Buried in the Desert
Four years after surviving the massacre in El Paso, the Bride continued her quest for vengeance. Having eliminated O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green, she turned her attention to Budd, Bill’s reclusive brother and another member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Her arrival at his remote trailer was anticipated. Bill had warned Budd in advance, and the Bride was ambushed. A non-lethal blast of rock salt from a shotgun left her incapacitated. Budd sedated her and contacted Elle Driver, arranging to sell her the Bride’s Hattori Hanzō sword for one million dollars.
Budd’s vengeance took a cruel form. The Bride was sealed in a wooden coffin and buried alive in a shallow grave. In complete darkness and silence, her survival seemed impossible.
Lessons from the Master
Memories of her training surfaced. Years earlier, Bill had introduced her to the legendary martial arts master, Pai Mei. Known for his brutal training and disdain for weakness, Pai had taught her discipline, resilience, and deadly techniques. Among his most infamous was the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique—a move he refused to teach his students. The technique was rumored to kill instantly after five steps. Pai, however, saw something in the Bride. Despite ridicule and torment, she endured his regimen and earned his respect.
It was this training that saved her. Within the coffin, she summoned her strength and used Pai Mei’s teachings to break free. Her fists, strengthened by endless hours of conditioning, shattered the wood. She clawed her way through the dirt and emerged from her grave, reborn through willpower and rage.
The Snake Strikes Again
At Budd’s trailer, Elle Driver arrived with the money and claimed the sword. Instead of honoring the deal, she delivered a black mamba hidden in the briefcase. The snake bit Budd repeatedly, and Elle watched him die, reading aloud facts about the black mamba’s venom. In a call to Bill, she falsely claimed that the Bride had killed Budd and that she had avenged him.
As Elle prepared to leave, the Bride appeared. A brutal fight erupted in the cramped trailer. Both women had trained under Pai Mei. Elle taunted the Bride, revealing that she had murdered their master by poisoning his food—revenge for the loss of her eye. Consumed by fury, the Bride struck back. In a single motion, she ripped out Elle’s remaining eye and left her blinded and screaming in the trailer, abandoned with the mamba.
A Mother’s Truth
The trail led next to Acuña, Mexico. There, the Bride sought Esteban Vihaio, a retired pimp with ties to Bill. Esteban, fond of politeness and charm, agreed to share Bill’s location. Her journey reached its final destination—a quiet home where an unexpected truth waited.
Inside, the Bride found her daughter, B.B., alive and now four years old. The shock gave way to joy and disbelief. The child, unaware of her mother’s past, welcomed her warmly. That evening, the three shared dinner and stories. After B.B. was put to bed, the confrontation resumed.
Bill, prepared for the meeting, injected the Bride with a truth serum. Their conversation unraveled years of pain. She explained her departure from the assassination squad had been driven by pregnancy. She had sought a better life for their child. Bill, believing she had died, had acted out of misplaced grief and anger upon learning of her engagement.
The Final Technique
Swords were drawn, and the former lovers clashed. The duel ended quickly. The Bride disarmed Bill and struck with the very move Pai Mei had kept hidden from others. The Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique had been taught to her in secret. Bill, stunned by the betrayal, accepted his fate. With solemn dignity, he rose, walked five steps, and collapsed, dead.
A New Life Begins
At last, the Bride’s list was complete. Her mission had ended not only in blood, but also in revelation. With B.B. beside her, she stepped into the unknown, leaving behind the path of vengeance. The road ahead held promise, built not on destruction, but on the hope of healing.