
Originally Posted by
generalmeow
As the injured Max carries the Feral Kid from the wrecked tanker, he sees not oil, but sand, leaking from the tank.
The truck and its trailer are thus exposed as a decoy allowing the other settlers to escape with the precious fuel in oil drums inside their vehicles. With Papagallo dead, the Gyro Captain succeeds him as their chief and leads the settlers to the coast, where they establish the "Great Northern Tribe." Max remains alone in the desert, once again becoming a drifter, leaving the Feral Kid (as an adult and the Northern Tribe's new leader) reminiscing about him.