Would be great if the franchise ended on a bookends ending

[vnisanian2001]

What is a bookends ending?

A bookends ending is part of a story that ends where the story began. In short, it would be great if the final battle was Ryo, exactly one year after his father was killed, returning home on a snowy day, to confront Lan Di once and for all at the Hazuki Dojo.

[elfshadowreaper]

Interesting idea. If that were the case it would have been cool for lan di to take the dragon mirror and ryo never get the Phoenix mirror. Then in the last chapter lan di would learn the Phoenix mirror was under the dojo. Then it would be a race to get back and they'd decide to settle the fight in the dojo. But definitely an interesting idea. I just don't know what motivation lan di would have to go back to yamanose.

[Kenny]

I'm expecting fireballs and flying around.

[killthesagabeforeitkillsu]

Lan Di is gonna die in the same place his father died.

ps: Lan Di's father... Not Ryo's.

[Yokosuka]

Everyone dreams of this. It is so obvious that I don't think it will happen so.

[SMDzero]

I think that the Shenhua opening prologue scene in Shenmue 1 takes place after the story has ended.. and it will end again with Shenhua again on the cliff narrating the epilogue and says "and thus the sage ends."

[jcjimher]

I think (and hope) the scope of the story will go much beyond the initial motivation of Ryo for instant revenge.

There have been some hints that it actually may be about overcoming those feelings, and I don't discard at all that Lan Di might be not so bad after all, but a victim of a greater evil. Maybe Ryo's final victory over him will be his ability to forgive him (which Lan Di clearly did not achieve).