Key recommendations
- Devola and Popola's negligence led to the extinction of humanity due to the failed Gestalt Project.
- Kindness and gratitude can break the cycle of hate and polarized thinking.
- 9S's 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. At that time, a pandemic defeated the human race. Using the mysterious object they were able to find, scientists came together to create a project that would ensure humanity's survival, called the “Gestalt Project”. People would then have their souls separated from their bodies, while replacements, dubbed “Replicants” would temporarily take their place. The humans would then take the form of “Gestalts”, ghostly shadow-like beings.
As the virus dissipated, two androids, Devola and Popola, were installed to oversee the project. However, as a result of their negligence, the project failed and humanity disappeared. From then on, all Devola and Popola models will be programmed with an endless sense of guilt to ensure that they never deviate from the commands. Meanwhile, 9S receives a visit from one of his former selves and learns of his past fate from 2B.
The sins of the past
Those who played NieR: Replicant will be familiar with Devola and Popola, as the player fights them in a boss fight towards the end of the game, when it is revealed that the main character was not a human, but a Replicant. The original plan was to combine Gestalts with Replicants to ensure that humanity fully survived and was restored. However, the way they went about it was by pretending to be the player's ally and eventually forcing a reunion, as the two androids didn't see the Replicants as humans, let alone equal. This course of action 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. Instead, while the latest twin models bemoan their plight, believing they have failed for the second time, they choose to help 9S as he enters the tower for the final battle. Ironically, because they were pleased with Lily and the Resistance, it gave them the resolve to move on. 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 this mindset. Something as simple as gratitude can go a long way. Hate is contagious, but so is kindness.
Acceptance of the Present
It goes without saying that 9S is in love with 2B, and given the events of the previous episode, it is confirmed that 2B returns his feelings. Upon entering, when confronted with his past self and realizing that 2B's sole purpose was to kill him, 9S goes into an existential crisis. Also in this period, Zinnia appears, an android identical to 9S. For a brief backstory, Zinnia was the mastermind behind the YoRHa project, but eventually abandoned the plan.
No. 9, 9S's original model found out about humanity's demise and, unable to accept it, killed Zinnia and finished the YoRHa project, installing a back door in the bunker to ensure the truth would never come out in the open. No. 2 took out #9 shortly after, and the facility they were in was destroyed. From then on, all of the 9S would risk going down the same path, needing 2B (or 2E) by their side to make sure they never discover the truth and go insane in the process.
This realization puts the current 9S in a quandary: 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 this way, so without the strings of fate pulling at him, it's his own actions that will dictate what comes next.
