Apparent reincarnations of Ganda (Liza Soberano) and Lakas (Enrique Gil) meet in modern times in the final episode of ‘Bagani.’ ABS-CBN

“Bagani,” the epic adventure series set in the fictional Sansinukob, concluded Friday with a scene in what appears to be real-world Manila — a twist that left viewers hanging, and hoping for a sequel.

In the closing minutes of the Star Creatives fantaserye, Liksi (Zaijan Jaranilla) found himself on a busy urban street after being swallowed by a bright light he had been observing. Surrounded by muscle trucks, honking jeeps, street lamps, and pedestrians, the bagani was clearly no longer in the forest where had just been moments prior.

Confused by the sudden change in scenery, Liksi was nearly hit by a car which he had mistaken as one of the monstrous creatures he was used to combating. Falling backwards, he was approached by the apologetic driver, who, to Liksi’s surprise, closely resembled Ganda (Liza Soberano).

A passerby on his bicycle suggested Liksi be brought to the nearest hospital. Upon catching a glimpse of the stranger’s face, Liksi was roused to his feet and with a hopeful voice, asked “Lakas?”

The bicycle rider (Enrique Gil), like the driver, was puzzled by Liksi calling him by a different name.

It doesn’t take long before the two strangers meet each other’s eyes — a hint that, like the heroes from Sansinukob whose faces they shared, their crossing of paths would lead to romance blooming.

With the end credits rolling at this meeting of the apparent modern-day incarnations of Lakas and Ganda, viewers of “Bagani” took to Twitter their surprise with the twist, and, already, request for a sequel to explain how Liksi ended up in this era.

Some pointed out, correctly, that the pilot episode of “Bagani” in March saw Liksi breaking the fourth wall, as he addressed the audience with slang terms like “lodi” and “petmalu” to refer to the group of bagani, which he would eventually join.

In the absence of a clear explanation as to how Liksi crossed between time periods (or worlds), a number of fans theorized that it was through the machinations of Bathala (Raymond Bagatsing), with the intent of bringing here the lesson learned by the people of Sansinukob after having faced, and defeated, Sarimaw (Ryan Eigenmann).

Unity, not individual heroes, proved to be the unique power that ultimately became key to defeating the vengeful deity. This was clear when the bagani — Lakas, Ganda, Liksi, Dumakulem (Makisig Morales), and Lakam (Matteo Guidicelli) — met their demise, only to be resurrected upon the collective prayers of the peoples of Sansinukob. Whereas for a time, regions warred, now, Sansinukob was one in order to overcome a common threat.

In Lakas’ words, this unity, and love from their family and friends, have been the driving force in their fight against Sarimaw. The hope for triumph may have initially lied in the bagani embodying Bathala’s gifts and becoming warriors, but they, as individuals, were never meant to be their world’s savior. The savior has always been all of Sansinukob, together.

The original lead cast of ‘Bagani’ included Sofia Andres

“Bagani,” which was billed as the latest TV epic of ABS-CBN, debuted as the No. 1 program in its time slot, and consistently ranked ahead of its rival program throughout its five-month run. Its big viewership translated to its social media presence, with its official episode hashtags always ranking among Twitter trends.

Star Creatives, and ABS-CBN entertainment production unit, also courted online users with the launch of Bagani World, a dedicated website about the lore of Sansinukob and which also sorted fans into the different regions featured in the show.

Led by Enrique Gil, “Bagani’s” cast boasted industry veterans, but more notably, its mid-season addition of a comebacking Kristine Hermosa was a hit among viewers. Similarly, Dimples Romana’s role as Babaylan Gloria was popular especially among fans active online, who generated memes out of her memorable lines and scenes.

“Bagani” will be replaced in its time slot starting Monday, August 20, by “Ngayon at Kailanman,” the teleserye debut of the tested movie tandem of Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia.