Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters’ Shocking Episode 9 Twist Explained By Showrunner

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 9.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters showrunner Chris Black explains episode 9’s surprise twist ending. Premiering in November of last year, the Apple TV Plus Monsterverse show tells a dual-timeline story about how several characters’ lives became intertwined with the mysterious organization known as Monarch. After a number of big revelations so far this season, the biggest shock yet came during episode 9, titled “Axis Mundi,” when Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) was revealed to be alive in the Hollow Earth following her apparent death in episode 1.​​​​​​

In a recent interview with IGN, Black explains the decision to bring Keiko back at the end of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 9. According to the showrunner, bringing Keiko back was always on the cards because she is “such a great character and Mari Yamamoto is such an extraordinary actor and such a delight, and her scenes with Wyatt were so compelling.” Check out Black’s full comment below:

“I think it’s funny because the science of it sort of follows the story we wanted to tell. When we lose Keiko in the first episode it’s such a dramatic and shocking cliffhanger. And it’s funny; I was talking to someone else about when we knew that character wasn’t really dead. I think we knew pretty early on with it that you know … that a Hollow Earth realm exists and that things go down these holes, and things come out of these holes, and nothing is what it seems to be.

“We knew this was not a character that we wanted to just jump right off and never see again. So I think it started with ‘She’s not dead.’ And then let’s make up some phony baloney science to explain why she isn’t dead.”

What Keiko’s Return Means For The Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters Finale

While much of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is about the Earth-shattering effect of Godzilla and other Titans, characters’ romantic relationships have also played key roles in the story. The love triangle dynamic between Shaw, Keiko, and Bill, for example, has been explored across a number of episodes, with Shaw clearly having feelings for Keiko while she only has feelings for Bill.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 features Kurt Russell’s Shaw winding up in the Hollow Earth, and he and Keiko seem poised for an emotional but complicated reunion. Yamamoto’s character will likely have questions about what became of Bill after her “death,” with Shaw having the difficult job of revealing that her former lover died while on an expedition to Skull Island in the early ’70s (as depicted during the events of Kong: Skull Island).

In addition to the complex emotions that are sure to be brought to the surface, Keiko has evidently become something of a survival expert during her time in the Hollow Earth. Keiko’s practical skills could end up being crucial to everyone getting back to Earth in one piece. It remains to be seen how Keiko will factor into the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters finale, but her return evidently is a major development for the show.