The Conjuring: Last Rites introduced a far more powerful and diabolical demon that the Warrens encountered in their first-ever case, and it went back to haunt the Smurl family 22 years later to gain their attention. The fourth and final installment of The Conjuring franchise from Warner Bros. is based on Ed and Lorraine Warren's real-life case involving the Smurl family haunting in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1986.
While the movie clearly took liberties from the real case, Last Rites added new elements, such as an antique mirror that houses a dangerous demon. This mirror demon is filled with plenty of mysteries, but The Conjuring: Last Rites left its origin ambiguous. Still, there is a lot to explore about the movie's big bad due to its ties to the Warrens.
Who Was The Demon In Conjuring: Last Rites, Explained
The Conjuring: Last Rites began with Ed and a pregnant Lorraine Warren investigating their first-ever case involving a demonic mirror inside an antique store. They learned that the owner committed suicide, while his daughter mentioned that she felt that there was an ominous presence that had been watching them.
Upon investigating, Lorraine touched the mirror and saw a vision of her life flash through her eyes before it slightly broke. It turned out that touching the demonic mirror pushed Lorraine to give birth to Judy, but it almost led to tragedy.
A brief glimpse of the bald-headed demon was seen in the delivery room, and Last Rites implied that it was the entity's fault that Judy was stillborn. While it tried to take Judy's soul, Lorraine prayed hard for God's protection, which essentially brought Judy back alive.
22 years later, the Smurl family became the latest victim of the mirror demon after it served as a gift for Heather's confirmation. Once the mirror essentially became part of the house, the hauntings started, and the spirits inside became violent. It only got worse after the two eldest Smurl daughters tried to get rid of the mirror.
The demon is so powerful that it even overpowered Father Gordon, ultimately possessing him, which led to his tragic suicide. Father Gordon's death in The Conjuring: Last Rites served as the demon's way to lure the Warrens (specifically, Judy) to the house, knowing how close the priest was to them.
It was successful in its attempt because the Warrens got involved in the investigation. After experiencing the hauntings, Lorraine learned that four entities are inside the house: a vengeful spirit of a man holding an axe, an old smiling woman, her daughter, and the demon inside the mirror. She confirmed that the demon controls the other three spirits to wreak havoc in the house.
The mirror demon used the same modus operandi as what Valak did to Bill Wilkins and The Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2.
As it turned out, the demon's actual target was Judy Warren because it appeared to have attached its essence to her two decades ago. When it confronted Loraine, the demon (as Judy) said, "We've been waiting so patiently for little Judy to come back to us."
The demon's words seemed to indicate that it initially took hold of Judy's soul in the delivery room (which explained why she was stillborn), but Lorraine's prayer effectively banished its presence. Still, the demon never forgot.
The demon saw Judy's involvement in the Smurl family haunting case as its sole opportunity to claim her soul. This is why it used everything in its arsenal to get to Judy, ultimately leading to possessing the young Warren.
Part of the demon's modus operandi in The Conjuring: Last Rites is possessing its victim and committing suicide to claim its soul. It almost succeeded in taking Judy's soul, but the combined might of Ed, Lorraine, and Judy's fiancé, Tony, managed to save her.
However, the climactic battle saw the mirror using its last hurrah to try and take Judy's soul once more. Under Lorraine's guidance, Judy was able to embrace her paranormal abilities fully and banish the demon once and for all by not acknowledging its presence.
While the mirror demon was ultimately defeated, The Conjuring: Last Rites didn't really expand on its origin and name, leaving plenty of theories about where it came from and why it has the power to overwhelm someone like Father Gordon.
Despite that, the ambiguity surrounding the mirror demon makes it even scarier and powerful.
Will The Conjuring Release A Mirror Demon Spin-Off?
If there are more movies set in The Conjuring universe, The Conjuring: Last Rites' ending perfectly sets up Judy Warren as the next protagonist, considering that she fully embraced her abilities. She is also the natural heir to the Warrens' demon-hunting legacy.
It's possible that the ambiguity surrounding the mirror demon was made on purpose, similar to how the mystery surrounding Valak was mainly pushed to the sidelines in The Conjuring 2 before being thoroughly explored in The Nun and The Nun 2 (read more on how to watch The Conjuring movies in order here).
A potential future project could focus on the mirror demon, diving deeper into its origins, motivations, and reasoning behind targeting Judy.
A prequel could see it torment other families while still silently stalking Judy from afar. Doing this would enrich the viewing experience of The Last Rites, similar to what the two The Nun movies did to The Conjuring 2.
