human being ever could. Aiden also gets a visit from the Merchant, as she tries to tell Aiden to see the other side of the coin besides joining the Cenobites, taking the evil route.
At the end, she does give you the option to pick your destiny by staying; maybe being human is not enough for you, so you are free to choose the ending the way you see fit. Once the cutscene is over, you are left in a room as Deep Throat stands next to the portal, near the edge of the road, and the merchant is in the same room as Aiden. You will also notice the wall that holds the route to the portal is slowly getting closed, leaving you to pick between two options:
- Either join the Cenobites (Join Deep Throat)
- Don’t Join the Cenobites (Stay with the Merchant)
Note: Both endings have a trophy or achievement tied to it. You must see both endings, to pop the achievements.
Join the Cenobites | Cenobite Ending
After the cutscene is over, don’t wait for the wall to get closed, run up to Deep Throat near the portal and join her. This will trigger a cutscene of Aiden’s left hand suddenly getting pierced with steel chains, holding him to a spot. As part of the sacrifice, Deep Throat then begins to make out with Aiden and will slowly rip the tongue out of Aiden’s mouth, leaving him defenceless. After the flesh sacrifice, Aiden recalls all the good memories he had with Sunny, indicating a proper farewell to the human side of him.
At the end, we see Aiden heading through the portal, multiple chains coming out of darkness piercing every part of his body, and we finally see Aiden slowly transitioning into a Cenobite, with his eyes turning into a completely black void of any life. You will unlock the Trophy or Achievement “Experience Beyond Limits“.
Don’t Join the Cenobites | Neutral Ending
Here we just stay as it is, and let the wall that holds the route to the portal close automatically. Basically, we are siding with the Merchant and starting a new life as human beings. After the wall closes, the cutscene will trigger with Aiden in a room telling the Merchant about his next story in his new life.
At the end, we hear Aiden saying not to mess up this time by squashing the cigarette on the ashtray. Not taking the route of Cenobites unlocks the Trophy or Achievement “Human After All.”
Which ending is perfect?
It completely relies on you: if you think Aiden should preserve his humanity over succumbing to the dark side, then staying put at the end is the best choice. If you believe that, since Aiden has lost everything and must return to his girlfriend, Sunny, no matter the cost, then siding with the Cenobites makes more sense. The game does show you the evil Sunny when you pick the bad or Pinhead ending. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival doesn’t have a cliché happy ending; it’s between loneliness & uncertainty and, on the other side, the path of evil. Pick the one that suits your personality and the journey you want to set for our hero, Aiden.
