The Kissing Booth 3: Ending Explained - Do They Get Back Together?

Summary Elle chooses USC over Harvard or Berkeley, focusing on her own goals and personal growth despite relationship strains.

The ending leaves Elle and Noah's relationship ambiguous, hinting at a potential rekindling in the future.

Elle and Lee's friendship survives despite conflicts, showing the power of shared history and support.

The Kissing Booth 3 ending wraps up Netflix's Kissing Booth trilogy, revealing the fates of Elle, Noah, and the rest of the characters. The 2021 movie unfolds during the summer after Elle, Lee, and Rachel’s high school graduation, with Elle struggling to decide whether to attend Harvard with boyfriend Noah, or Berkeley with best friend Lee. When the Flynns decide to sell the family beach house, the friends move into for the summer for one last hurrah. While there, Elle decides to go to Harvard and attempts to appease the offended Lee by completing a summer bucket list they made as children.

This, along with her summer job, her father’s new girlfriend, and Marco resurfacing to try to win her heart, leads to Elle being overwhelmed and her relationships strained. By the end of the summer, Noah and Elle have broken up, Elle is fighting with Lee, and Lee and Rachel end their relationship as well. Elle ultimately changes her path and chooses to attend neither Berkeley nor Harvard, but USC for video game design. The Kissing Booth 3 stars returning cast members Joey King, Jacob Elordi, Joel Courtney, and Molly Ringwald.

Related Kissing Booth 4 News & Updates: Everything We Know Netflix's The Kissing Booth trilogy has wrapped up with Elle, Noah, & Lee all successful in the future, but could The Kissing Booth 4 still happen?

Why Elle & Noah Don't End Up Together In The Kissing Booth 3's Main Timeline

Elle Wants To Focus On Herself

Elle and Noah’s relationship suffers throughout the summer in The Kissing Booth 3. Elle’s bucket list activities with Lee take up most of her free time, and her decision to hang out with Marco makes Noah feel threatened and neglected. After walking away from a fight with Marco at the beach house, Noah drives off on his motorcycle and disappears. When Elle later finds him at the Hollywood sign, the symbolic place where they first made love, he breaks up with her.

Elle’s Kissing Booth 2 relationship with Marco contributed to the rift with Noah, as did her busy schedule, but the main reason for the breakup is something else entirely. Noah tells Elle, “I don’t want to be one of the people who makes you put yourself last,” revealing that he knows Elle has been prioritizing others and is trying to give her a chance to focus on herself.

The Kissing Booth 3's Time Jump: Do Elle & Noah Get Back Together?

Elle And Noah Find Eachother In The Future

Although the main timeline of The Kissing Booth 3 ends with Elle and Noah having broken up, it is implied that their romance isn’t over. In the film’s final scene, which takes place six years after the central summer, the former lovers run into each other at the charity fair. Noah and Elle make intense eye contact in this scene, and can’t seem to stop smiling. Noah has graduated from Harvard and is choosing between law firms in New York and LA, which means he might end up living in the same city as Elle again.

They make plans to hang out the next time he is in town, and as Noah walks away, both turn to look at each other with tears of emotion welling in their eyes.

They make plans to hang out the next time he is in town, and as Noah walks away, both turn to look at each other with tears of emotion welling in their eyes. A soft love song plays in the background, contributing to the romantic air of the scene. It is clear that the pair still have a strong connection.

Although their future as a couple is ultimately left ambiguous, The Kissing Booth 3 ends with Elle and Noah going for a motorcycle ride together, showing that their relationship is still the focal point of the series and implying that their relationship has indeed been rekindled.

Related Every Kissing Booth Movie Ranked From Worst To Best Now that The Kissing Booth 3 has wrapped up Elle, Noah, and Lee's stories, we rank all three films in the Netflix rom-com franchise.

How Elle & Lee's Friendship Survives Despite Their Fallout

Elle & Lee Have Known Eachother Too Long For The Animosity To Last

Throughout the first and second Kissing Booth movies, Elle and Lee have fought but managed to remain friends, and the same is true in the third film. Elle’s college decision hurts Lee’s feelings, as does her failure to show up for their final game of Dance Dance Revolution, but the pair’s shared history and love for one another allows their friendship to survive the falling out.

Elle and Lee have known each other for many years and are bonded by memories, which is a major theme in The Kissing Booth 3. Although Rule Number 19 ("You always got to the same school as your bestie") drives the friends apart, another rule brings them back together, which is Rule Number 18, “Always be happy for your bestie’s successes.” Lee eventually accepts Elle’s decision not to attend Harvard or Berkeley and celebrates her admission to USC.

Their willingness to self-reflect and support each other allows Elle and Lee’s friendship to last through college and beyond.

Furthermore, during her fight with Lee, Elle acknowledges her friend’s financial privilege and entitled attitude for the first time in the series, issues that have long come between them. Lee recognizes his character flaws, and Elle also sets aside her pride when she finally admits she got into Berkeley. Their willingness to self-reflect and support each other allows Elle and Lee’s friendship to last through college and beyond.

Why Lee & Rachel Get Back Together

They Were Always Meant To Be Together

The final scene of The Kissing Booth 3 reveals that Lee and Rachel have reunited and are engaged, which is no surprise considering the reasons behind their breakup. Despite their conflicts in The Kissing Booth 2, Rachel and Lee were quite happy together when they broke up. Rachel ended things with Lee because she did not want a long-distance relationship, despite the pair still having feelings for each other.

Being single when they went away to school allowed Rachel and Lee to explore themselves and develop separately before deciding if they were right for one another in the long run. The Kissing Booth 3 does not specify exactly how the couple ended up together again, but Rachel tells Lee during their split that “maybe if we’re meant to be together, we’ll find our way back to each other,” which Elle’s narration later explains is exactly what happened.

Related Kissing Booth 3: Why The Ending Wasn't Right The Kissing Booth 3 ends with a six-year time-jump that reunites Elle, Noah, and Lee — a cheesy conclusion that still manages to be underwhelming.

Why Noah & Lee's Parents Don't Sell The Beach House

The Beach House Has Too Much Sentimental Value

At the end of the film, Sara Flynn decides not to sell the beach house just as she is about to sign the final papers, a major plot hole in The Kissing Booth 3. The main factor in Sara’s decision seems to be the sentimental value of the house, which is shown throughout the film in flashbacks and symbols, such as the doorway on which the kids had marked their heights. Elle gifts Sara a photograph of herself, Noah, and Lee at the beach house, which matches one they had taken as children, apparently prompting Sara to rethink the sale.

However, this doesn’t make much sense, as Noah and Lee’s mother was already aware of the memories the house held when she decided to sell it. It is also difficult to believe that Sara would change her mind about selling the house after all the effort spent to fix it up — which is also a plot hole, as the house was set to be torn down. In the end, sentiment and nostalgia won out for Sara (and, arguably, over the plot).

What The Kissing Booth 3's Ending Really Means

The Ending Focuses On Elle's Ability To Make Her Own Decisions

The conclusion of The Kissing Booth 3 sees Elle end up with neither Noah nor Marco and choose neither Harvard nor Berkeley, instead pursuing her own personal goals. The ending of The Kissing Booth 3 highlights Elle’s autonomy and ability to make her own way in the world. Elle’s continued connection with Lee shows that true friendships endure the test of time and distance.

Furthermore, Lee and Rachel’s reunification, along with Elle and Noah’s possible one, shows that the main couples had to spend some time apart in order to grow as individuals and then find their way back to each other. The fact that the school is still using the kissing booth in the final scene symbolizes the characters’ enduring relationships and the lasting impact of the events of the series on their lives, while also indicating that there are future classes of teenagers whose lives could also be so affected by what happens in the kissing booth.

Related Why The Kissing Booth 3 Hardly Has An Actual Kissing Booth The kissing booth is vital to the Kissing Booth series, so why was it barely featured in the third movie? We look at the reason behind its absence.

Why The Kissing Booth 3's Ending is So Divisive

Many Viewers Felt That The Conclusion Wasn't Satisfactory

Fans of the Kissing Booth movies have expressed conflicting opinions on the ending of The Kissing Booth 3, mainly because it breaks up its central couple. Many believed that the romance between Elle and Noah was the most important part of the series and wanted to see the pair remain together until the end. Some viewers were also disappointed in the lack of romantic scenes between the two.

The Kissing Booth 3 moved away from its steamy teen romance roots for a reason

However, others were happy to see Elle developing as a character and finally putting herself first. Regardless of reactions, The Kissing Booth 3 moved away from its steamy teen romance roots for a reason: to convey a message of self-reliance and growth and the importance of following your dreams.

What The Cast Has Said About The Kissing Booth Franchise

Some Of The Stars Have Mixed Feelings

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It's not only fans of The Kissing Booth who have thoughts on The Kissing Booth 3 ending, as many of the cast have commented on the franchise since it concluded. For example, Joey King, who played Elle, spoke to Variety in 2021 to give her thoughts. King revealed that creating a satisfying conclusion for The Kissing Booth trilogy was no easy task, and that as an actor it was one of the most challenging processes she's been involved in during her career so far:

“Finding the right way to do the send-off and figuring out what was best for the final edit was probably the heaviest area that I was involved in. That was very exciting for me, because I just want to make sure that for me, for all the filmmakers and for all the fans, that our send-off was just right. I really hope they feel that way.”

However, not every cast member has spoken fondly in the years since The Kissing Booth 3 arrived on Netflix. Jacob Elordi, who played Noah, has been critical of the franchise in the years since. Elordi famously slammed the franchise in GQ when interviewed for their Men of the Year feature (via Variety), stating:

“I didn’t want to make those movies before I made those movies. Those movies are ridiculous. They’re not universal. They’re an escape.”

His comments weren't taken well by his fellow The Kissing Booth cast members, with Joey King responding to Variety to give her thoughts on what Elordi had said:

“I think it’s unfortunate anyone would feel that way, I had a great time making those movies no matter what anyone says.”

It seems that, while The Kissing Booth remains beloved by fans and most of the cast, those feelings aren't universal, with several viewers and stars alike seeking to distance themselves from it following the ending of The Kissing Booth 3.