‘Forgotten Island’ Ending Explained: How Do Jo & Raissa Leave Nakali?

DreamWorks Animation’s latest film, Forgotten Island, draws from Filipino folklore and tells the story of two girls in the ’90s as they are transported to the magical Forgotten Island to have the night of their lives. The one problem? They have no way back home and need to be on a flight bound for America in five hours. With a narrative as rich and complex as this, audiences are left with many questions. Find out more in our Forgotten Island ending explained article.

Two best friends become stranded on the mystical world of Nakali, where their only escape might cost them their shared lifetime of memories.

How Does DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Forgotten Island’ End?

After Raww (Dave Franco) reveals that he works for Batiba (Jenny Slate), Batiba gives Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) their memories of the previous night back, allowing the two girls to find out where the Sand Dollar was hidden, granting them a way home, but the influx of memories also reveals that Jo hid it to prevent Raissa from returning to normal society and from going to Caltech in America. Feeling betrayed, Raissa travels to get the Sand Dollar by herself and is attacked by Manang who wants her wings back. About to die, Raissa, in a last ditch effort, tells Manang (Lea Salonga) that Batiba stole from her, and this stuns Manang, allowing Jo and Batiba to rescue Raissa.

Jo had made another deal with Batiba to allow Raissa to return to their home safely and to help her get away from Manang, though at the cost of her friendship bracelet. Raissa is sent home and suffers despair on the beach where the movie essentially began, whilst Batiba absorbs Jo’s memories. Raissa’s pure love and regard for her friendship with Jo allows her to be transported back to the Forgotten Island without a Sand Dollar, and she rushes to disrupt Batiba’s ritual before Jo forgets her forever. She succeeds in her mission in what is framed as one of the most emotional moments of the film.

Manang arrives at Batiba’s lair, who now understands the power of memories and vows not to take them from anybody again, and the rest of the wacky voice characters, Raww, Bungi (Manny Jacinto), Prince Mermahn (Kevin McCann), and the giant bird fight Manang. Batiba later gives Manang back her memories and the Forgotten Islanders say their goodbyes as Jo and Raissa return home.

Some time later, both Jo and Raissa are living in America, and Raissa is attending a live reading of Jo’s latest novel, a dramatization of the events of the film with fictionalized elements, including what is framed as a hilarious love triange between Raissa, Raww and Mermahn. The characters embrace hands and return to the Forgotten Island to visit their friends as the movie cuts to its title card.

Forgotten Island is directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and stars H.E.R. as Jo, Liza Soberano as Raissa, Dave Franco as Raww, Jenny Slate as Batiba, Manny Jacinto as Bungi, Kevin McCann as Prince Mermahn, Lea Salonga as Manang, and more. The film is now playing in Australian theatres and releases in US theatres on September 25, 2026.

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