Zootopia 2 ending explained: Why did Pawbert betray Gary and Judy?

Amid the colorful world of Zootopia 2, the sequel deepens the franchise’s buddy-cop energy while expanding the city’s political and familial tensions. Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the 2025 film reunites audiences with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they embark on a new undercover mission involving Zootopia’s latest and most elusive arrival, Gary De’Snake. 

Written by Bush and produced by Yvett Merino, the movie brings back much of the original cast, including Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, and Jenny Slate. 

The animated buddy cop comedy film was released nationwide on November 26 and has received strong reviews, having already grossed $81 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. At its core, Zootopia 2 explores themes of loyalty, identity, and the sometimes complicated desire to belong, setting the stage for the surprising betrayal at the heart of the story.

Why Pawbert turns on Gary and Judy

Pawbert Lynxley’s turn in Zootopia 2 lands as a gut punch because it’s driven less by cartoon villainy and more by a painfully believable need to belong. Introduced as the awkward, deferential youngest Lynxley, he spends much of the film tagging along with Judy and Gary in what looks like earnest assistance: nervous jokes, small kindnesses and an obvious desire to be seen as “one of them.” 

When the trio finally reaches the climate wall and the Reptile Ravine trail that should lead to Agnes’s patent, Pawbert makes his choice. Rather than alert the ZPD or quietly refuse to help his family cover up the truth, he injects Judy with venom, steals Gary’s life-saving anti-venom pen and abandons both Judy and the cold-blooded Gary in a situation guaranteed to end in catastrophe. 

The motivation the film gives him is clear: Milton Lynxley’s ruthless emphasis on legacy has hollowed Pawbert’s sense of self, and he believes a ruthless act on the family’s side will finally win him the approval he’s spent his life chasing.

The fallout turns the climax into an emotional rescue rather than a simple “good guys beat bad guys” moment. Nick, who’s been arrested earlier in the sequence, breaks out with help, races to the climate wall and confronts Pawbert in a brutal fight that sends the anti-venom pen skittering over a cliff. In a defining act of trust, Nick tosses the pen to Gary rather than keep it for himself; Gary catches it, saves Judy and for a heartbeat it looks like Pawbert and Gary will both be lost. 

Judy then hauls Gary back and pulls Nick to safety, the trio’s teamwork and loyalty sealing their bond. With Pawbert subdued and bound, the true patent is recovered at Reptile Ravine, minutes before the Lynxleys can erase it, exposing the family’s long con. The Lynxleys had been hiding a forged copy and burying Agnes’s contribution to Zootopia’s weather walls.

The film lets us see his remorse when the consequences land. His betrayal accelerates the film’s reckoning. The Lynxley conspiracy collapses, Gary’s family is vindicated, reptiles are welcomed back into the city and the authorities arrest the guilty parties. 

Complete recap of Zootopia 2

The animated buddy cop film Zootopia 2 picks up just one week after the events of the first movie, with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde officially working as partners at the ZPD. Their chemistry is strong, but their coordination is still shaky, a fact made obvious when they fail to stop a stolen van tied to Dr. Fuzzby, a couples therapist who later becomes an unexpected piece of their investigation. As the city prepares for the grand celebration of Zootopia’s anniversary, audiences are introduced to the wealthy Lynxley family, whose influence quietly shapes the story’s conflict.

During the festivities, Gary De’Snake appears and kidnaps Eva Lynxley while stealing a mysterious book documenting secrets about Zootopia’s origins. Judy overhears Gary insisting that reptiles have been unfairly portrayed and that a major conspiracy hides the truth about their past. Nick accidentally knocks Gary unconscious before he can explain, but Judy chooses to trust him anyway, an act that forces both officers to flee with Gary and the book. The Lynxley family quickly pressures the new mayor into issuing an order to arrest Judy and Nick, framing them as Gary’s accomplices.

On the run, the duo receives protection from Fru Fru and her crime-family connections, who direct them to Nibbles Maplestick, an underground conspiracy theorist. Nibbles provides evidence that reptiles were once essential to Zootopia before being pushed out of the city. Judy, Nick, and Gary then disguise themselves and check into the Honeymoon Lodge, where clues lead them to the Reptile Ravine, a hidden, thriving community where reptiles have lived quietly for decades. The discovery proves Gary’s story that the reptiles had been erased from Zootopia’s “official” history.

When the lodge collapses, Judy and Gary nearly plummet to their deaths before being rescued by Pawbert Lynxley, while Nick is captured by the police. Pawbert, appearing sympathetic, takes Judy and Gary to a secret camp where the deepest truth of all is revealed. Gary explains that his great-grandmother, Agnes, authored the original climate journal that made the city’s weather walls possible. Ivanza Lynxley stole Agnes’s work, framed her for murder, and forced reptiles into exile. The Lynxley legacy was built on stolen innovation, and Tundra construction later buried reptile homes to erase their history entirely.

Just as Judy and Gary prepare to expose the truth, Pawbert reveals his real motives. He betrays them, injects Judy with venom, steals the antivenom, and leaves both her and Gary to die in the freezing climate. 

After the intense conclusion where Nick fights off Pawbert and saves Judy with Gary’s help, the retrieved document exposes the family’s century-long fraud, proves Agnes is the true founder of Zootopia, and restores reptiles to their rightful place in the city. Nick and Judy are cleared of wrongdoing, and the city begins correcting its historical record.

The post-credits scene brings the film’s emotional arc full circle. Judy accidentally triggers Nick’s private confession on the carrot pen, where he quietly admits, “Love you, partner.” Before they can address it, she receives a call and leaves the pen behind. A feather drifts down beside it, teasing that birds may play a major role in the sequel and setting up the next chapter of the franchise.

Zootopia 2 is now available in theaters for interested audiences.