"I am the Queen and these are my people. I have to stay and fight." | Wraith's Journal #45 [S3 Finale pt. 2 - Conquer]
Journal #44 - S3 Finale pt. 1: Divide
First time using a quote as the title? We're in the biggest and most important part of the story so far! Star found her mom but the amnesia of the Realm of Magic is affecting both of them. Marco's group is still fighting Meteora but Meteora gains the upper hand... Star reaches her peak and confronts Meteora face to face! And an unexpected combatant shows off some magical prowess... Can the kingdom be saved?
~
Star and Moon (who can't remember anything) are still frolicking in the Realm of Magic. They go up some of the many waterfalls (magic-falls?) and find an empty, arid world, and a place where the Well of Magic is blocked off. Moon leaves some dark handprints on the barrier...
Meanwhile, in a break in the fighting, with the Marc-nificent Seven down to 5, and morale low, Tom gives a weird, double-edged speech in support of Marco:
Look, we're not following Marco's plans because they're good. We're following them because he's Marco! He is gonna come up with another terrible plan, and when that one doesn't work out, he'll come up with another, and then another. That's why he's our leader, 'cause he's just dumb enough to never give up!
~I mean, it worked? I'll take the part about Marco not giving up - that actually does accurately describe him.
Indeed, Marco comes up with another plan: They lure Meteora into a dense part of the forest, tie a bunch of trees together, and Tom uses his Demon powers to chop them up. Then they entangle Meteora in the trees.
The plan actually works! Meteora rolls down a hill and Tom showcases more Demon magic to drop Meteora into the Underworld. "She's gone!"
In the Realm of Magic, the Firstborn finds Moon and Star and sends them away with magic, saying they're 'not supposed to be there'.
~I mean, Moon wasn't supposed to be here (not to mention the whole she may or may not have washed off some dark magic into the magic...), but what about Star? Was she just supposed to leave her mom here, or even just wait until she popped up.. anywhere?
The Marc-nificent Seven Five start to celebrate, but Meteora emerges from the ground and attacks! Talon and Hekapoo are soul-drained, and a deflected fire attack from Tom hits Kelly to reveal that Tad was still living in her hair. Kelly is then soul-drained, too.
Marco and Tom are now desperate. Marco offers himself as a sacrifice so Tom can get away and warn Star.
Marco: ...I'll stay and buy you both some time. [draws El Choppo]
Tom: I'm not leaving you! You're.. you're my best friend.
Marco: [looks regretful] I.. kissed Star.
Tom: W-what?
Marco: Yeah, so you don't owe me anything. Now go-
Tom has already gone
Marco: Wow. No hesitation.
~I'm honestly not sure what to make of Tom seeing Marco as his best friend. They've been through a lot, at least individually, but, 'best friend'?
Marco finds Meteora and drops his sword. He expects the whole 'villain monologue' to stall for time, but Meteora isn't having it. Meteora tries to soul-drain him, but Tom takes the shot.. only to recover a second later.
Marco: Tom! What are you doing?
Tom: Calling your bluff!
Marco: No, I really did kiss Star!
Tom: Oh. Well, it's too late now!
Meteora hits Tom again, and Tom notes that he has "thousands" of Demon spirits. Meteora channels her soul-drain ray, sucking out several of Tom's spirits - she grows noticeably bigger in seconds.
Marco takes the opportunity to break free and kick Meteora in the eye. Marco tells Tom to run. In a rage, Meteora finally attacks Marco.
Star awakens.. in her own bed. Her dad finds her and asks where Moon is. Star tells that she did find her mom, but that the magic was too strong. River declares it's time to fight Meteora. He jumps out of the window onto an eagle and flies off after Meteora.
Star is informed of Marco's group's return, and goes out to find only an exhausted Tom... and a soul-drained Marco. Star gasps in horror.
~Things just keep getting worse. Marco and his group did everything they could, but Meteora was just too powerful. Marco - maybe he's been feeling guilty for a while now - told Tom about the photo booth kiss, but Tom still stuck around for his "best friend" anyway. Star found her mom, but was told they 'don't belong' in the Realm of Magic.
~Now Star's back home. Her mom's still missing - even more so than before; Marco is soul-drained; and Meteora has arrived at the kingdom. There's one more part - will there even be a kingdom left to save?
~
Meteora is laying waste to the residences in the lower kingdom. River and the eagles do their best to fend her off. Star can only look sadly at Marco.
Tom: Star, she's right behind us. What do we do?
Star: Wait a minute.
Tom: Uh.. Meteora?
Star: I'm so dumb.
Tom: What?
Star: I'm an idiot!
Tom: Uh.. oh, no. D-don't say that.
Star: How could I forget the Magic Sanctuary?!
Tom: What? But Meteora-
Star grabs Tom and they fly off to the wilderness, leaving the kingdom behind.
At the beach where the Sanctuary lies, Star is still focused on Marco: "We obviously can't bring the whole kingdom here, but at least we can.. start with Marco."
Star tries to communicate with an alligator, but the alligator simply derps around in the water.
Tom: Wh-what did you think was gonna happen here?
Star: I'm doing the thing my mom showed me! You talk to the Guardian, he swims in, he goes down, the Sanctuary comes up out of the water...
Tom: Star, I'm sorry.
Star: It-it would have worked if my mom was here.
Star hugs Tom, almost crying into his shoulder
Star: But, I'm not her. It's all over...
~Star completely lost herself when she saw Marco being hurt. She even left the kingdom behind.
~It's not fair to Star, honestly. She's still a kid - arguably even more so than her mom when she became queen. To have to deal with a rampaging Monster, your people are being hurt, your friends are being hurt, your family is in pieces... no kid can deal with that on their own.
Tom opens a gateway in the ground to the Underworld. "Star, I promised Marco I'd keep you safe. We need to go. Meteora won't find us in the Underworld. We'll be safe and very, very warm."
Star almost follows Tom down, but sees several Mewmans drift by who have been soul-drained. She sees the eagles, too.
Star: Eagles. She got Dad? What am I doing? I can't leave!
Tom: Star?
~Biggest line of the entire show goes to...
Star: I am the Queen and these are my people. I have to stay and fight.
~Star Butterfly. Happy-go-lucky princess who beat up on Monsters for fun. Girl who just wanted to make friends and make cool spells with her Wand. Kid who had a crush and likes to go on adventures. Star, who never liked, even hated the idea of being Queen - some prissy, proper woman with too many responsibilities - did eventually embrace the idea that she could do some good for the kingdom. But no, this is something else.
~Star grew up in this moment. She finally realized that the world is bigger than her, and she can make a difference. She can save these people, her family, and her friends. For all the defeats Star had - from losing the Book of Spells, to the failed endeavors to unite Mewmans and Monsters, to not knowing who her family really is - Star put all that aside and decided, not to run from her responsibilities, but to fight, to win.
Tom: But, Meteora will destroy you!
Star transforms into her butterfly form
Star: Stay here and take care of Marco.
Star flies back to the kingdom, leaving a shocked Tom and balloon Marco
Star arrives and the kingdom and the castle are in ruins. Star enters the castle to find all the knights and castle staff soul-drained. She goes past the Tapestry Room to find all but Eclipsa's damaged or destroyed. Star also stumbles on one of Eclipsa's secret passageways and her chains, and deduces that Eclipsa got free (but how?). Tom also arrives at the castle with Marco and encounters Meteora first...
Star enters the throne room and barely dodges Tom being thrown against the wall - he's knocked unconscious. Meteora briefly taunts Star, showing her balloon Marco, and says that she was "chasing after the wrong princess". Cue 'final battle' music.
~Fighting Toffee - both times - wasn't really much of a battle. This is easily the most epic battle of the series. Star is at her most powerful and so is Meteora. Star finally gets to use her butterfly form in combat and Meteora has the power of all the souls with her.
Meteora and Star have a back and forth battle. Star's butterfly form powers up her spells - initially surprising her. We even see some spells she hasn't used since her early days, including raspberry ribbon lasso and jellybean hallucination mist.
Star tries to cast 'thermonuclear butterfly blast' but is interrupted by Meteora and pinned against a wall. Meteora goes for one, final soul-drain ray, but Star creates a golden shield around her.
Meteora: End of the line, Butterfly!
Star: Okay, I get it! You're angry! If I were in your shoes, I'd be angry, too! But you don't have to do this! We can fix everything!
Meteora: You can't fix what your family's done!
~Real quick, is Meteora talking about what Star's family did to her, or Monsters in general? Star only recently learned that she's not related to Eclipsa, and many queens post-Eclipsa, though they didn't help Monsters, simply minded their own business and didn't provoke anything.
Star: You're right! I can't! You want my power?! Take it!
Star channels all her energy - sacrificing her butterfly form to do so - into a large, golden ball of energy which she launches at Meteora. The blast destroys what's left of the room, and stuns them both.
~Moon did something like this when she fought Ludo-Toffee in Starcrushed. Alternatively, is this a throwback to when Star blasted Toffee with that huge ray of golden energy? What is this power?
Meteora is dazed but still trying to fight. Star can barely raise her Wand to cast a spell, but it's grabbed by...
Eclipsa takes the Wand, which transforms into a purple-themed parasol. Eclipsa feels the surge of magic for the first time (bar the encounter with Moon) in 300 years. Meteora attacks Star, but Eclipsa interrupts her with a blast: "Midnight shriek".
Meteora: Mama?! You blasted me!
Eclipsa: You can't do this, Meteora!
Meteora: But they.. this-this should all be ours! They stole it from us!
Eclipsa: So what, you're just going to destroy it all?
Meteora: Something like that.
Meteora tries to attack Star again, but Eclipsa stops her with more blasts of energy
Meteora: You're on their side?!
Eclipsa faces her daughter one more time, tearing up
Eclipsa: Black Velvet Inferno.
Meteora is encased in a purple sphere
Meteora: Mommy...?
The sphere activates, then collapses. Meteora is gone. All that remains is a tattered garment.
Eclipsa, tears falling, falls to her knees.
Eclipsa: I'm sorry!
Star is in shock
Star: What did you do..?
Eclipsa: ...What I had to.
~Powerful scene. The lack of ambience - no music, no sound effects, just silence - is incredible. Eclipsa didn't hesitate. She saw the destruction Meteora - her daughter - had wrought. The kingdom had been terrorized for days, and the homes around Butterfly Castle were destroyed in hours if not minutes. Eclipsa did what was best for the kingdom - the kingdom that had cast her aside; called her a villain, a traitor - she saved them all.
Everyone's souls are returned and they drift down to the ground. Star runs to catch a falling Marco.
Star: Marco? Marco?
Marco: Huh? Star! W-what happened?
Star almost cries, and hugs Marco tightly
Star: I got you, Marco Diaz!
Star and Marco look happily into each other's eyes
Tom: Awww, I'm.. I'm just gonna make this weird!
Tom hugs Star and Marco
Star: Tom!
Star is happy Tom is okay, too
Star: Okay, Marco, this is great, but your butt's making my legs fall asleep.
~I'll let this moment speak for itself.
Star sadly moves over to Eclipsa, who hasn't moved.
Star: Eclipsa, you.. you saved us.
Eclipsa: Star? Well, thank you for letting me borrow this.
Eclipsa offers the Wand back to Star. Star sadly looks at the Wand, the remains of Meteora, then back to the Wand.
Star: No. Keep it. This Wand was yours. It belongs to you. Things haven't been right since my family took the kingdom. The best thing I can do as queen is return what my family stole from you.
~What's going through Star's mind here? Again, just a few weeks ago, she learned her bloodline is illegitimate. She's had the idea that Eclipsa was wronged hundreds of years ago, and has been wronged ever since. She never wanted to be Queen, not like this, but she's wanted to do right by the kingdom, especially now. And now.. she's giving it away. Is this Star, again, growing up and making a decision, or is she just being reckless? She's had time to consider things, but this...?
Eclipsa looks confused, shocked at Star's gesture. A baby's cries are heard from where Meteora once stood. Eclipsa goes over to investigate.
From the tattered garment, Eclipsa retrieves.. a baby girl, with pointy ears, a tail, and clover cheek emblems...
Eclipsa, tearfully: Hello, there, little one!
Star: WHAT.
Eclipsa, to Star: Thank you!
Star: Oh, yeah, totally, totally, totally...
~WHAT. Indeed. Okay, did anyone actually think Eclipsa didn't kill Meteora? And she's.. back.. as a baby? I mean, in a wholesome sense, it's a fresh start for a family that's been torn apart and ravaged for so long. On the other hand - just.. how?
~What does this say about what magic is capable of? Does it do what we 'say', or what we 'want'? Remember all the emotions messing things up in Season 2? The magic almost seems.. sentient, like it knows what we're trying to do even if we don't vocalize it. But again, how did a spell like Black Velvet Inferno.. turn Meteora back into a baby?
Eclipsa opens the parasol-Wand and flies away with Meteora (reverse Mary Poppins?). Star and Marco wonder where she's going.
Glossaryck-dog runs around repeatedly shouting "Globgor!"
Star: Yes, Glossaryck, "Globgor". We know.
Glossaryck: No, no, no! Eclipsa's monster love, Globgor! She's going off to be with him. I've been trying to tell you for months. Anyway, see ya around.
Glossaryck departs, using a parasol similar to Eclipsa's. Marco does like an anime fall-over in shock.
~First time he's coherent in months and this is the bombshell?! How did no one pick up on 'Globgor'?!
Eclipsa arrives at Monster Temple. She starts to make herself at home, and opens a hidden chamber...
Inside is a crystal. In the crystal is a large Monster with 4 eyes.. that resembles Meteora.
"Hello, my love. We're home!"
~He was here the whole time?! Alright, I've had enough shocks for one episode, let alone a season.
~
What. An. Episode. And what a season. I used to be kind of sour on Season 3, since it's kind of slow after Toffee's defeat, but the construction of the story - slowly uncovering the truth about Eclipsa's character, Meteora's evolution, and the MHC's involvement; not to mention Star's ups and downs - is incredible. Easily the best season.. so far.
I gotta appreciate Marco. He knew the mission. He knew he couldn't win against Meteora, but he certainly gave it his all to give Star as much time as he could. He's a leader. He knows what he's doing. He's gone from being just some kid who wanted adventure, to actually living it and doing some good in the world.
Star, too. She may not have wanted to be Queen, but she embraced the role and understood that it's about the people, not her. A lot of real-life politicians could understand this. Star's decision to give the Wand to Eclipsa - was it right? As a leader, you're always going to wonder if you're doing the right thing. Personally, I think she made the right decision. The future of Mewni was changed by the actions of the MHC and Shastacan. It may be a gesture, but this is a change that can help Star realize her goal of making Mewni a better place for everyone.
Eclipsa. One still has to wonder: whose side is she really on? We've come to realize that Eclipsa is nowhere near the dark, evil Queen she was made out to be, but can she now be a Queen for the people, like Star? Or is she just concerned about her family?
As for Meteora, she's had a troubled life - for 300 years. Perhaps this second chance can leave her in the hands of a family that loves her, rather than a robot that's just instructed to raise her. Everyone deserves a second chance, even the worst of us. Perhaps the magic knew that?
And Moon - where is she now? If she didn't 'belong' in the Realm of Magic (and the dark magic is definitely a problem), then where does she belong? She didn't end up at the castle like Star. Again, what is the magic up to? It's almost like the magic is a character in and of itself. Do we really control it, or is it driving us somewhere - but where?
I love how connected everything is. All these characters are moving the story - a story that has been building for the last 56 episodes. Star is getting stronger. She's uncovering more secrets about the world and her family. Marco's come into his own. Eclipsa is proving that she deserves a chance to show the people the real her. We're beating evil, but when we take out one, more just takes its place. It's a never-ending battle for what's good and what's right. We always have to question if we're making the right decision, and what 'evil' truly is - because sometimes, it's hiding in plain sight, or even right behind a door.. or is it?
Again, fantastic episode and season. The story still feels like it's only just getting started. Star may no longer be a princess, or even the Queen, but she still has a lot of work to do to fix her family's - and her world's - issues. There's more evil to be beaten, and more adventures to be had. Can Star beat all the forces of evil, or will they fight back even harder to bring her down?
Posted Sep 4, 2025, 10:32 PM UTC