From what has been revealed about him in comics and at the movies, Immortan Joe’s rise to prominence comes largely as a result of brute force. When he’s still known as Colonel Joe Moore, he takes the Citadel and becomes its new ruler, soon taking on his “Immortan” title. In time, he becomes a god-like figure, as individuals come from far and wide in the hope of getting some of the Citadel aquifer’s water. He eventually ends his tenure as a warrior, utilizing his penchant for speeches and natural charisma to keep the masses under his spell. They let him get away with virtually anything, so long as they can share in the water supply.
With this in mind, the symbology of Joe’s death comes into view. When his mouth and throat are torn off, he literally ceases to live, but this works in a metaphoric sense as well. His mouth is the source of his power and influence, and even if he did survive, his reign would still effectively be over without the ability to wield his greatest weapon. The fact that Furiosa is the one that does it is also worth highlighting. Throughout “Fury Road,” Joe is shown to subjugate women in the worst ways, even using his five “wives” as reproductive slaves. Furiosa eventually betrays him and helps them escape the Citadel before killing him. It’s a woman who takes away his mouth, a major source of his power, his “wives,” one of the most prominent manifestations of said power, and his life in the ultimate act of justice.
Though it’s stomach-churning to look at, Immortan Joe’s manner of death is undeniably meaningful in more ways than one.
