This article contains spoilers for The last battle.
Aslan destroys Narnia in the last book of The Chronicles of Narnia – a potentially confusing decision with cataclysmic consequences. This is a fundamental aspect of the story and understanding it helps readers understand the broader intentions of creator C.S. Lewis. Unfortunately, The Chronicles of Narnia the films never went far enough to depict the destruction of Narnia. Only the first three Narnia books were adapted, with the series discontinued after the commercial disappointment of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Maybe the next Greta Gerwig Narnia the films may finally show the destruction of Narnia as depicted in the source material.
Greta Gerwig, director of Barbiewill direct a new set of films adapting C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia books for Netflix. The streaming service just needs to get to CS Lewis’ fourth chronicle, The silver chairto beat the 90s film series from Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media and Fox 2000 Pictures. If it manages to make a film per book and reach the end of the series, Netflix can adapt The last battleLewis ending Chronicle. Then audiences will finally be able to examine the complex symbolism of Aslan’s destruction of Narnia on screen.
Aslan destroys Narnia in the last battle because it is time for the land to face judgment
It’s time for Narnia in CS Lewis’s last battle
Narnia has flaws and Aslan annihilates it because his time has come. In The last battle, Aslan says he cannot undo the evil that has spread in Narniaso it’s better to break up with him and start again. The residents of Narnia come together to be judged, forming a perfect metaphor for the soul’s reckoning. Lewis’s spiritual imagery always linked Aslan to Jesus Christ. As a Christian, Lewis wrote a strong allegory in The Chronicles of Narniaand the destruction of Narnia parallels many biblical new beginnings – Sodom and Gomorrah, Noah’s Ark, the apocalypse, and death.
The Chronicles of the End of Narnia shows Aslan leading the characters to a new Narnia
Aslan takes his followers somewhere better than Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia ending in The last battle involves Aslan leading his followers to a better place than Narnia. While Aslan’s faithful are able to enter this better version of Narnia, anyone who opposes or abandons him loses the magic of their being, becoming normal animals. Lizards, salamanders and dragons consume the plants of Narnia and it is flooded, reminiscent of the situation Noah encountered in the Bible. Aslan leads his faithful to a version of Narnia that cannot be corrupted for evil, unlike the previous one. In The last battleit is King Peter who finally closes the door on Narnia.
The “TRUE“Narnia symbolizes heavenwhich would be an incredible thing to see in an adaptation. As Aslan changes form into a lion, he is confirmed by C.S. Lewis to be something much larger than the magical lion of the earlier parts of the story. The Friends encounter those who have long since died, and it is revealed that they too are dead, killed in a train accident on Earth. Concluding his symbolism of heaven and his Christian allegory, Lewis masterfully tied his The Chronicles of Narnia with the destruction of Narnia and the creation of a new perfect world.