I enjoy when telenovelas occasionally have a twist ending if it’s done right. Here’s a few off the top of my head: 

Lazos de Amor (1995) The ending is ambiguous and it’s left to the viewer to decide whether >!Maria Paula survived and took her sister, Maria Guadalupe’s place. Or Maria Guadalupe picked up her sister’s signature tick of rubbing her eyebrow with her pinky. There was a special done a few days after the telenovela ended, which confirmed that it was the latter. People still wonder to this day though if it was Maria Paula!<

El Maleficio (1983) >!Enrique is unable to make Juanito his successor and is killed by the diabolical entity Bael, who set his mansion on fire, burning him alive!<

Cuna de Lobos (1987) >!Catalina Creel may have committed suicide, but it is implied her dark legacy will continue, when her grandson is seen at the end wearing an eyepatch!<

Cuando Llega el Amor (1990) >!Alejandra hates her cousin Isabel so much, that she commits suicide on the day that was supposed to be special for Isabel and her love Luis. After she falls, she opens her eyes one last time and smiles in triumph. To her it’s a win that she ruined Isabel and Luis’s moment of celebration and happiness!<

La Chacala (1997) >!The fourth wall is broken and Angelica Aragon appears to Christian Bach, complimenting her work, and is then seen leaving. It is heavily implied Aragon is Satan or a demon!<

Rubí (2004) >!After causing so much chaos and destruction, Rubí finally gets what’s coming to her. It’s already a dark ending because usually the antagonist/protagonist ends up repenting and making up for what they did. Rubí never regrets her actions, even when she loses the love of her life, her fortune, her beauty, and her leg. But it is made even more controversial when Rubí manages to groom Fernanda in order to get “revenge” against Alejandro and Maribel. Fernanda grows up and looks exactly liked her aunt. It ends with Fernanda waiting in Alejandro’s office, who think she is Rubí. Fernanda breaks the fourth wall, winks at the viewer right before pulling Alejandro in for a kiss, and the door shuts with the question “Fin?” Appearing, leaving it as a cliffhanger!<

Teresa (2010) >!Although Teresa is disowned by her family, she still “gets away” with everything when Arturo decides to forgive her, even after she betrayed him and his beloved sister Luisa. Thus, their toxic relationship continues and it’s considered a small “win” by some viewers, and a punishment in disguise by others!<

Which are your favorite or shocked you when you first saw it? It doesn’t have to be any of the ones I listed. 

The most controversial/darkest endings in telenovelas