Hellbound: How & Why The Baby Survived Its Death Decree

Warning! Contains Spoilers For Hellbound Season 2!Netflix’s Hellbound season 1 ended on several unexpected twists, including baby Toughie surviving its decreed execution – but how and why did this happen? The fact that the newborn baby Toughie received a decree in the first place is already a large blow to the proclaimed doctrines of The New Truth Society, who claim that only sinners get decrees, but also don’t acknowledge the concept of original sin.

During the finale of Hellbound season 1, when Song So-hyun (Won Jin-ah) and Bae Young-jae (Park Jung-Min) sacrificed themselves and successfully absorbed the enactment of baby Toughie’s demonic death sentence, the newborn baby’s existence became an even bigger thorn in The New Truth Society’s previously unshakable authority.

Why Baby Toughie Surviving The Decree Was So Significant

The Fate Of The Infant Challenged What Was Known About The Decrees

Baby Toughie surviving wasn’t only a shocking moment in the Hellbound season 1 finale, but it also brought everything viewers thought they knew about the death decrees into question. Not only was baby Toughie the first newborn baby to receive a death decree, she was also the first person to survive it through the sacrifice of others. On one hand, these events could refute The New Truth Society’s doctrines. On the other hand, the new age cult’s central committee could still interpret this event in a way that benefits the organization.

Toughie’s case established several new and important factors about the decrees in Hellbound. The shocking moment made it clear that anyone can get decrees, even newborn babies who haven’t yet committed any sins or crimes. What’s more, baby Toughie’s survival also revealed that the decrees are not ineffable, and are somehow transferable through the act of self-sacrifice. While the former refutes The New Truth Society’s teachings, the latter can still be interpreted to serve the cult’s needs, as the idea of self-sacrifice foiling decreed executions can be argued as a morality-based clause.

How Baby Toughie’s Story Carries Biblical Themes

The Fate Of The Infant Mirrors The Tale Of Isaac And Abraham

While The New Truth Society is built on the Christian mythology-based lies of its founder Chairman Jung Jin-soo (Yoo Ah-in), Toughie’s case actually echoes the story of Isaac and Abraham in the Book of Genesis. God decrees Isaac to death by way of his father Abraham. Similar to how So-hyun and Young-jae respond to baby Toughie’s execution, Abraham submits to God’s authority and puts his son Isaac in harm’s way, as God commands. In both Hellbound and the Book of Genesis, God spares the decreed child from the killing blow.

The only difference is that Abraham almost stabs Isaac while Toughie’s parents try to protect their child. However, in both cases, the willingness to offer a sacrifice to God saves the day. God also confers Abraham with the power of authority over all prophets, which hinted at both Baby Toughie’s future and her significance in Hellbound season 2.

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What Baby Toughie Surviving Meant For Hellbound Season 2

The Shock At The End Of Season 1 Was Pivotal When The Show Returned

Hellbound’s revelations concerning baby Toughie were just the beginning of the K-Drama unraveling the truth about its supernatural events. The surviving cast and characters of Hellbound faced even more revelations in Hellbound season 2. The second season of Hellbound arrived on Netflix in October 2024, and to say it upped the ante when it came to shocking moments, deep lore, and visually spellbinding moments (and monsters) is an understatement. What’s more, baby Toughie (whose real name is Jae-hyeon) continued to play a pivotal role in the narrative.

There is a time jump of four years between Hellbound season 1 and season 2. When viewers return to the sinister reality of the series, Baby Toughie/Jae-hyeon is now four years old. The level of significance of her surviving her decree is made abundantly clear too, as she remains the only person to survive being marked for death. She is under the care of the Sodo organization when Hellbound season 2 begins, being kept under observation in a safe room.

The impact of her survival has had huge ramifications for the New Truth Society. Legend of the baby who defied the death decree has spread, and the grip the New Truth Society have over the populace is significantly weaker. However, Hellbound season 2 has its own twist when it comes to the survival of Baby Toughie, as it transpires she didn’t actually survive at all. Rather, she died and was immediately resurrected. This doesn’t in any way diminish her significance, but the fresh twist once more throws everything Hellbound has established about the rules of the death decrees into question.

This also leaves things open for season 3 and again feeds into the parallels with the story of Isaac and Abraham. Whatever Jae-hyon’s fate will be by the time Hellbound finishes, it’s clear she’s special. Many are already theorizing that she has some kind of power just like Jung-ja. Much of season 2 is spent following various characters trying to either capture, kill, or liberate Jae-hyon, and it’s clear that the impact Baby Toughie surviving at the end of Hellbound season 1 will continue to shake the narrative in season 3 and beyond.

Netflix’s Hellbound is a Korean Drama and Dark Fantasy series that is directed by Yeon Sang-ho and based on his graphic novel, The Hellbound Volume 1. The series takes place in a modern fantastical version of Korea in which strange creatures pick and choose individuals to send to Hell.

Cast

Yoo Ah-in , Kim Hyun-joo , Park Jeong-min , Won Jin-ah , Yang Ik-Joon , Kim Do-yoon , Kim Shin-rock , Ryu Kyung-soo

Release Date

November 19, 2021

Seasons

1

Directors

Yeon Sang-ho