Yes, that’s absolutely right. You’ve got a good memory for details! In the final part of The Song of Achilles, Achilles’ son—named Pyrrhus, also known as Neoptolemus—shows up after Achilles is gone. And yes, he’s definitely depicted as a lot more ruthless and frankly a bit cruel compared to his father.

One of the big things he does, as you pointed out, is that he doesn’t honor Patroclus at all. In fact, he treats Patroclus’s memory and his relationship with Achilles with a lot of contempt.

And yes, there is also a scene that’s quite disturbing where he sacrifices a Trojan princess, Polyxena, supposedly as an offering to his father’s spirit. This is one of those moments that really shows how different he is from Achilles. It’s historically rooted in some versions of the myth, and Madeline Miller included it to highlight how tragic and harsh the aftermath of Achilles’ death became.

So yes, all that you remember is accurate: Pyrrhus comes in, he’s a darker character, and he really changes the tone at the end. It’s definitely one of those twists that makes the ending feel complicated and full of turmoil.