The ending of The Ritual (2025) shows the culmination of a grueling 23-day exorcism performed by priests Theophilus Riesinger and Joseph Steiger on a young woman named Emma Schmidt. After intense physical and spiritual struggle, Emma breaks free from her restraints, levitates, then collapses lifelessly. Moments later, she opens her eyes, signaling the exorcism’s completion. Emma returns to a normal life, though rumors persist that the demons occasionally returned. Riesinger is deeply changed by the ordeal, while Steiger finds peace and documents the experience in a journal, uncertain if it was divine or psychological but certain it transformed him forever.

The ending unfolds over the final, most intense stage of the exorcism, which lasts 72 continuous hours. The scene opens with the two priests, Riesinger and Steiger, exhausted but resolute, continuing their prayers and rituals with unwavering intensity. Riesinger is obsessively praying, barely eating or sleeping, while Steiger, initially hesitant, commits fully to the ritual.

They demand the names of the spirits tormenting Emma and force them to swear obedience to Christ. Emma, bound to the bed, convulses violently, vomiting strange substances and speaking in multiple languages including Latin, German, Spanish, and Aramaic. Her body contorts in unnatural ways, and the physical toll on the priests is immense—Steiger begins to break down emotionally, while Riesinger’s faith hardens.

At the ritual’s peak, Emma suddenly breaks free from her restraints. She hovers above the bed, suspended in midair, her body limp and lifeless. Then, she crashes down onto the bed, motionless. The room falls silent. After a tense moment, Emma’s eyes open, clear and calm, signaling that the possession has ended.

In the aftermath, Emma resumes a normal life, though whispers remain that the demons occasionally returned over the years. Riesinger, though victorious, appears deeply altered by the experience, his demeanor more somber and haunted. Steiger, who had struggled with grief and doubt throughout, finds a newfound peace. He writes a journal detailing the exorcism, reflecting on whether what he witnessed was divine intervention or psychological phenomena, but acknowledging that the ordeal changed him profoundly.

This final sequence emphasizes the physical and spiritual exhaustion endured by all involved, the intense battle between faith and darkness, and the ambiguous nature of the supernatural events witnessed. The film closes on a note of cautious hope mixed with lingering uncertainty about the true nature of Emma’s possession and the cost of confronting such evil.

The 2025 horror film The Ritual does not have any information indicating the presence of a post-credits scene. The detailed plot summary and ending description focus on the intense exorcism performed by priests Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) and Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) on a possessed young woman, Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen), culminating in her apparent liberation from demonic possession and the priests' personal transformations. No mention is made of any post-credits or additional scenes following the main narrative.

Other horror films from 2025, such as Bring Her Back, are explicitly noted to have no post- or mid-credits scenes, suggesting that this is a common practice for some recent horror releases. Given the absence of any reference to a post-credits scene in the available sources for The Ritual (2025), it is reasonable to conclude that the film does not include one.

Yes, in the 2025 film The Ritual, one character dies: Emma Schmidt. During the climactic exorcism ritual, which lasts 72 continuous hours, Emma breaks free from her bindings, hovers above the bed, and then crashes down, appearing lifeless. However, she then opens her eyes, indicating the exorcism is complete and she has survived the ordeal.

No other character deaths are described in the available information. The film focuses on the intense and violent exorcism process conducted by priests Theophilus Riesinger and Joseph Steiger to save Emma from possession. The physical and psychological toll on the priests is immense, but they survive the ordeal. Emma’s apparent death and revival mark the ritual’s peak and resolution.

In summary:

| Character | Circumstances of Death | Why | When | How | |-----------|-----------------------|-----|------|-----| | Emma Schmidt | Appears lifeless after crashing down during final exorcism stage | Result of violent exorcism ritual to expel demons | During the final 72-hour stage of the exorcism | Breaks free from bindings, hovers, then crashes down |

Emma’s death is temporary and part of the ritual’s climax, after which she revives and returns to normal life, though with lingering whispers of occasional demonic returns.