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| Discover what happened to Sully in Top Boy and why the identity of his killer remains deliberately unresolved. |
Top Boy's Ending: Who Actually Killed Sully, and Why the Show Never Says
Who Killed Sully in Top Boy?
Sully is shot dead through the window of his car in the very last scene of Top Boy's series finale, "If We Are Not Monsters" (Season 3 of the Netflix era, sometimes counted as Season 5 overall). The shooter is a mystery figure in a dark hoodie/jacket who appears on screen for only a few seconds, says nothing, and walks away. The show never reveals who fired the shot — creator Ronan Bennett and the production team left it deliberately unanswered, and it remains unconfirmed to this day.
What Actually Happens in the Final Episode
To understand why Sully's death is so widely discussed, it helps to know exactly what leads up to it:
1. Dushane steals Jaq's drug stash to fund his escape from London after police link his fingerprints to a murder scene.
2. Sully tracks Dushane down over the theft, and shoots him in the chest during a confrontation.
3. Dushane dies slowly, and in his final moments, the two men have an emotional exchange — Dushane admits he always respected Sully, something Sully had never believed.
4. Sully takes the drugs and leaves, appearing to finally become the undisputed "Top Boy" with all his rivals dealt with.
5. Stef, whose older brother Jamie was killed by Sully in an earlier season, corners Sully and points a gun at him — but ultimately decides revenge "isn't worth" the cost, and walks away without pulling the trigger.
6. Sully gets into his car, visibly relieved and amused that he's survived everything — and is then shot once through the driver's-side window by an unidentified attacker who simply walks past and keeps going.
The screen cuts to black, and the show ends there permanently — Top Boy was confirmed as cancelled/concluded after this season, so there's been no follow-up season to resolve it.
Why the Ending Feels Intentional, Not Accidental
This isn't a loose thread the writers forgot to tie up. Multiple aspects point to a deliberate choice:
- - The killer is shown just long enough to rule out an accident of editing, but not long enough for a clear ID.
- - Sully's own words earlier in the series — that real threats come from people who "wait til everything is died down and sneak up" — foreshadow exactly the kind of anonymous, patient killing that ends his life.
- - Thematically, it mirrors Dushane's death moments earlier: both men who spent the whole series trying to become untouchable are taken out suddenly, anonymously, and without ceremony — the show's way of saying no one "wins" this life.
Leading Suspects, Ranked by How Plausible They Are
| Suspect | Motive | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|
| Stef | Revenge for Sully killing his older brother, Jamie | Widely assumed, but the on-screen shooter's build/clothing doesn't clearly match him, and the actor who plays Stef has publicly said he wasn't told if it was him |
| The Irish/McGee gang | Ambitions to take over Sully's territory in the final season | Plausible motive, but no direct scene ties them to the shooting |
| Rafe (Sully's cousin) | Long-running tension with Sully; a line from Sully himself describes exactly this kind of ambush | Fan-favorite theory, circulated widely online, but unconfirmed |
| Jaq | Wanted out of the criminal life entirely and had reason to fear Sully | Considered less likely by most recappers, since she's shown safely at home around the same time |
| Diana (Kieron's mother) | Revenge for her son's death, which Sully ordered | A popular theory among fans, but not supported by direct on-screen evidence |
What the Show's Team Has Actually Said
Director William Stefan Smith has confirmed that a version of the scene was filmed with the killer unmasked, played by an actor already known to viewers from the show — meaning the identity was a deliberate creative decision, not an oversight. However, that footage has never been released, and even Araloyin Oshunremi, who plays Stef (the most commonly suspected killer), has said publicly that he was never told whether his character was the shooter.
Is There Any Chance of a Follow-Up That Answers This?
Netflix and creator Ronan Bennett have discussed the possibility of a spin-off, with Jaq's character mentioned as a potential focus. If that ever moves forward, there's a chance it could reference or resolve the finale's mystery — but as of this update, nothing has been confirmed, and treating any spin-off talk as a guarantee of an answer would be premature.
Common Misconceptions to Avoid
- - Thinking Dushane killed Sully. It's the reverse — Sully shoots and kills Dushane earlier in the same episode.
- - Assuming Stef is confirmed as the shooter. It's the most popular fan theory, but neither the show nor its cast has confirmed this.
- - Expecting the mystery to be resolved in a rewatch. The scene is intentionally brief and obscured — no amount of re-watching reveals a clearer look at the killer.
Sully is killed in Top Boy's finale by an unidentified gunman, moments after killing Dushane himself. The show's creators built the ambiguity in on purpose, and unless a future spin-off addresses it directly, "who killed Sully" is likely to remain one of British TV's most talked-about unanswered endings.
FAQ
Does Sully die in Top Boy?
Yes — he's shot and killed in the final scene of the series finale, immediately after killing Dushane.
Who killed Sully in Top Boy?
The show never reveals this. The shooter is an unidentified figure in a dark jacket, on screen for only a few seconds.
Did Stef kill Sully?
It's the most widely discussed fan theory, since Stef had a clear motive, but it's never confirmed on screen, and the actor who plays Stef has said he doesn't know either.
Will a Top Boy spin-off explain who killed Sully?
There's been talk of a possible Jaq-focused spin-off, but nothing is confirmed as of this update — treat any resolution as speculative until officially announced.
Is Dushane also dead at the end of Top Boy?
Yes — Sully shoots him earlier in the same final episode, and he dies from that wound before Sully is killed himself.
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