Westworld Season 4 Ending Explained: A Look at Humanity’s Collapse and the Hosts’ Future

There are moments when Westworld doesn’t bother to conceal where it’s going, and this approach was evident again in how season 4 wrapped up. From the middle of the third season, Westworld had been surprisingly blunt about the quick approach to humanity’s downfall.

During that season, the creation of the supercomputer Rehoboam was specifically aimed at controlling people, suppressing their violent tendencies, and keeping the apocalypse at bay as long as possible. But human beings usually resist being controlled.

Caleb (played by Aaron Paul), with assistance from Maeve (Thandiwe Newton), took matters into his own hands by dismantling Rehoboam and giving people the chance to choose their paths. Despite this bold move, the series consistently made it clear that humanity’s future wasn’t exactly promising.

Bernard’s Dire Prediction

Bernard (Jeffrey Wright), after returning from The Sublime at the end of season 3, came back with the firm belief that the end of all conscious life on Earth was drawing near. He didn’t keep this belief to himself, often sharing it with anyone willing to listen.

Still, Bernard never claimed he could stop it—only delay the inevitable. Turns out Bernard’s warnings were on point all along. By the end of season 4, most of humanity has been wiped out (with just a few individuals left behind who won’t last long either), but this destruction could be the beginning of something different for the robots created by humans.

Here’s a breakdown of what went on during the conclusion of Westworld season 4.

What Was William’s Final Game?

Throughout the series, it’s been clear that humans were always on track to bring about their ruin. While they’re capable of causing their collapse, William’s last plan gives the process a solid push. Just so it’s clear: the real William—also known as The Man in Black—is no longer alive.

His host version finally ended him in the previous episode. However, the chaotic need of that original William still lingers in the host created to mimic him. This host often felt disconnected, unsure of who he truly was. Only during his final conversation with the real William did he understand his purpose: to keep living.

For both versions of William, games were always a source of obsession—especially when the stakes were high. After once being satisfied with solving the mysteries inside Westworld, this version wanted to win something much bigger.

He took control of Hale’s tower, triggering a global riot by sending everyone into a violent frenzy. Then he stepped right into the chaos to prove his strength. His words made it clear: “I just cranked it to expert level. Survival of the fittest.”

But despite his confidence, William didn’t make it through. Hale, now more advanced, destroyed him and crushed his pearl in her hand.

Does the World End?

To be honest, yes—it pretty much does. Though the Earth itself keeps spinning, the human race is heading for extinction. It’s even possible the planet is faring better without people around to wreck the environment.

We don’t witness the final breath of every human, but when we last catch up with Frankie (Aurora Perrineau), one of the few survivors, she seems healthy and is moving away from the city, searching for a safer place.

Bernard summed up what was left of the human story: “A few may escape death for a few months. Maybe even years. But their kind will go extinct. They will only live as long as the last creature who remembers them. And that creature is me.”

Who Dies in the Westworld Season 4 Finale?

When it comes to character deaths, season 4 didn’t hold back. The real William met his end in the previous episode, alongside Bernard and Maeve.

In this final episode, more lives are lost: Host William, Host Caleb, Clementine (Angela Sarafyan), Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth), Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson), and yes—the remaining humans too. So who’s still around at this point? The only character left standing is the one the series began with.

What Was Dolores’s Role?

Dolores, who goes by Christina in this season (played by Evan Rachel Wood), had full control over the stories within the artificial world created by Hale. That control existed because the entire system was built using Dolores’s pearl—her core programming.

We see Hale retrieve this pearl from the top of the tower before heading off to place it somewhere else. Considering that Hale is a version of Dolores herself, she probably understood that only Dolores’s storywriting ability could support such an intricate setup.

Dolores wasn’t initially aware of her power due to her Christina persona, but small parts of her original identity started slipping through. She created a best friend (Maya, played by Ariana DeBose), a love interest (Teddy, played by James Marsden), and scattered clues that led her toward recognizing her true self and the reality around her.

Bernard had prepared recordings that eventually helped Hale see that Dolores was the key to continuing any form of sentient life. That’s why, after Hale’s death, Dolores becomes the one to carry the story forward by entering the Sublime to lead the hosts.

Dolores herself says it best: “Sentient life on Earth has ended but some part of it might still be preserved in another world. My world.”

What Is The Sublime?

The Sublime has been part of Westworld since the second season. To describe it as plainly as possible, it functions as a sort of afterlife for robots.

Created by Westworld’s original architect Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), the Sublime exists as a huge digital space (around 1.2 exabytes) where the minds of hosts can live freely after leaving behind the suffering brought by the Delos Corporation.

At the close of season 2, several hosts—including Teddy and Akecheta—chose to cross into this place, which is also known as The Valley Beyond and Makȟóčhe lé čha yÁ ki, hoping to find peace. While viewers haven’t seen much of what life is like in the Sublime, Hale valued its purpose, as she kept its servers powered by an energy-generating dam.

During the final episode of season 4, Hale brings Dolores’s pearl to the dam and uploads it into the Sublime. From that point on, Earth is no longer the place where sentient life will continue. The future lies within the Sublime, filled with the stored memories and personalities of the hosts.

Dolores, in this new environment, makes changes—like bringing Times Square back in the style of the original Westworld park—indicating she wants to start over with the next generation.

Will There Be a Westworld Season 5?

At this stage, it’s unlikely that Westworld Season 4’s ending brings the most complete conclusion the series has delivered. With all sentient life on Earth gone, the show seems to have reached its logical endpoint.  With all sentient life on Earth gone, the show seems to have reached its logical endpoint.

Still, if HBO ever decides to call back creators Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, and current showrunner Alison Schapker, there might be one path left for a continuation. will return for a fifth season.

Still, if HBO ever decides to call back creators Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, and current showrunner Alison Schapker, there might be one path left for a continuation.

Dolores’s closing statement hints at one last challenge. She says: “There’s time for one last game. A dangerous game with the highest of stakes. Survival or extinction. This game ends where it began. In a world like a maze that tests who we are. That reveals who we are to become.”

Even though the hosts now exist in what could be considered a digital afterlife, their journey is far from settled. Since they are essentially the offspring of humanity, there’s no guarantee they won’t fall into similar habits.

If season 5 ever happens, it could focus on how the hosts try to build their way of life inside the Sublime. With such a flexible digital world and Dolores’s boundless creativity, it would also open the door for revisiting familiar places from earlier in the series as the hosts try to find stability.

This powerful story is waiting for you to discover it right now on Showmax’s streaming platform.