The Revenant (2015) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Fitzgerald wanted to abandon Glass because he was severely injured and slowing down the group. More importantly, Fitzgerald harbored resentment toward Glass due to his mixed-heritage son Hawk, viewing Glass's presence as burdensome. When Captain Henry offered a reward for someone to stay with Glass, Fitzgerald volunteered alongside Hawk and Jim Bridger, but he ultimately betrayed them by attempting to kill Glass and leaving him buried alive.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension between Fitzgerald and Glass arose when Fitzgerald harassed Hawk about his mixed heritage, foreshadowing his willingness to harm Glass's family.

• john fitzgerald
• betrayal
• jim bridger
• captain henry
• hunting party

Glass was severely mauled by the grizzly bear, suffering life-threatening wounds including deep lacerations and a torn scalp. Despite being gravely injured, he managed to kill the bear in self-defense before his hunting party found him. The film depicts his survival as nearly miraculous, requiring extraordinary willpower and endurance to stay alive despite his critical condition.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes Glass's philosophy about fighting through fear as long as life remains, setting up his will to survive.

• bear attack
• grizzly bear
• wounds
• survival
• injuries

Hawk was killed by John Fitzgerald after intervening to stop Fitzgerald from suffocating the already-buried Glass. Fitzgerald attempted to end Glass's suffering by burying him alive, but Hawk discovered the attack and fought Fitzgerald. In the struggle, Fitzgerald slit Hawk's throat, leaving him dead beside his father's shallow grave.

Foreshadowing: Fitzgerald's earlier harassment of Hawk about his mixed heritage and his vocal desire to abandon Glass planted the seeds for this betrayal.

• hawk
• forrest goodluck
• death
• john fitzgerald
• son

Glass did not personally kill Fitzgerald. In the climactic confrontation, Glass overpowered Fitzgerald and was prepared to execute him, but he chose to spare Fitzgerald's life. Instead, justice was carried out by the Arikara warriors who had been pursuing Fitzgerald after Glass rescued Powaqa from the French trappers. The Arikara killed Fitzgerald, fulfilling Glass's desire for revenge without him directly shedding blood.

Foreshadowing: Glass's journey was driven by vengeance, but his moment of choosing mercy at the peak of his rage defined his character's arc.

• revenge
• confrontation
• arikara
• justice
• climax

The Pawnee warrior Glass encountered was killed by French fur trappers while Glass slept. The warrior had bonded with Glass over their shared grief, both had lost family to violence, and had performed a healing ritual on Glass's wounds. When Glass woke, he found his ally dead, executed by the French, which further fueled his determination to seek revenge.

Foreshadowing: This loss intensified Glass's resolve and directly contributed to his infiltration of the French camp to rescue Powaqa.

• pawnee warrior
• french trappers
• death
• healing
• grief

Glass chose not to kill Fitzgerald because he realized that killing him would not bring back his son or heal his emotional wounds. In that moment, Glass found a strange peace in letting go of his quest for personal vengeance. He allowed the Arikara, whose people Fitzgerald had wronged, to deliver justice instead, symbolically releasing himself from the burden of revenge.

Foreshadowing: Glass's earlier scenes established that his thirst for revenge was consuming him, making his choice to spare Fitzgerald a pivotal character moment.

• mercy
• revenge
• character arc
• arikara
• justice

After confronting Fitzgerald and allowing the Arikara to kill him, Glass collapses from his injuries and exhaustion. He has avenged his son's death but is left utterly alone, haunted by the memory of his deceased wife. The film ends with Glass emotionally shattered, overwhelmed by grief despite achieving his revenge, symbolizing the hollow victory of vengeance.

Foreshadowing: The recurring flashbacks to Glass's wife and his peaceful life before the tragedy foreshadowed this emotional conclusion.

• ending
• conclusion
• grief
• wife
• emotional collapse

Jim Bridger abandoned Glass because he was young, impressionable, and easily swayed by Fitzgerald's influence. When Fitzgerald decided to leave Glass for dead and rejoin the hunting party, Bridger went along with him rather than staying to honor his commitment to care for Glass. Bridger's complicity in the betrayal represented another layer of abandonment that Glass experienced.

Foreshadowing: Bridger's youth and hesitation during the moral debate over Glass's fate hinted at his susceptibility to Fitzgerald's coercion.

• jim bridger
• betrayal
• abandonment
• young
• fitzgerald

Powaqa was the daughter of an Arikara chief who had been kidnapped by the French fur trappers. The Arikara pursued the hunting party throughout the film specifically to rescue her. Glass eventually infiltrated the French camp and freed Powaqa, earning the gratitude of the Arikara warriors who later helped him exact revenge on Fitzgerald.

Foreshadowing: The Arikara attack on the hunting party at the beginning was driven by their quest to recover Powaqa.

• arikara
• french trappers
• kidnapping
• rescue
• chief's daughter

Glass's wife was killed before the events of the film. Flashbacks revealed that settlers set fire to Glass's home while his Pawnee wife and son were inside, killing his wife. This traumatic event shaped Glass's character and his protective bond with Hawk, driving much of his emotional motivation throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: The opening flashbacks established this tragedy as the foundational trauma in Glass's life.

• wife
• death
• flashback
• pawnee
• trauma

Glass was primarily motivated by two things: his love for his son Hawk and the betrayal he experienced from Fitzgerald. After surviving the bear attack only to be buried alive and discovering Hawk's death, Glass's will to live transformed into a singular purpose of vengeance against those who wronged him.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene with Glass teaching Hawk about perseverance directly established this unbreakable spirit.

• motivation
• survival
• vengeance
• hawk
• betrayal