Apocalypto ending explained (spoilers)

[jesus]

The men are selected at random for the sacrifices and when Jaguar Paw is selected for the next sacrifice, he faces it calmly as if this was his destiny. Just as he's about to be cut open, a solar eclipse occurs and the tribe takes this as a signal that there have been enough sacrifices. When asked what to do with the other prisoners, the headmaster says for the 2 guy to dispose of them as he sees fit. He decides to dispose of them by playing this game. The game is this: two prisoners at a time, are released and told to try to run to their freedom. There are two walls on the side, so they have no choice but to run forward. It seems approximately the first 100yards is sand and after that are the wheat fields. As the prisoners are running, the tribe has target practice on them throwing rocks, spears and shooting arrows.

The first two to run are Jaguar Paw's brother and another tribemate. The tribemate dies after a rock hits him in the head and Jaguar Paw's brother comes close, but is hit with a spear through the abdomen. He tries to keep walking but collapses. Next up is Jaguar Paw and the presumed headmaster of the tribe that wanted safe passage. The other guy dies by an arrow and then Jaguar Paw is hit with an arrow in his back. But he still has some energy and tries to walk but collapses. Just as another guy is about to finish Jaguar Paw off with a blow to the head, Jaguar Paw's brother has latched onto the guy's leg and tells Jaguar Paw to run. He does so and the other tribal members give chase.

Eventually, Jaguar Paw makes it back to his home camp with those other tribal members still giving chase. He disposes of them one by one as you soon begin to realise that the prophecy the little girl foretold earlier is coming true. Jaguar Paw kills the headmaster by luring him into the very same trap that was used in the beginning of the movie to kill that boar. When two tribe members are left, Jaguar Paw runs and he collapses on shore. At this point, he has taken three arrows already and you are lead to believe he collapsed to his knees from the pain and loss of blood. But as the other two tribe members come up to kill Jaguar Paw, the camera pans to the shore and you see the Spanish settlers coming to land.

Jaguar Paw leaves the two tribe members to deal with the Spanish people as he goes back to the gave where he left his wife and son. As he gazes down, he sees his wife holding their new baby. Finally, they show Jaguar Paw and his family wandering through the jungle about to start a new tribe.