The last emperor of the Inca Empire before the Spanish conquest was Atahualpa. He reigned from 1532 until his capture by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro later that same year. Atahualpa was the last sovereign ruler of the Inca civilization, a formidable empire in South America, which extended along the western coast from modern-day Colombia to Chile. His reign ended tragically when he was captured, held for ransom, and eventually executed by the Spanish, marking the significant downfall of the Inca Empire and the beginning of Spanish domination in the region.