Golden Kamuy ending explained: Why did Saichi Sugimoto want the gold?

The 2024 Golden Kamuy film, adapted from Satoru Noda’s historical action-adventure manga, was eagerly awaited by fans and finally arrived on Netflix on May 19, 2024. The manga, spanning from 2014 to 2022, comprises 31 tankoubon volumes. In 2018, a TV adaptation was produced, followed by the release of the film directed by Shigeaki Kubo in Japanese theaters on January 19, before its global debut on Netflix.

For those unaware of the story, Golden Kamuy follows the story of a seasoned war veteran, Saichi Sugimoto (Kento Yamazaki), during the Russo-Japanese War who is also seemingly “immortal.” The narrative primarily revolves around his quest to find the ancient gold of the Ainu people. Along the way, he is joined by Asirpa (Anna Yamada), an Ainu woman, in his search for the treasure.

While the majority of the movie adaptation blends great action set-pieces with lighthearted fun, its conclusion solidifies the bond between the two main characters and reveals Sugimoto’s true intention of finding the gold—a promise to a dying friend to help treat his blind wife.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Golden Kamuy.

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Why was Saichi Sugimoto looking for the gold in Golden Kamuy?

Saichi Sugimoto’s real motives for finding the hidden gold have remained unclear throughout the live action. In most scenes of the movie, he’s seen as a determined war veteran who also has a taste for killing people. It was only Asirpa, a woman from the Ainu tribe, who joined him on his quest and saw that there was still some sort of humanity in him.

However, near the end of Golden Kamuy, Sugimoto confesses to Asirpa the real reason why he wants to find the gold after the latter has risked her life to help him escape from the grasp of the mad First Lieutenant of the 7th Division, Tokushiro Tsurumi.

Sugimoto confides in Asirpa about having two childhood friends, Toraji and Umeko, revealing his love for Umeko. But he left the village following his family’s death, leaving his friends behind, only to return years later and find out that the two had gotten married to each other. Heartbroken by this revelation, Sugimoto decided to distance himself from both his friends, but fate had other plans for them.

Asirpa and Sugimoto in Golden Kamuy (Image via Instagram/@kamuy_movie)

During the war, Sugimoto and Toraji battled alongside each other. In an act of bravery and friendship, Toraji saved Sugimoto at one point, which led to his untimely death. But before his friend dies, he tells Sugimoto about the hidden gold and that he needs it to find a good doctor because Umeko has lost her eyesight.

Devastated by the loss of his friend, Sugimoto now wants to repay his friend, and the only way he knows how is to fulfill Toraji’s last wish—find the gold and use it to find a good doctor to help treat Umeko’s eyesight. Upon hearing the real reason why Sagimoto is determined to locate the hidden gold, Asirpa now believes that Sugimoto survived the war because he had a greater purpose to fulfill.

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How did Asirpa help Saichi Sugimoto escape?

As Saicho Sugimoto was searching for the tattooed inmates that should help him find the location of the gold, he was captured by the soldiers of the 7th Division, who were also looking for the hidden treasure. He was brought to their headquarters, and there, Tsurumi gave him an ultimatum—join forces to search for the gold or get tortured.

Not believing that Tsurumi’s intentions were good, Sugimoto refused to work with him. This angered the First Lieutenant, causing him to order his soldiers to torture Sugimoto.

Elsewhere, Asirpa has been looking for Sugimoto with the help of Shiraishi, who is best known for his escaping skills. Shiraishi agreed to help Asirpa rescue Sugimoto in exchange for a share of the treasure. They went to the headquarters, where Shiraishi quietly slipped inside the cell where Suugimoto was being held and helped him escape.

However, Tsurumi was called to the scene, and with Shiraishi hiding in the corner, Sugimoto promised to join hands with the First Lieutenant. But to Tsurumi’s dismay, Sugimoto was only trying to trick him into allowing him to get escorted to the surgeon so he could run away. With the help of Asirpa, Sugimoto fought and won over Tsurumi’s soldiers, and before the latter realized that he was duped, both Asirpa and Sugimoto had already escaped.

Sugimoto and Shiraishi in Golden Kamuy (Image via Instagram/@kamuy_movie)

Meanwhile, Shiraishi was still in the headquarters disguised as one of the soldiers who later set fire to the headquarters.

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Did Saichi Sugimoto find the hidden gold in Golden Kamuy in the end?

The final scene of the live-action comes right after Saichi Sugimoto confesses to Asirpa about why he needs the gold. After Sugimoto’s confession, Asirpa recites the words her father, Aca, had always told her, which mean:

"Nothing in this world comes from heaven without purpose."

Asirpa in Golden Kamuy (Image via Instagram/@kamuy_movie)

Asirpa told Sugimoto that they would find the gold together so he could honor his friend’s dying wish.

The movie’s final act, with Sugimoto, Asirpa, and Shiraishi eating in the woods, confirms one thing—Saichi hasn’t found the hidden gold yet.

While the ending might seem like a needless cliffhanger, it also teases a sequel for the movie. Golden Kamuy’s ending could be seen as an ominous interlude that continues Siachi Sugimoto’s quest for the Ainu gold.

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However, the sequel wouldn’t be a movie, despite the film’s successful theatrical run in Japan. According to the official Golden Kamuy live-action website, the movie version will get a drama series sequel, Golden Kamuy: Hokkaido Irezumi Shuzin Soudatsu-hen (Hokkaido Tattooed Prisoners Scramble Arc).

The drama series will air on Japan’s WOWOW this fall. The beloved cast members in the movie will reprise their roles in the series, with some new cast members and characters joining the team.

Golden Kamuy is now streaming on Netflix.