Curious who really dies in Ironheart Episode 3, why Riri leaves someone behind, and who else doesn’t make it out alive? The third episode of the Marvel series delivers its darkest turn yet, leaving fans reeling from the consequences of one brutal decision.
Here’s what we know so far about a key character’s fate in Ironheart Episode 3, who else dies, and why Riri makes the choice that changes everything.
Does John die in Ironheart Episode 3’s ending?
Yes, John dies in Ironheart Episode 3.
During the Heirlum facility heist, John discovers that Riri stole a piece of Parker’s enchanted cloak. He confronts her inside a greenhouse as the building enters lockdown and fills with carbon dioxide. They fight, and while Riri escapes with help from the AI-controlled Ironheart suit, Natalie leaves John behind to suffocate.
Riri later confirms John’s death using a heat scan. The synthetic biomesh skin she dropped at the scene, which Joe (Zeke Stane) designed, may now connect her and Zeke to John’s death and the overall break-in.
Who else dies in Ironheart Episode 3?
Hunter Mason, his security guards, and Stuart Clarke (Rampage) also die in Ironheart Episode 3.
Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood, kills Mason by snapping his neck after Mason refuses to sign a contract. This act follows Riri’s accidental triggering of a metal detector, which sets off facility-wide lockdown protocols.
Security personnel attempt to contain the situation, but Parker instructs the team to “start fires,” and more deaths occur offscreen as the infiltration escalates. Stuart Clarke, also known as Rampage, is found dead earlier in the episode; the police question Riri due to her being the last to contact him.
Why does Riri Williams leave John to die in Ironheart Episode 3?
Riri leaves John to die because saving him would have risked exposing her betrayal.
During their fight, John sees the piece of Parker’s cloak in her possession, confirming she turned on their crew. If he survived, he would have informed Parker. As Dominique Thorne explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “She is willing to put herself first over the life of another person it’s telling.” Riri prioritizes her own survival and secrecy, knowing Parker’s retaliation would be swift if her actions were revealed.
This choice sets up major consequences: Riri not only indirectly causes John’s death but also leaves behind biomesh skin linked to Zeke Stane, endangering him as well. Parker later screams at his supernatural benefactor, demanding to know why his cousin had to die. A shadow of the Ironheart armor looms behind him, indicating he now blames Riri.
