Waverider

In this final section, the novel’s main characters complete their arcs and reflect on what they have learned about leadership, autonomy, and the balance between light and shadow. The students face their most difficult challenge as they transform into their giant forms, accessing their full power. Their success hinges on trust—they must trust themselves and each other as they prepare to use their powers. However, Kibuishi foreshadows complications—Vigo does not fully trust them due to their inexperience, while Trellis believes in their potential but remains prepared to intervene. Bren hesitates with a faltering “y-yes” when asked if they can control their forms, while West visibly struggles. Ronin’s role as a bold leader takes on a new dimension as she overestimates her students. Rather than reduce any character to strictly good or bad, or strictly right or wrong, Kibuishi therefore highlights the complexity of people as they navigate their own conflicting impulses and weaknesses. Paradoxically, this actually vindicates Ronin’s overall approach to The Struggle Between Darkness and Light, as it underscores the ongoing need to reckon with one’s own fallibility,

While individuals may reckon with their inner darkness, the episode also underscores that true “victory” over evil is rarely an individual achievement and develops the theme of The Benefits of Collaborative Leadership. Despite the students’ preparation, they were not fully ready for the unpredictable force of IKOL: Youthful boldness can quickly turn into hubris, revealing the limits of inexperience. In this moment of crisis, everyone has to collaborate. Trellis steps in to convince the students to stand down, while the students step in to emotionally support West. Meanwhile, Vigo relies on his experience to analyze the situation and formulate a plan. Collaboration emerges as the only viable path to success and survival. Relatedly, Vigo ultimately sacrifices himself for the greater cause, demonstrating that selflessness and stepping aside are essential aspects of good leadership. Trellis, too, internalizes this lesson, recognizing that they all “must walk away from power [they] do not need” (217). He realizes his role is not to wield power but to moderate it, fostering cooperation rather than domination. That even the students fell into the trap of seeking the most powerful solution rather than the most sustainable one underscores the allure of force and authority, gesturing toward The Complexity of Autonomy.

Emily’s journey reaches its conclusion as she reflects on everything she has endured since she began her adventure in Alledia. She revisits IKOL’s warning from the beginning of the novel—that her actions ripple beyond her own life—and acknowledges its truth. However, she reinterprets it not as a burden meant to inspire fear but as a source of connection, underscoring the work’s broader emphasis on power as communal rather than individual. She comes to see herself as “part of a much bigger picture—a picture that paints itself” (224). This observation marks a fundamental shift from IKOL’s perspective: Rather than seeking to control or reshape the world, Emily embraces the idea that the universe is self-generating, driven by the interconnectedness of people. Kibuishi reinforces this transformation visually, mirroring the opening imagery of Emily shooting through the cosmos. This time, however, she is not alone—she flies with Cora and Cala, signifying that her greatest takeaway is the power of community. Nor (appropriately) is this insight hers alone: She leaves Alledia with a renewed sense of collaboration among its various factions.

Despite this resolution, the work suggests that no story is ever really “over.”  Vigo’s story, which serves as a kind of epilogue, makes this particularly clear. It exists outside of time and thus disrupts the idea of a linear narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, though the surreal, time-traveling book Vigo leaves behind in Charnon’s library also represents the process of mythologizing the events of the series—committing it to legend, study, and interpretation. Vigo analyzes IKOL and concludes that “it is human nature to create things like him” (232). This emphasizes that winning this battle against the shadows is not the end of the struggle; true victory lies in how lessons are interpreted and applied. The ongoing tension between shadow and light extends beyond Alledia, following Emily to Earth. Armed with new knowledge, she must continue the fight in her own world.

Kibuishi reinforces this transition through color. As Emily returns to Earth, the palette shifts, adopting autumnal hues. Leaves fall around her, signaling the end of a chapter. Yet, the choice of seasonal imagery suggests cyclicality; This is not a final ending but part of an ongoing journey. Emily will return to these lessons again and again, carrying the wisdom of her experiences into whatever comes next.