Important takeaways
- The negligence of Devola and Popola led to the extinction of humanity due to the failed Project Gestalt.
- Kindness and gratitude can break the cycle of hatred and polarized thinking.
- 9S existential crisis is fueled by the truth behind YoRHa and his relationship with 2B.
The following contains spoilers for episode 22 of NieR Automata Ver1.1a, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
In 2003, a mysterious object fell from the sky in Tokyo. It was at that time, a pandemic overcame the human race. Using what of the mysterious object they could find, scientists banded together to create a project that would ensure the survival of humanity, called “Project Gestalt”. People would then have their souls separated from their bodies, while replacements, called “Replicants” would temporarily take their place. The humans would then take the form of “Gestalters”, shadow-like ghostly beings.
When the virus disappeared, two androids, Devola and Popola, were put in place to oversee the realization of the project. But as a result of their negligence, the project failed and humanity became extinct. From then on, all Devola and Popola models would be programmed with an infinite sense of guilt, to ensure they never deviate from orders. Meanwhile, 9S is visited by one of his former selves and learns of his past fate at the hands of 2B.
Sins from the past
Those who have played NieR: Replicant will know Devola and Popola, as the player fights them in a boss battle towards the end of the game, when it is revealed that the protagonist was not a human, but a replicant. The original plan was to combine stalwarts with replicants to ensure the complete survival and restoration of humanity. However, how they went about it was by pretending to be the player's allies and eventually forcing a reunion, as the two androids did not see the replicants as humans, let alone equals. This approach failed, and along with the original Devola and Popola models, humanity ceased to exist.
But dwelling on the past does not make for a brighter future. Conversely, while the latest twin models lament their situation and believe they have failed for the second time, they choose to help 9S as he enters the tower for the final battle. Ironically, it was because they were thanked by Lily and the resistance that gave them the decision to continue forward. Maybe there is some hope for them. The biggest cause of conflict is polarized thinking and predetermined bias, and it's easy to fall into that mindset. Something as simple as gratitude can go a long way. Hate is contagious, but so is kindness.
Accept the present
It goes without saying that 9S has a crush on 2B, and given the events of the previous episode, it's confirmed that 2B returns to his feelings. When he enters, when he faces his past self and realizes that 2B's sole purpose was to kill him, 9S enters an existential crisis. It is also around this time that Zinnia, an android identical to the 9S appears. For a quick backstory, Zinnia was the brain behind the YoRHa project, but ultimately scrapped the plan.
No. 9, 9S's original model found out about humanity's extinction, and unable to accept it, killed Zinnia and ended the YoRHa project, installing a back door in the bunker to ensure the truth would never come out. No. 2 was shortly thereafter divested of No. 9 and the facility they were in was destroyed. From then on, all 9S models would risk going down the same path and need 2B (or 2E) by their side to ensure they never discover the truth or go berserk in the process.
This realization puts the current 9S in a dilemma: Why is he alive then? It's simple, 2B wants to break the cycle, and 9S is shown this for a reason. It doesn't always have to be that way, and so, without the strings of fate pulling at him, it's his own actions that will dictate what comes next.
