The final massive battle pits the Defenders against the Hand in a struggle to save the entire city of New York from destruction.
The group continues to debate the merits of blowing up a building, with everyone but Luke reluctant but seeing no other way to stop the Hand for good. Luke finally comes around as well, with the assurance that no innocent people will be hurt in the process.
Danny hides among the fossilized bones as Gao congratulates Elektra on winning their war. Gao insists that finding Danny is no longer their concern, and that they need to begin removing the substance from the bones as quickly as possible and escape, as removing the substance will weaken the bones and cause a large part of the city to collapse. She also warns Elektra that the other heroes have arrived, and that Bakuto and Murakami are working to ensure their escape route.
As the cops surround the building, the heroes begin their descent, leaving Colleen and Claire to set the explosives. Outside, Misty gets a call letting her know about the missing C-4. The cops begin to evacuate the area and increase their efforts to breach the building.
Karen and Trish meet up at the precinct as Trish comes to realize just how bad the Hand can be. Foggy and Malcom rush in to let them know that the cops are all converging on Midland Circle, and Trish points out that that was the epicenter for everything that’s been happening.
As Claire and Colleen find the support structure for the building and start planting the explosives, Bakuto arrives to interrupt them. Colleen comes out to face him. A call from Misty tells Bakuto that she’s not alone as he and Colleen cross swords. Misty tells Claire that they need to get out of there, but Clair is forced to hang up on her, so Misty shoots out the door they blocked off and follows them in.
Danny takes out a few of the Hand’s workers as they extract the bones, but runs into Madam Gao. She tells him that he is still a child, all alone, and that he should save his strength for the bigger fight to come. He attempts to fight but is thrown back by her power, and held by Murakami. They are about to kill him, but knowing that the others are coming, Elektra decides he may still be useful.
As they descend, Daredevil becomes aware of what they are up against. Elektra, Madame Gao, Murakami, and about thirty armed Hand warriors. Luke comes up with a plan. When the elevator touches ground, Jessica is alone, and comes out to face them, saying she just wants to talk. She distracts them, letting Luke and Daredevil get the jump on as many of them as possible before the fight starts in earnest. Danny uses the distraction to slip Murakami’s grip so he can join them.
Colleen continues her fight against Bakuto, finding the strength to stand up to her old master. More of the Hand come in to join him, forcing Claire to fight them off herself. When Colleen stops for a moment to help her, Bakuto gets a slice in, forcing her attention back on him. Claire is almost overrun again, but Misty arrives and guns her attacker down, turning her weapon on Bakuto to give them a brief respite.
The Defenders regroup as they square off against the Hand. Working together they gain the upper hand and take out most of the underlings, realizing that the only way to truly win is to make their way back through them to the elevator so they can bring the building down. The fight is going in their favor, but Elektra nabs Luke, and Danny’s chi runs out, powering down his fist.
Misty puts three slugs into Bakuto as he advances, but it does nothing, and he knocks her out of the way, taunting Colleen as she brings her sword back into the fight. Claire tries to sneak up on him from behind, but he counters, and pins her with his blades, threatening to take her head, taking Colleen’s new family away from her as punishment for leaving the Hand. Misty leaps up to push him away, saving Claire but losing her arm in the process. Colleen uses the opportunity to cut off Bakuto’s head, ending the fight. With Misty losing blood quickly from her wound, they realize that Bakuto’s falling body has activated the timer on the detonator, giving everyone less than ten minutes to escape the building.
Even with all four of them, Elektra puts up a solid fight against the Defenders, until Jessica manages to grab her and fling her across the room and into a giant rib. Matt hears the sound of the countdown above and tells the others to leave, that he will follow, believing that he can still get through to Elektra. They are reluctant, but agree that they will see him at the top. Before they leave he whispers something to Danny, and then returns to face Elektra alone as the others ride the elevator up, continuing to fight off Hand warriors as they go.
Matt faces off with Elektra once again, using words as much as his fists as he tries to convince her to give up and come with him. She tries to tell him that he’s looking for something that just isn’t there, and breaks one of the controls for the elevator. It screeches to a halt, and the cables begin to break as more Hand members, including Murakami climb on board. They manage to toss him over the edge and Jessica is able to grab the cables, stopping its descent just as it starts, allowing Danny and Luke to climb up to safety.
Matt continues to try to get through to Elektra, insisting that she still has feelings for him, that she’s still good inside, while Luke, Danny, and Jessica meet up with Colleen, Claire, and Misty in the lobby of the building. When they learn that the detonator is active they realize that Matt must have known, but want to go back for him anyway. The cops manage to breach the building and hold them all at gunpoint, despite warnings that the whole place is about to blow.
Elektra tells Matt that despite everything, they are exactly where she always wanted them to be: together. Gao finds Murakabi and he asks what is happening. She tells him it is the end, and the bombs explode, bringing the building down just as the others make their exit. Matt and Elektra embrace as the world crumbles around them, with the rest of their friends watching in horror from the outside. Danny tells the others that before they left, Matt told them to protect his city. The heroes return to the precinct to meet up with their friends, but no one is there to greet Karen and Foggy.
With the smoke cleared, Trish’s morning show confirms that the collapse of the building has actually stabilized the ground, preventing future earthquakes. Jessica insists that she doesn’t want any credit for her part in saving the city.
Foggy, with the help of Hogarth and the rest of the law firm, manage to avoid having any charges filed against any of them, leaving the survivors legally in the clear. He tells Claire that he blames himself for helping to send Matt to his death and she attempts to convince him that Matt died protecting the city he loved, and would have been there no matter what.
Misty wakes up in a hospital, alive and ok other than her missing limb, with Colleen waiting up for her. Colleen tells her that Danny has connections at the hospital, and that they plan to do what they can for her.
Luke joins Jessica at a bar, checking up on her. They discuss their past relationship, and regrets about not handling it better at the end. He tells her to keep in touch, and that she has a friend in Harlem.
Collen returns to the dojo to find Danny meditating, still thinking about Matt’s sacrifice. He tells her that there is something to be learned in every tragedy, and that New York is starting to feel like home.
Jessica returns home to find Malcom patching up the bullet holes in her wall, saying it almost feels like she’s back in business. She agrees, and tears down the paper covering the window for Alias Investigations.
Foggy and Karen meet at the cathedral, mourning the loss of their friend, and wonder without hope if there is any chance that he may still be alive, while on a rooftop the Iron Fist takes up the beat that Daredevil can no longer patrol.
Meanwhile, in a bed in a convent, under the watchful eyes of a nun, a broken Matt Murdock wakes up.