Warrior Nun’s Alba Baptisa Breaks Down The Finale

“I was a firm believer that No — Father Vincent was always going to be on our side,” Warrior Nun star Alba Baptista admitted to Refinery29 over the phone a few days before the June 2 premiere of her new Netflix series. Baptista, who plays Warrior Nun’s titular super-powered hero Ava, is talking about Tristán Ulloa’s Father Vincent, the fantasy drama’s supposedly pious Catholic priest and the spiritual leader of the Order of the Cruciform Sword.  Baptista’s co-stars were a little more suspicious towards the end of filming and began speculating that Father Vincent might not be so holy after all. If you’ve seen Warrior Nun’s finale, “Revelation 2:10,” you know who ended up being correct about Father Vincent and, by association, the supposedly benevolent “angel” Adriel. 

“Turns out — I was wrong,” Baptista, 22, said with a chuckle. “I was already very much in Ava[‘s mindset] and I would never believe that anyone so good would be hurtful. But it was a shock. Even for Tristán.” 

The “shock” of Warrior Nun’s season 1 finale changes everything we know about a possible season 2 (Netflix has yet to order additional episodes). Initially, we’re led to believe Adriel is an angel who created the Warrior Nun by giving Areala (Guiomar Alonso), the first of her kind, his halo. Finale “Revelation,” however, flips that fairytale on its head, revealing Adriel is actually “a devil,” as Ava says, with diabolical intentions. That is why Adriel was locked in a tomb below the Vatican for the last millennia. Worst of all, Father Vincent has been working for Adriel this whole time.

The last 20 minutes of “Revelation” are devastating for Ava and her Sister Warriors, who all trusted Father Vincent and and the mythology of Adriel. However, these twists also suggest a very exciting prospective future for Warrior Nun, and Ava herself, as Baptista promised. 

“Revelation” gives us an unvarnished look at the moment Adriel “saved” Arela during the first Crusade. We see Adriel — clad in a very villainous black ensemble — escape the same kind of hellish portal often used by the Tarask. A Tarask then appears and fights Adriel until Adriel kills the monster with The Halo. It’s difficult to know why any of this action is taking place, but Baptista has some necessary insight. 

“Adriel wasn’t the angel that everyone said he was,” Baptista began. “He actually was a runaway. He simply gave his halo to Areala as… She was just a pawn, really, in the middle of all this.” While Baptista can’t explain yet why Adriel manipulated Areala, she admits there were constant behind-the-scenes conversations about the “angel’s” motivations. 

“Ava thinks that he is the devil. She definitely says at one point, ‘He is a devil,’” Baptista explained. “But that was also a line that I struggled with because I was afraid that this would kind of categorize his character  But the writers have it all thought out for an eventual season 2 with that line … I love Adriel’s character. I think he’s so dense and he has a lot of layers to his story, which we will discover further on.” 

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot towards the close of “Revelations,” viewers see a part of Father Vincent’s body glowing as he carries Ava out of the Vatican catacombs. It appears his arm tattoos — which we first see in eighth episode “Proverbs 14:1” — are made of Divinium and are illuminated in Ava’s presence because she is the Warrior Nun. The reasons we never saw this reaction earlier, it is suggested, is because Vincent’s torso is usually covered by his priest’s outfit. 

Yet, it’s difficult to tell exactly what’s happening with Vincent. Baptista swore that’s part of Warrior Nun’s design, should there be a season 2. 

“That’s going to be a big, big reveal for an eventual season 2. It was well thought out. It wasn’t just an accident,” she teased. “It’s another plot twist for the spectators to guess on for another year. They’ll have to wait for another season.” 

Warrior Nun spends a lot of time investigating Ava’s outlook on her status as “the Warrior Nun.” Up until the finale, it doesn’t feel like she has fully embraced it. Yet, in the last shot of “Revelation,” Ava squares up against Adriel and his squadron of demons — with the support of her Sister Warriors (Toya Turner, Lorena Andrea, Kristina Tonteri-Young, and Olivia Delcán). 

“It’s when she decides that this is all bigger than herself. It’s not only her story, it’s her impact on the future of other women and other girls who have dreams and want to fight for a bigger cause, but are really just being manipulated,” Baptista said, her voice swelling with pride. “This [altruistic] characteristic of Ava is always present. She just didn’t believe that it was there.” 

“It’s when she finds her family,” she continued, stressing “the ability to trust” is the biggest development for Ava over season 1. “She will do anything for it.” 

Thankfully, Baptista confirmed that Ava’s Sister Warriors feel the same way. “It took a long time for these characters to actually trust each other,” she said. “It only happens when they all realize that they’re all equal to each other — and that’s how it should be.” 

Now Ava is free to figure out who she really is as the Warrior Nun. As Baptista quipped while pondering the future of her series, “You know, Ava still hasn’t totally reached her full potential. So there’s still a lot to explore there.”