There was never a world in which NieR: Automata Ver1.1.a ended in a predictable way.
The anime adaptation of the 2017 action RPG from Yoko Taro and PlatinumGames has continuously deviated from the expected narrative since it began airing in 2023. Over 24 episodes, Ver1.1a offered a gripping retelling of the original story for newcomers while also constantly playing with the franchie’s extended lore to keep longtime fans on their toes.
With last week’s finale, the show went out on an undeniable high note that speaks to the story’s effectiveness regardless of medium as well as Taro’s shifting relationship with its themes. For the majority of its runtime, the final episode of Ver1.1a, “the [E]nd of YoRHa”, doesn’t mess with the true ending of the game, from which this finale gets its name.
But just when the show seems over and the credits start to roll, things begin to change. Unlike in the game’s ending, Ver1.1a shows us the aftermath of the final confrontation between androids A2, 9S, the machine lifeforms, and the remnants of YoRHa.
More shockingly, it’s a happy ending. First we see 9S awaken with his blue eyes shining and no sign of the virus that once threatened his life and sanity. Then we see 2B awaken next to him.
The two reunite without their blindfolds and weapons, stripped of their roles as androids of YoRHA. They have a new future ahead of them, together. The credits then cut to A2, resting peacefully next to the NieR franchise’s signature lunar t.