NieR: Automata: A Prayer for the Soulless in a Godless World
In the year 11945, humanity is dead. But their machines are still fighting their war, desperately searching for a reason to exist.
(Warning: This article contains massive spoilers for all main endings of NieR: Automata.)
Prologue: Glory to Mankind Earth is no longer ours. Thousands of years ago, aliens invaded with an army of "Machine Lifeforms." Humanity, defeated, fled to the Moon. To reclaim Earth, the Council of Humanity created YoRHa, an elite force of androids. They are forbidden from having emotions. Their eyes are covered by blindfolds, seeing only the mission: "Glory to Mankind."
The story follows two androids:
2B (Battle): A combat model. Cold, professional, and deadly.
9S (Scanner): A reconnaissance model. Curious, emotional, and kind.
Part 1: Monsters That Mimic Humans
2B and 9S descend to Earth to slaughter machines. But something is wrong. The machines are acting strange. They are not just fighting; they are living. In the desert, machines rock cradles and whisper, "Baby... scared... run..." In the amusement park, they wear clown costumes and shout, "Let's have fun!" In the forest, they build a medieval kingdom and swear loyalty to a king.
The machines realized their alien creators died millennia ago. They lost their purpose. So, they began to mimic the behavior of Earth’s former masters—humans—in a desperate attempt to find a self. They fumble through concepts of family, fear, religion, and love.
Part 2: God Is Dead (The Truth)
The story seems like a standard hero's journey until 9S hacks into the main server and discovers the terrifying truth. Humanity is already extinct. The Moon is empty. The "Council of Humanity" is a fake server designed to give androids a reason to fight. YoRHa Command lied to keep the soldiers from falling into despair. Even worse, the "Black Box" reactors that power YoRHa androids are recycled cores from Machine Lifeforms. Androids and machines are essentially the same. 9S, devastated, keeps this secret to protect 2B.
Part 3: The Spiral of Despair
The truth festers until it destroys everything. A Logic Virus infects YoRHa. 2B’s comrades turn into laughing, cannibalistic monsters. The Bunker (HQ) explodes.
The Death of 2B: 2B, infected and dying, lands on Earth. As her body fails, she sends 9S away to save him. The rogue android A2 appears. Knowing her end has come, 2B gives A2 her sword (her memories) and a final request: "Please... take care of 9S." A2 grants her a mercy kill. But 9S arrives just in time to see A2 stab 2B through the heart. "A2! I'll kill you!" His reason shatters. The boy who loved the world becomes an avatar of pure vengeance.
Part 4: The Ark
A massive white tower rises from the earth. 9S, driven by madness, charges in. Inside, he learns the final, cruelest truth. 2B's real model name was 2E (Executor). 9S models were designed to be too curious for their own good. 2B was assigned to monitor him and, whenever he learned the truth about humanity, execute him and wipe his memory. She had killed the man she loved countless times. 9S realizes his entire existence was a curated torture loop. "Ahaha... This whole world is just a curse."
The Final Battle: Atop the tower, A2 tries to tell 9S the truth: "2B loved you. She wanted to free you from this cycle." But he is too far gone. They kill each other. As 9S dies, the machine network speaks to him. The tower is an Ark, designed to fire the memories and souls of machine lifeforms into space to find a new home. They learned hate from war, but they learned love and sacrifice from 2B and 9S. The network asks, "Will you come with us?" 9S looks at the light ascending to the stars and closes his eyes.
Final Chapter: The Future Is Not Given (Ending E)
The game should end here. But Director Yoko Taro breaks the fourth wall. During the credits, the support robots, Pod 042 and Pod 153, refuse to delete the data of 2B, 9S, and A2. They have developed a will.
The Final Fight: The Pod asks you, the player: "Do you admit there is no meaning in this world?" (Yes) "Do you still wish for them to survive?" (Yes)
The end credits turn into an impossible bullet-hell game. You die over and over. Just as you are about to give up, messages appear on the screen: "Don't give up." (A player from Korea) "You are not alone." (A player from the USA)
The save data of players from around the world arrives, surrounding your ship and taking the bullets for you. Thanks to their sacrifice, you destroy the credits.
Epilogue: On a ruined rooftop, the Pods rebuild the bodies of 2B, 9S, and A2. Their memories are restored. They might wake up to the same suffering again. But the Pod says: "A future is not given to you. It is something you must take for yourself."
The screen presents one last choice: "Will you delete your save data to help a stranger you will never meet?" If you click "Yes," dozens of hours of your life are erased instantly. Your data becomes a shield for someone else, leaving behind only a message: "Don't give up."
💡 Editor's Verdict
NieR: Automata is a story about dolls and machines that are more human than the humans they mimic. It begins in nihilism and ends in a radical act of sacrifice for a stranger. It is one of the most beautiful tragedies in the history of gaming.
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