The Conjuring: Last Rites Axeman Explained: What Was His Purpose in The Final Movie? 

In Michael Chaves’ The Conjuring: Last Rites, fans were introduced to a new and chilling figure, the Axeman. But unlike Annabelle or Bathsheba, this sinister-looking spirit, who often appeared out of thin air, wasn’t really the main villain. Instead, his presence served a very specific purpose in the story’s final chapter. 

Much like how Valak used Bill Wilkins as a puppet to cover for her menace in The Conjuring 2, the Axeman was used by the mirror demon to hide its true identity and mislead Lorraine Warren. The Axeman couldn’t physically harm anyone, but his sudden appearances were enough to terrify the Smurl family and buy time for the real evil to stay hidden and grow powerful. 

The table contains basic details about The Conjuring: Last Rites:

Exploring the Axeman’s Backstory in The Conjuring: Last Rites

Now, although the Axeman’s appearance was rather useless, his backstory in The Conjuring: Last Rites was dark and unsettling, even if it wasn’t fully fleshed out. The character first appeared when Heather was watching the tapes of her birthday celebration to figure out who blew out her birthday cake candles. 

Suddenly, a car passed by the window, lighting up the entire room, leading Heather to follow the light and come across the spooky figure of the Axeman. This character appeared like a towering menace in overalls, carrying an axe, and laughing like a lunatic. And while it fulfilled its purpose of scaring Heather, this spirit was meant to cause no harm. 

Later on, according to Lorraine’s visions, we learn that this Axeman was once an ordinary man who lived in the farmland (not specifically the Smurl house). He lived with his wife and mother-in-law, when one day, he snapped after suspecting his wife of cheating. That’s when, in a fit of rage, he brutally killed both his wife and his mother-in-law with an axe. 

This terrifying legacy of blood and trauma is what tied his spirit to the Smurl haunting. His character added another layer of fear to the haunting. The Axeman’s mere presence in the Smurl house represented the kind of restless, vengeful souls the family had to face every day. 

Michael Chaves Could Have Followed James Wan’s Legacy With the Axeman

Meanwhile, despite being a spooky part of Michael Chaves’ The Conjuring: Last Rites, the way the Axeman’s role was handled earned one of the biggest criticisms. In earlier films, James Wan often used secondary spirits in clever ways, not just as jump scares but as tools of distraction. Like, in The Conjuring 2, Valak used both Bill Wilkins and the Crooked Man to mislead Ed and Lorraine, creating suspense and clever diversions. 

Sadly, the Axeman didn’t get that kind of treatment in Last Rites. Instead of playing an important part in the climax, the Axeman disappeared from the narrative when it mattered most. He had been built up as a haunting figure throughout the Smurl family’s chaos, yet in the finale, he contributed nothing. Like the mirror demon could once again invoke his spirit to distract Ed and Lorraine, but Michael Chaves implemented no such scene. 

This made his inclusion feel wasted, as though he was just another scare tactic rather than a meaningful piece of the story. If Michael Chaves had followed James Wan’s blueprint, the Axeman could have played a much bigger role, much like how the Crooked Man and Bill Wilkins constantly diverted the Warrens from finding out about Valak, and kept the audience on edge.

Instead, his presence ended up feeling like a missed opportunity, reminding viewers of the creative spark that Wan brought to the franchise’s earlier entries.

Share your opinions on which spirit from The Conjuring universe left you most scared. 

The Conjuring: Last Rites is currently running in theaters worldwide.