What Is The Song At The End Of Willow Episode 3?
Contains spoilers for "Willow" Season 1
The continuation of the movie "Willow" is certainly shifting into high gear with shocking reveals and a merry band of adventures consisting of magic users, scamps, and warriors. In other words, the Disney+ series "Willow" is helping to flesh out the world by visiting classic locations from the original movie as well as brand new ones. Starting off in the magically protected kingdom of Tir Asleen with Kit (Ruby Cruz) and Airk (Dempsey Bryk) on the eve of Kit's wedding to Prince Graydon (Tony Revolori), this event is ruined by the arrival of four twisted servants of a being known as the Crone.
After the aforementioned dark servants kidnap Airk, an unlikely group of allies is formed that crest the magical barrier surrounding Tir Asleen, and they are immediately set upon by Bone Reavers, a nomadic group with a penchant for wearing skulls. The group eventually finds Willow (Warwick Davis), who begins to teach Elora (Ellie Bamber) the power of her birthright. Unfortunately, she is kidnapped by a now-corrupted Ballantine (Ralph Ineson), who wishes to aid in her destruction.
Though Ballantine and his fellow corrupted guards are eventually defeated when Willow uses a powerful magical blast, it is not without tragic loss. The final moments of Episode 3 see the intrepid heroes in the beating rain as they come face to face with Nockmaar, the seat of power for the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) from the "Willow" movie. At this point, a rather familiar tune begins to play — but who is singing it, and why does it sound so familiar?
The song is a Metallica cover
For the more musically inclined, or at least those with an ear for iconic melodies, the song that plays at the end of "Willow" Episode 3 should be recognizable as Metallica's "Enter Sandman," though that certainly isn't who sings this specific cover. This is the second time this year that Metallica, or at least a song of theirs, has been featured in a popular streaming television series, with the first being in "Stranger Things" with a stirring rendition of "Master of Puppets" by Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn). According to Song Facts, "Enter Sandman" hails from Metallica's self-titled album, often referred to as the Black Album, and it is one of the most profitable albums of all time, helped in part by the popularity of "Enter Sandman."
As mentioned earlier, though, the song at the end of Episode 3 is not performed by Metallica, but rather by Rina Sawayama, a British-Japanese musical artist known for her ability to cover a range of musical subjects. This particular cover is an officially endorsed version and is part of a charity tribute album called "The Metallica Blacklist," which was released in September 2021. Although the video for Sawayama's version on YouTube is a simple visualization, one can still feel the power and passion of the musical cover.
Speaking with The Music, Sawayama said of the song, "I actually kind of went down a bit of a comment hole with that one on YouTube. People were really positive about it — so I was really happy." One thing is for certain, and that is that this version of "Enter Sandman" is an interesting capstone to Episode 3 of "Willow."