Updated

Updated · The Ringer · Oct 3

John Stewart Claims Green Lantern Ring in 'Lanterns' Finale as Hal Jordan Passes the Torch

Updated

Updated · The Ringer · Oct 3

John Stewart Claims Green Lantern Ring in 'Lanterns' Finale as Hal Jordan Passes the Torch

Q: Why did Kerry really pull the trigger on Hal Jordan, and what does her tragic choice mean for Earth's new protector?

Kerry pulled the trigger on Hal Jordan out of fear and maternal desperation, not because she was part of a larger villainous conspiracy. The finale reveals that when Hal discovered the truth about Noah’s Manhunter identity and what that secret could mean, he confronted Kerry and urged her to run with him. She refused. Faced with the possibility of losing her son or seeing him exposed and destroyed, she shot Hal in an emotionally charged moment, even as he told her, “I love you.” That choice matters because it reframes Hal’s death as a deeply personal tragedy rather than a cosmic twist. Kerry is not presented as a mastermind; she is a mother making a terrible decision to protect her family. The show’s reporting consistently describes the act as fearful, impulsive and heartbreaking, tied to the same theme of how people respond when fear overpowers judgment. For John Stewart, the meaning is larger. Hal’s death becomes the final test that defines what kind of protector Earth is getting. Instead of responding with vengeance or repeating the Guardians’ hard-line logic, John chooses restraint. He does not kill Noah, and he does not let Kerry’s crime turn him into a colder, more punitive Lantern. That decision shows John embracing the role on his own terms: Earth’s new protector will be guided not just by power, but by compassion, independence and a willingness to face fear without surrendering to it.

3 articles · Updated · The Ringer · Oct 3

John Stewart fully embraces the power ring in “Dirt and Stars,” ending Lanterns’ 8-episode first season as Earth’s new Green Lantern after years of resisting a destiny others chose for him.
Noah Macon’s reveal as the last Manhunter drives the finale, but the episode rejects a big showdown: Noah returns the ring, asks John to kill him, and forces Stewart to define his own moral code.
Kerry Kane then confesses she killed Hal Jordan out of fear for her son, and John chooses mercy twice—letting Noah live and sparing Kerry public exposure while accepting he may have to stop Noah later.
Hal’s sentient backup ultimately endorses that choice, tells John he is ready, and disappears after Stewart charges the ring, completing both John’s origin story and Hal’s posthumous redemption arc.
The finale also leaves DCU threads open—Sinestro’s fate unresolved, Guy Gardner cameoing, and John’s next confirmed appearance set for 2027’s Man of Tomorrow rather than a announced Season 2.