The Return of the Musketeers
Year: 1989
Runtime: 102 mins
Language: English
Director: Richard Lester
In 1649 Mazarin hires D’Artagnan to locate the missing musketeers as Cromwell rules England. Porthos seeks a title; Aramis is an abbé and Athos, a father, aid Beaufort. When their rescue fails, Mazarin sends them to London to free Charles I. Pursued by Justine, Milady de Winter’s, they must evade her, help the Queen and secure Beaufort’s reforms.
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The Return of the Musketeers (1989) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Read the complete plot breakdown of The Return of the Musketeers (1989), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Twenty years after The Four Musketeers, Cardinal Mazarin has imprisoned the Duke of Beaufort. He hires d’Artagnan to unite Athos, Porthos, and Aramis to work for him. [Porthos] agrees, but [Athos] and [Aramis] decline. By this time, [Athos] has a son named Raoul.
Milady de Winter’s daughter, Justine, captures and questions the executioner that the musketeers hired to kill her mother. After learning that “Comte de la Fere” hired him, she kills him. Raoul happens upon the aftermath and chases after Justine, who is disguised as a priest. After a swordfight, when he discovers who she really is and her plan, Raoul leaves and tells d’Artagnan, Porthos, and Athos that Justine wants to kill them.
Rochefort is unable to prevent Beaufort’s escape, and he is subsequently arrested by Mazarin. Mazarin sends d’Artagnan and Porthos after Beaufort, but Beaufort escapes them due to interference from Athos and Aramis, who are working for Beaufort. This starts a fight amongst the Musketeers, in which d’Artagnan slices Aramis’ hand. Aramis breaks his sword and rides away. d’Artagnan and Porthos are fired by Mazarin for not catching Beaufort.
Rochefort, who has survived his near-fatal clash with d’Artagnan in the previous film and has gone into hiding, finds Justine (his daughter) and tells her the names of d’Artagnan, Porthos, and Aramis, revealing to her that the Comte de la Fere is Athos. King Charles I of England is to be executed, so Queen Anne of Austria sends d’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Raoul to rescue him. They attempt a rescue by knocking out the executioner, but Justine takes his place and beheads Charles.
The Musketeers have several encounters with Justine: in one, Raoul’s true allegiance is revealed to her; in another, Justine and Rochefort attempt to kill the Musketeers by blowing up their ship. The Musketeers notice their trap, set their own bomb, and escape. Rochefort is killed when the ship explodes, but Justine escapes.
Justine attempts to kill King Louis XIV, but is stopped by the Musketeers, and their battle concludes with Justine jumping out of the window into the water. Aramis rejoins the Musketeers, and they force Mazarin to sign several forms in favour of them, including making Porthos a baron, Aramis a bishop, and Raoul being commissioned into the Guards. The film ends with the Musketeers riding together again.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:19
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