Story by Robert Tapert and RJ Stewart
Teleplay by RJ Stewart
Directed by Robert Tapert
Xena deliberately gets herself killed in order to slay the demon Yodoshi once and for all while Gabrielle strives to recover and revive her friend.
Tropes
- A Good Way to Die: Morimoto wants Gabrielle to strike him down so that he would be known as the man who was killed by a great warrior. Gabrielle settles for knocking him out.
- An Arm and a Leg: Xena cuts off one of Yodoshi's arms, forcing him to flee.
- Annoying Arrows: Subverted. Xena is hit by at least 4 arrows, but she is able to keep fighting to the end. However, they slow her down enough for Morimoto to deal the finishing blow.
- Bittersweet Ending: Yodoshi has been slain, Morimoto is defeated and all the souls have been released from their grasp, but Xena decides to stay dead in order for the souls to have an honorable death. Gabrielle leaves on her own and heads to Egypt.
- Bookend: Xena buries her armor into the ground, with music eerily similar to one of the first scenes of the show.
- Breath Weapon: Yodoshi uses it to freeze the water under Akemi, trapping her.
- Dead Guy on Display: After he beheaded Xena, Yodoshi had her headless body stripped and hung by a tree. Something that angers Gabrielle when she found it.
- Grand Finale: The second part of the story.
- Healing Spring: Yodoshi uses the Fountain of Strength on a mountain to replenish his strength. He used it to regenerate his arm. Gabrielle later uses it to protect herself from an attack from Yodoshi. She also intended to use the waters to revive Xena... until the warrior princess stopped her.
- Heroic Suicide: As Xena can only destry Yodoshi as a spirit, she knew that she had to die in order to do the deed. Later, when the souls are freed, Xena forgoes the chance of reviving herself in order to make sure that the souls receive honorable deaths.
- Impressive Pyrotechnics: The resulting fireball from the explosion caused by Xena was enough to cause trees to burst into flames burn soldiers and horses to cinder in seconds.
- Multi-Part Episode
- No Theme Tune/Title-Only Opening: It is the only episode in the series to begin with just the title and no theme tune to go along with it.
- Off With Her Head: Xena courtesy of Morimoto. Gabrielle later finds out he's kept the head as a trophy.
- Rain of Arrows: Unleashed by Morimoto and his men upon Xena's location. A few manage to hit her.
- Sidekick Graduations Stick: The entire multi-part episode has led to Gabrielle to become the next great hero, especially with the death of Xena.
- Suicide Mission: Xena takes on Morimoto's army by herself. She take down a good deal of her men, but she knows that it was a battle she couldn't walk out of alive.
- Sword Fight: Gabrielle challenges Morimoto to a duel for possession of Xena's body. In a swift motion, Gabrielle dodges the general's strike and has her blade to his neck.
- Taking Up the Mantle: The purpose of the two-parter is to prepare Gabrielle to take up the mantle of warrior princess, from learning how to track people's movements to learning how to use the chakram.
