The Conjuring: Last Rites had one impactful death that changed the course of the movie's plot. Although the cases featured in Warner Bros.' mainline Conjuring movies were haunting and high-stakes, none of the protagonists actually died on-screen. Marketing for Last Rites looked to change that because the trailer revealed that the main case explored in the film was the one that left a significant mark on Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren's careers.
The final installment of the Warrens' story is perhaps one of the most daunting yet because it revolves around the Smurl Family Haunting in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1986. Although it is based on a real-life case, Last Rites departs from the true story in some parts, such as the tragic death of one character close to the Warrens.
Who Died in The Conjuring: Last Rites?
The Conjuring: Last Rites raised the stakes even further by taking bold risks, and it involves killing off an important character: Father Gordon. He was one of the Warrens' closest friends and their go-to person from the Catholic Church, who assisted them in various cases through the years.
The Warrens were semi-retired when the events of The Conjuring: Last Rites began, which is why Father Gordon was the one who initially investigated the Smurl Family's haunting case in Pennsylvania after it made headlines all over the country.
Father Gordon tried to help the Smurls by going to their house and investigating what entities were tormenting them. This was done without the permission of the Catholic Church, meaning that no one other than the Smurls knew that the priest was there.
While Father Gordon did try to bless the house with Holy Water, it ultimately didn't work, so he decided to go to the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania to ask for official help from the Catholic Church.
However, the unnamed demon from the cursed mirror played tricks with Father Gordon because it managed to follow him inside the Church and manifest an entirely different reality. The demon was able to manipulate Father Gordon and possess him while inside the confines of a sacred ground, meaning that whatever this entity was, it was more powerful than the Warrens had ever encountered in the past.
A possessed Father Gordon ultimately took his own life, leading to his tragic and unexpected death. What made Father Gordon's death heartbreaking was the fact that he tried to ask the Warrens for help, but they rejected his request.
Did the Dog Die In Conjuring: Last Rites?
The Smurl family had a Golden Retriever whose life was in danger during the climax of The Conjuring: Last Rites. After the demon had successfully possessed Judy Warren, she scared the entire family, locked Lorraine in the basement, and kept her fiancé, Tony Spera, outside the house.
While the dog tried to protect Heather and Dawn Smurl, a possessed Judy levitated the dog and threw him at the wall, seemingly injuring him. However, after Ed told Janet Smurl to head out for their safety, the dog was later seen perfectly fine as he walked outside alongside the family. The dog was seen again with the family after the Warrens saved the day, wagging his tail after the haunting died down.
What Happened to the Other Characters in Conjuring: Last Rites?
Lorraine Warren
Lorraine Warren survived the events of The Conjuring: Last Rites, and she was pivotal in finding the solution needed to overcome the demon that tormented her family and the Smurls.
While she convinced Judy all her life to shut her powers out, Lorraine eventually allowed her daughter to embrace her paranormal abilities. They joined forces to overwhelm the demon inside the mirror, ultimately forcing it to go back to hell.
Judy Warren
Judy Warren is at the center of the story of The Conjuring: Last Rites since she was revealed to be the main target of the demonic entity inside the mirror. Judy was integral in bringing her parents to the Smurls' house in Pennsylvania after seeing a vision at Father Gordon's funeral.
While Judy almost died after being possessed by the demon, she survived after her parents and Tony worked together to stop her from dying. Ultimately, the fact that Judy's life was in peril during the investigation in The Conjuring: Last Rites was the main reason why Ed and Lorraine decided to end their active involvement in paranormal cases.
Tony Spera
Tony Spera (played by Ben Hardy) is a brand-new character in The Conjuring universe. He is a former cop and Judy Warren's fiancé who joined the Warrens' investigation in the Smurl family haunting case.
While initially skeptical about the paranormal, Tony experienced firsthand the horrors of the investigation after seeing how Judy Warren became possessed by a demon. Although he suffered a leg injury during the mirror's chaos, Tony survived the events, and the movie ended with an emotional wedding to Judy.
The Smurl Family
The Smurl family consists of eight family members living in the West Pittston home. Jack and Janet Smurl share the home with Jack's parents, Mary and John, along with their four daughters: Dawn, Heather, and twins Carin and Shannon.
While all of them survived, some family members suffered significant injuries, such as Dawn, who vomited blood after throwing out the demonic mirror, and Mary, who had a heart attack. Jack was even assaulted by one of the ghosts before he went to bed.
Although the family suffered from trauma due to the haunting, all of them were alive and well when the credits rolled.
But Does Ed Die?
2021's The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It showed a demon almost killing Ed Warren by exploiting his heart problem during the exorcism sequence of a possessed David. While Ed survived that event, many fans wondered if it could be a foreshadowing of his tragic fate in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
In fact, there was even a scene in Last Rites where a doctor reminded Ed not to have a heart attack because he might not survive it.
During the climactic sequence where Judy was possessed, the demon tried to orchestrate a heart attack for Ed to prevent him from stopping Judy's suicide attempt. While Ed almost died, Janet Smurl swooped in to give him his pills, which essentially saved his life.
After fighting off the demon as a family, Ed ultimately survived the events of The Conjuring: Last Rites. Read more on how to watch The Conjuring movies in order here.
