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| In the Name of Justice Ending Explained: Betrayal, Truth, and Final Fate of Every Character |
Zhang Yi's crime-political thriller delivers justice – but not without heartbreak.
Also Read: Director Fu Dongyu Addresses Viewer Criticism Over "In the Name of Justice" Ending
📺 Quick In the Name of Justice Final Episode Recap
The final stretch of In the Name of Justice doesn’t let off the gas. Wang Yu, fearing for his life after realising the depth of corruption, tries to run but gets gunned down right in front of Li Renjun – making Li the prime suspect.
But the truth? Way more tangled. Wang’s dying confession points the finger at heavyweights Yu Tiancheng and Jiang Yuan – and shockingly, ties them to Li Renjun’s own father-in-law.
Hong Liang – always sharp – starts connecting the dots, especially after overhearing a key conversation between his wife Jiang Min’s brother and their powerful dad, Jiang Xudong. That’s when everything starts to crumble.
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Eventually, it’s exposed: the real “protection umbrella” isn't Lan Jingming as everyone suspected… but Hong Liang’s own in-laws. Jiang Min, his wife, turns out to have been neck-deep in the cover-up since 15 years ago, trying to shield her family at any cost. Even if it meant manipulating Hong to quit the task force and walk away from justice.
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Parallel to that, prosecutor Zheng Yaping and journalist Zhang Wenjing reopen the Wan Hai case, leading to a chain of revelations and fatal consequences – including Wan Hai’s mysterious death in prison and a shocking reveal about corrupt inspector Wang Huashan.
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A final confrontation sees multiple arrests, deaths, and a ton of dirty laundry aired. Chen Shenglong dies. Yu Tiancheng and Jiang Yuan are taken down thanks to secret recordings on Chen’s phone. The protection network shatters.
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👥 Characters Wrapped
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Hong Liang: Loyal to justice, betrayed by love. Despite being deceived by his own wife and family, he holds the line, cracks the case, and stays with the task force (Section Eleven). Emotionally battered, but morally unshaken.
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Jiang Min: Perhaps the most shocking reveal – the “gentle wife” was complicit all along. She covered up crimes, signed off forged hospital records, and tried to pull Hong Liang away from the truth. Her coldness becomes Hong’s heaviest emotional burden.
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Li Renjun: Dragged into the chaos because of family ties. Despite helping the investigation, he’s transferred out of the prosecutorial system, unable to escape the stain left by his in-laws.
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Lan Jingming: Removed from position. Though once thought to be the shadow protector, turns out he was more puppet than puppet master.
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Xu Yanwu: Cooperative and cunning, he navigates both the politics and investigations well, ultimately helping lead the team to the truth.
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Jiang Xudong: The ultimate villain. Former political bigwig who secretly held the strings behind Eastping’s corruption. His manipulation spanned years and ruined lives – including his own daughter's.
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Sun Fei, Xie Hongfei, Jiang Hongjun, Wang Huashan, Jiang Min – all sentenced. The ring is broken.
Main Cast:
Zhang Yi as Hong Liang
Li Guangjie as Li Renjun
Jiang Xin as Jiang Min
Liu Jia as Lan Jingming
Feng Jiayi as Xu Yanwu
Hao Ping as Xie Hongfei
🔎 What Does In the Name of Justice Ending Mean?
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At first glance, In the Name of Justice ends with a win: the villains fall, and law triumphs. But look closer, and you’ll find the price of justice isn’t just blood and bullets – it’s emotional.
The true climax isn’t just in courtrooms or shootouts – it’s when Hong Liang realises the people he loved most were the ones manipulating him. His wife, her brother, her father – all played a role in trying to derail his pursuit of truth.
Jiang Min’s betrayal is the most cutting. Her calm insistence that Hong quit, her sudden returns, the "kind" offers for a better life in Beijing – all meant to stop him before he uncovered the rot in her family. Not out of love, but out of fear.
In the end, justice is served, but Hong Liang stands amidst the wreckage of his marriage and trust. Jiang Min isn’t just a criminal – she’s someone who once believed she was protecting her family, only to become part of the very thing Hong spent years fighting.
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💭 Justice is Bittersweet
In the Name of Justice doesn’t just wrap up a legal thriller – it cuts into what it means to fight for truth when it puts you at odds with blood. The show’s strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of grey morality – not everyone who falls is evil, but all are caught in a web spun by greed, power, and fear.
It’s a scathing look at institutional rot, but also a deeply personal story about emotional betrayal. When Jiang Min is finally arrested, it’s not just another criminal getting justice. It’s Hong Liang losing the last illusion of the life he thought he had.
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If you made it to the end of all 36 episodes, you’ve likely gone through disbelief, anger, and heartbreak just like Hong Liang. This wasn’t a clean case – it was a slow, layered collapse of trust and power.
Justice won. But it left behind ashes.