Spoilers are ahead for Pachinko season 2’s finale.

Pachinko season 2’s finale picks up where episode 7 left off, delivering an incredibly heart-wrenching ending to a show that’s packed with emotional moments every episode. At the end of episode 7, Noa (Kang Tae-Ju) goes away to Waseda University to start a fresh chapter. This shift in the family dynamic comes to define much of the sophomore outing’s finale. Noa meets Akiko, a fellow student who comes from a wealthy Japanese family. Although Noa seems to have a shot at happiness, his relationship with Akiko devolves. The breakup pushes Noa to finally confront Hansu (Lee Min-ho).

Noa gets Hansu to confess that he’s Noa’s biological father. The revelation prompts Noa to rush home and say a veiled “goodbye” to his mother, Sunja (Kim Min-ha). While Sunja is suspicious of Noa’s intentions, she fails to stop him — or find him later. Meanwhile, Noa’s brother, Mozasu (Mansaku Takada), gets his first job at a pachinko parlor in order to support his family. Pachinko‘s 1950s timeline ends with Noa claiming a new identity and starting a life away from his family. Meanwhile, Pachinko‘s cast of characters in 1989 weather several blows, including Abe’s (Yoshio Maki) sudden death.

Noa Finally Learns That Hansu Is His Father In Pachinko Season 2’s Ending

The Pachinko Season 2 Finale Sets Up New Friction Between Hansu, Sunja & Noa

In Pachinko season 2, episode 6, Noa had a difficult time accepting his admission to Waseda University. Seeing his mother’s continued sacrifice, Noa didn’t want Sunja to give up on her dream of opening a restaurant to pay for his schooling. Pressured by Hansu, Sunja is able to convince Noa that he’s not just going to university for himself, but to better his entire family. In Pachinko season 2, episode 8, it’s hard to believe that Noa ever doubted the idea of attending Waseda. Noa not only excels in his literature classes, but falls for the charming Akiko.

All 8 episodes of
Pachinko
season 2 are streaming on Apple TV+.

Throughout the episode, Hansu applies pressure to Noa. With how much Hansu and Sunja sacrificed for Noa, Hansu wants his secret son to go into politics and make a name for himself. While Noa appreciates what Hansu has done for his family, he is determined to pursue a more academic track. After Akiko arrives unannounced at Hansu’s home, Noa and Akiko have a bitter argument. Eventually, Akiko tells Noa, “You let others define you.” Akiko’s words cut so deeply that Noa tries to strangle her — an unforgivable act that’s reminiscent of Hansu’s outburst in Pachinko season 2, episode 4.

Now that the truth has been spoken out loud, Noa needs to confirm it.

After his violent act, Noa heads to Hansu’s house in the middle of the night. Akiko had insinuated that Hansu is Noa’s real father — something Noa always sensed. Now that the truth has been spoken out loud, Noa needs to confirm it. Without mincing words, Noa asks Hansu to tell him the truth. Hansu is open, confirming that, yes, Noa is his son. Hansu vouches for his Sunja’s decisions, but Noa reels from this revelation. Clearly, the confirmation that Hansu is his father will reshape Noa’s entire world.

The Aftermath Of Solomon’s Revenge Scheme Explained

Abe-San Takes His Own Life

In Pachinko season 2’s penultimate episode, Naomi (Shogun‘s Emmy-winning actor, Anna Sawai) is called into a meeting with the director of Shiffley’s and Tom Andrews (Jimmi Simpson). Tom explains that allegations have been made against Naomi, suggesting that she breached the firm’s security protocol and must resign. Heartbroken, Naomi realizes that Solomon (Jin Ha) has betrayed her. Tom even calls Solomon to confirm that they’re in a position to execute their takeover. In Pachinko season 2, episode 5, Solomon’s attitude toward Naomi shifted, but it’s particularly wild to see him take down his former lover.

Tom points out to Solomon that he lied about not wanting to stay in Japan.

In the show’s sophomore season finale, Solomon seems pretty aimless. Tom has a whole plan lined up: he’s ready to fully abandon his family in the US and move to another country to head up Yoshii-san’s (Louis Ozawa) latest financial endeavor. At a bar, Tom points out to Solomon that he lied about not wanting to stay in Japan. Solomon insists that he never intended to lie about his intentions — life just happened. Later, Solomon overhears a disturbing news report about Abe-san, his former Shiffley’s client. Evidently, Abe was found dead in a national park.

According to the reports, Abe died by suicide, though no note was found. Solomon is shaken by the news. Although Pachinko doesn’t spend much more time with Solomon in the wake of the news report, it’s not hard to see that he still has a moral compass — and a lot of guilt. While Abe’s death is tragic, it’s quite possible that Solomon is thinking about how he ruined Naomi’s life too. It’s hard to know what Solomon’s next move will be, but the finale sets up an intriguing Pachinko season 3 story.

Why Noa Visits Sunja In Pachinko Season 2’s Finale

Noa Says Goodbye Before Starting A New Life As Ogawa Minato

After learning that Hansu is, in fact, his father, Noa takes the train home to visit his mother. The entire sequence is strained and strange, with Noa essentially showing up to bid his mother farewell. Although Sunja senses that something is off, Noa insists he’s okay. No matter what Sunja says, she can’t get her son to linger any longer. Sunja tries to chase after Noa, but can’t find him. This prompts her to visit Hansu, who sends his men to scour the streets. Sunja breaks down in front of Hansu, lamenting that everything they did was for Noa.

Sunja’s oldest son introduces himself by a brand-new name — Ogawa Minato.

Despite everything that both Sunja and Hansu have sacrificed for their son, Noa vanishes without a trace. After selling the watch that Hansu gifted him for pocket money, Noa approaches the owner of a pachinko parlor to ask for a job. The man hesitates, asking Noa if he’s Korean. Instead of being honest, Noa lies, insisting that he’s Japanese. When the man gives Noa a job, Sunja’s oldest son introduces himself by a brand-new name — Ogawa Minato. The episode ends with Noa smiling about his new life, before sweeping the street outside the pachinko parlor.

What Mozasu Working At A Pachinko Parlor Means For Sunja’s Family

Pachinko Season 2 Underscores The Differences Between Sunja’s Sons

Earlier in the episode, Mozasu and his friends try to scam a local pachinko parlor. The owner of the parlor notices what Mozasu is doing and takes him to Sunja instead of the authorities, mainly because he likes Sunja’s noodles so much. That goodwill ends up changing the trajectory of Mozasu’s life. The parlor owner insists that Mozasu is nothing like his older brother, Noa. What he means is that Mozasu isn’t built to attend university, but to work. The man suggests that Mozasu work for him at the pachinko parlor and, eventually, Sunja agrees.

Not only does this moment set Mozasu’s future into motion, but it underscores an underlying theme of Pachinko season 2. Since Pachinko season 2, episode 1, the show has reiterated just how different Sunja’s sons are from one another. Even as children, Noa and Mozasu navigate the anti-Korean racism they face in school in completely different ways. While Mozasu confronts his differences head on, Noa shirks from his oppressors. Interestingly, the brothers, who couldn’t be more different, end up in a similar place — quite literally, they are both in pachinko parlors — in the season 2 finale.

The Truth About Kato’s Past & Sunja’s Reaction Explained

Kato Followed Terrible Orders To Save His Family During The War

A few episodes earlier, Mozasu (Soji Arai) hired a private investigator to learn more about the elder Sunja’s (Youn Yuh-jung) new friend, Kato (Jun Kunimura). After seeing that his mother bought an expensive gift for Kato, Mozasu feared that the elderly gentleman was merely after Sunja’s money. In Pachinko season 2, episode 7, Mozasu’s detective discovers that Kato was involved in the massacre of 139 American POWs. Although the story doesn’t dissuade Sunja from seeing Kato, she does confront her new friend about the incident in the season 2 finale.

Before leaving the café, Sunja wishes Kato well.

Kato explains the desperate circumstances that led him to engage in the massacre. Worried about his wife and family, a near-death Kato agreed to follow the orders that were doled out. Clearly, Kato laments his actions, but he also knows that he didn’t have much of a choice if he wanted to survive the horrors of World War II. While Sunja understands Kato’s wartime desperation to a degree, she decides to end their budding relationship. Before leaving the café, Sunja wishes Kato well.

What Happens With Mr. Kim & Kyunghee’s Romance

Yoseb Intercepts Letters From Mr. Kim To Kyunghee

While it seemed like Kyunghee’s (Jung Eun-chae) emotional affair with Mr. Kim (Kim Sung-kyu) was over in the penultimate episode, Pachinko‘s finale revisits the unrequited romance. In episode 7, Yoseb (Han Jun-woo), Kyunghee’s​​​​​​​ husband, finally confronts Mr. Kim about his love for Kyunghee. Meanwhile, Mr. Kim is poised to leave to fight in yet another war. Before leaving, Mr. Kim speaks with Kyunghee one final time, but she still feels loyal to Yoseb. In the finale, Yoseb finds a mountain of letters to Kyunghee from Mr. Kim, opening the door to more drama in Pachinko season 3.