Final vs. desfecho
Both final and desfecho translate to "ending" in the context of a story, but they highlight different aspects of the conclusion. While final broadly refers to the chronological end or the last section of a narrative, desfecho specifically describes the narrative resolution, denouement, or the outcome of the plot.
Final
A2The word final refers to the literal concluding part or the very last sequence of a story. It is a broad term that simply indicates the narrative has come to a stop, focusing on the chronological end of the timeline rather than the specific resolution of events.
O final do livro me fez chorar muito.
(The ending of the book made me cry a lot.)
Eles mudaram o final do filme para agradar ao público.
(They changed the ending of the movie to please the audience.)
Nós não esperávamos por um final tão triste.
(We did not expect such a sad ending.)
O diretor gravou um final alternativo para a série de televisão.
(The director shot an alternate ending for the television series.)
Eu pulei as últimas páginas para ler o final logo.
(I skipped the last pages to read the ending right away.)
Desfecho
B2The word desfecho is equivalent to "outcome", "resolution", or "denouement" in English. It describes the structural unwinding of a story, focusing on how the central conflicts are resolved, how secrets reflect the truth, and how the narrative threads are finally tied together.
O desfecho do mistério surpreendeu todos os leitores experientes.
(The resolution of the mystery surprised all the experienced readers.)
Aquele conflito familiar precisava de um desfecho mais realista.
(That family conflict needed a more realistic outcome.)
O autor criou um desfecho brilhante para a complexa trama política.
(The author created a brilliant denouement for the complex political plot.)
A novela teve um desfecho muito apressado devido ao cancelamento da emissora.
(The soap opera had a very rushed resolution due to the cancellation by the network.)
Ninguém no teatro previu o desfecho da investigação do detetive.
(Nobody in the theater foresaw the outcome of the detective's investigation.)
Summary
In short, you should use final when you are referring to the chronological end or the last literal part of a story. On the other hand, you should use desfecho when you want to emphasize the narrative resolution, the unwinding of the plot, or the ultimate outcome of the central conflicts.