Yellowjackets: What Happened to Coach Ben in Season 3, Explained

Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) is another survivor of the plane crash in Yellowjackets, but his circumstances changed massively in Season 3.

The Paramount+ series follows the girls' soccer team members' extreme methods to survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness, where they are stranded without hope of rescue. 

In the two seasons of Yellowjackets, Ben has experienced a lot, including losing his leg and nearly ending his own life, but Season 2 was a turning point for the character.

Coach Ben's Story in Yellowjackets Season 2 Explained

As the only adult survivor of the plane crash, Coach Ben became an authority figure and a moral compass for the group of girls in Yellowjackets (read more about the regular cast members here). 

His trust in the group began to wane early in Season 2 when the girls turned to cannibalism to survive after Jackie's death. Ben refused to partake, driving a wedge between him and the group.

Ben's mental state declined in Season 2, and he started to lose hope, even contemplating ending his own life before he's talked out of it by Misty.

Ben also discovers the cave Javi was hiding in to survive and contemplates moving there. In the Season 2 finale, he confides in Natalie about the secret spot, but she refuses to go with him and warns that he's too good a person to stay with their group. 

The coach eventually pries himself away from the Yellowjackets team to retreat to the cave and is seen taking an axe and some matches with him. This immediately points to him being the culprit when the girls' cabin is burned down in the season 2 finale. 

Where Is Coach Ben in Season 3?

It's initially unclear what happened to Coach Ben when Yellowjackets Season 3 returns. 

In the premiere episode, it's revealed that the girls have all labeled Ben as their enemy, assuming he set fire to their cabin. They also believe he died during the winter (although Natalie knows differently, which could be a point of contention down the line).

Later in the episode, Ben manages to survive the cold months in Javi's cave. While delusional from hunger and impaired by his leg, he uncovers a crate of supplies, which dramatically changes his situation.

He then sets a trap, hoping to catch animals to eat, but nabs Mari instead.

Ben is surprised to learn from Mari that the cabin burned down and that the girls suspect him, painting him as innocent of the crime for now. 

The coach is hospitable to Mari, but he can't let her leave. He doesn't want her to return to the group and tell them he's alive, which would almost certainly spell his doom. 

What's even worse for Mari is that she overhears Ben talking to someone who isn't there, suggesting Ben's psychological state isn't 100%.

What Is Coach Ben's Future in Yellowjackets Season 3?

Season 3 of Yellowjackets has placed Ben in a precarious position. While he managed to survive away from the group for a while, the arrival of Mari means he's now in danger of being rediscovered and hunted by the team. 

Ben has been an incorruptible character until now, but Mari's threat to his survival might be enough to push the coach to take a dangerous action.

It's been established throughout Yellowjackets that a strange supernatural force may influence the group (Lottie refers to it as "the wilderness"). 

With Ben now also seemingly communing with something that isn't there, this could hint that the coach has succumbed to the wilderness as well. 

While some fans have speculated that Yellowjackets may be building to a reveal of a monster in the woods, like a Wendigo or some other mythological beast, the showrunners have suggested (as per SlashFilm) that an "external monster in the woods" won't be the answer. However, they haven't ruled out the possibility of an influential supernatural force.

It remains to be seen whether Ben has been influenced by the wilderness like some other survivors. In Season 2, the coach was seen hallucinating about his life with his boyfriend back home, so it's possible that the person he is talking to might be his partner, appearing as a figment of his subconscious.

The truth of Ben's condition will undoubtedly be important in Season 3. However, the character's more pressing concern is staying under the radar; if the Yellowjackets learn of his location, it could spell doom for their coach.

Ben hasn't been shown to have an older counterpart in Yellowjackets, so whether he makes it out of the wilderness alive is a big mystery.

New episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3 are released on Fridays on Paramount+ at 12 a.m. PT/ 3 a.m. ET.