 Sid finds the eighth spirit at the crater site of the alien asteroid 's impact on Earth . He lowers a shielded vehicle , with Aki and Gray aboard , into the crater to locate the final spirit . Just before they can reach it , Hein fires the Zeus cannon into the crater , not only destroying the eighth spirit but also revealing the Phantom Gaia . Aki has a vision of the Phantom home planet , where she is able to receive the eighth spirit from the alien particles in herself . When Aki awakens , she and Gray combine it with the other seven . Hein continues to fire the Zeus cannon despite overheating warnings and unintentionally destroys the cannon and himself . Gray sacrifices himself as a medium needed to physically transmit the completed spirit into the alien Gaia . The Earth 's Gaia is returned to normal as the Phantoms ascend into space , finally at peace . Aki is pulled from the crater holding Gray 's body , and is seen looking into the newly liberated world . 
