Nier Automata Endings Explained: All Endings and How to Unlock Them

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Cody Perez

Cody has been in the video game business as part of media and content creation for more than 10 years. During that time, he has contributed and even led some of the largest sites in the world dedicated to gaming and entertainment. He has also dabbled some in PR and was a tester for Activision in the past working on the Call of Duty series. When not playing games or writing about them, he enjoys cooking, sharpening his Japanese skills, and watching the latest anime shows.

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Nier Automata is one of those games that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Not necessarily because of some heartbreaking twists — though those exist, too — but mainly due to the sheer number of endings that it has. Even the joke ones are memorable and will stick out as some of the best endings in all of the video games. Find out about every single one in this Nier Automata endings explained guide.

Nier Automata has multiple endings for players to choose from. Some of them are built around the idea of picking a side as you might see in other games. And, yet, there are others that ask the player to do some horrifying and sometimes fourth wall-breaking mechanics.

It’s wild and bonkers, and there is absolutely nothing like the endings in this action JRPG; trust me, I know from personal experience of unlocking these. If you want to know all of them, check out our Nier Automata endings explained guide.

Bottom Line Up Front

Nier Automata is one of the best JRPGs of all time, especially when it comes to action-based combat systems. The idea of playing as two androids as they try to save Earth and humanity from the robot menace is a compelling, weird, and downright disturbing one.

It is filled to the brim with endings, with a grand total of more than 25 of them. These endings range from the first five that are baked into the game as the most important ones to random stuff for the other 20+ endings. Players can get endings by killing core main characters, blowing the androids up, picking sides, destroying peaceful NPCs, and more.

Nier Automata Endings Overview

To this day, not many games stick out in my mind, especially in the crowded and amazing JRPG space, like Nier Automata. The sequel to the criminally underrated Nier — the dad one, not the odd older brother version — which I adored on the Xbox 360 many years ago when I played it.

In 2017, I immediately jumped on playing through Nier Automata and through some experimentation, quickly discovered some of the secret endings on my own. In the end, I would take time to uncover all of the 20+ finishes in the base game (plus the one in DLC) to complete the entire experience from top to bottom.

That is something that I rarely do, but this type of completionist mentality was worth it for a game that remains a stalwart favorite of mine. In fact, I don’t know of many games that are able to have the types of endings that Nier Automata does.

They range from the extremely long and drawn-out finales of an entire playthrough to the ridiculousness of completing an action you are explicitly told not to do. Regardless, there is so much fun in discovering all of the endings in this game.

If you want to find out about each of them and how to unlock them, you are in the right place to do so. Let’s get started.

How Many Endings Are There?

For starters, there is the matter of the number of endings in Nier Automata. There is a whopping 27 endings in total in this game. That is 26 endings in the base game, which includes one ending for each letter in the alphabet. In addition, another ending arrived with some of the DLC.

If you happen to own the complete edition of the game, such as the version on the Xbox platform when it came out, or the Nintendo Switch version, you likely have access to all 27 of these endings. That said, not all of these endings are crucial to the main plot.

Some of the Nier Automata endings are throwaway ones, meant to simply add some flavor to the world or maybe a little context. Otherwise, I’d be here all week trying to explain 26 full-length endings to you. Regardless, they are all worth doing and finding out about.

How to Unlock All Nier Automata Endings

Without further ado, let’s dive in and take a look at all of the endings that exist in Nier Automata. As mentioned, there are 27 in total that you will find below. And also as revealed earlier, these endings are broken up into two main categories: the core endings that affect everything and the minor ones.

Basically, you can think of the core endings as the ones you truly need to unlock to see the game all the way through to the end. Whereas the other endings are additional ones that add some comedy or strangeness to the game but don’t do anything necessary for the overarching plot and characters.

This goes without saying but diving deep into all of the endings below is going to constitute some massive spoilers. If you don’t want to know about the endings, twists, and turns that happen in Nier Automata, turn away now and boot up the game. Otherwise, let’s carry onward to each end.

Core Endings

The first group of endings, going in alphabetical order, are also the most important ones. The first five endings in the selection of conclusions for Nier Automata are the best and most important. These are the ones you’ll need to get to be able to say that you beat the game in its entirety.

Nier Automata isn’t over with even the first or second playthrough of the game. It is meta in that you must complete it several times — at least three — if you want to see the true ending(s). Here’s how each of the core endings works, with a summary of what happens and how to unlock them.

1. Ending A: How to Unlock

Ending A is known as Flowers for machines. When you first boot up Nier Automata, you will play through the prologue section of the game and then meet 9S. This is when you meet 2B for the first time and help her out on your first mission.

If you continue through all of these chapters, you will eventually encounter Adam and Eve. Once you defeat these two, they will corrupt 9S who hacked into them. This hacking will put 9S into a horrible position where he begins to turn.

As such, he asks 2B to kill him and then find a new body for his data to be uploaded. This is where 2B’s humanity begins to show as she breaks down for her partner who she is beginning to care deeply for. In the end, 9S’ body is uploaded to a robot, and the two hold hands together as 2B muses over the nature of life and machines.

How to Unlock

If you want to unlock this particular ending, all you need to do is continue playing through 2B’s storyline from start to finish. You’ll know you’re here when you get to the climactic battle with Adam and Eve. All you need to do is win this tough boss battle, and you will see this ending play out.

2. Ending B Explained

Ending B is known as “or not to Be.” This ending sees the player playing as 9S mainly. This route and ending play out considerably similarly to the original Ending a. However, the difference is you find out some shocking information about Yorha and humanity in general.

9S helps 2B take down Adam and Eve as before, but this time, 2B attacks 9S while there are some mysterious girls in red that are watching. 9S is the narrator this time around, giving his thoughts on how the war isn’t over and they have many more fights to come. In the end, he doesn’t tell 2B the truth about everything.

How to Unlock

To unlock this ending, simply continue playing the game after Ending A. The game will replay itself, almost exactly the same as before. However, the difference this time is that you’ll play as 9S, rather than 2B. You’ll want to go through all of the same chapters until the battle with Adam and Eve.

Defeat them, and this time, you’ll get the 9S version of the ending where he doesn’t have to be turned into a robot.

3. Ending C

Ending C is Meaningless Code. To get this ending, players will have to play through the entire game a third time. This third playthrough will shed further light on the events of the world of Nier Automata and introduce you to playing as A2, the final playable protagonist in the storyline.

Ridiculous events happen, and it eventually leads to a final battle between A2 and 9S. In this final battle, A2 will defeat 9S and win the fight. She then hacks into them, trying to save him from the data corruption that has happened. She succeeds and destroys the pillar of light she finds.

It is presumed that she dies here, but she notes that she has more work to do.

How to Unlock

To unlock this ending, beat Ending B and then keep playing the game. This will lead to a third and, for some, final playthrough of the game. It is here that you play as A2 and 9S at times, learning about all three of the main characters in this JRPG.

You want to complete all of the chapters of this third playthrough, and you will get to the final battle between the heroes, A2 and 9S. The key here is to pick the side of A2 in this fight and then win it against 9S. That will give you this ending.

4. Ending D

This ending is mainly similar to the previous one. It is Ending D, which is known as Childhood’s End. This ending sees the player taking on the role of 9S in the final battle. 9S will take on A2 in a villainous way, not holding back in the slightest against his former ally and resulting in both of them dying.

Before his death, though, 9S will think about his life and everything that led up to this moment. He will even have the chance to join the machines, including Adam and Eve, on their Ark. Before his death, he looks up and realizes where 2B has been the whole time before the game closes.

How to Unlock

To get this ending, as you might already expect from the last conclusion, it is the same as the other one. Here, players will want to redo the final battle between 9S and A2. This time around, though, you’ll want to pick the side of 9S for this fight.

You’ll then want to win the fight, and you’ll experience 9S’ side of the battle and what exactly happens if his twisted android version is the victor in this climactic situation.

5. Ending E

Ending E is the final ending that you can get in the main storyline that is core to the plot. For many, it is even considered the canonical ending in the game as it wraps up everything nicely while still leaving some room for interpretation about everything that happened.

Ending E is also known as the End of Yorha ending. This ending, like C and D before it, occurs during the final battle between A2 and 9S. There isn’t a whole lot to this ending except for the fact that players will see the events play out as before.

However, this time around, the player will get some credits in which they partake in a massive minigame. If the player is able to win this difficult minigame, they will be greeted with a final decision. In the end, the companion Pods bring back 2B, 9S, and A2 in a way in which they can remember everything that happened to them before.

While we don’t get to see what happens to the heroes after their return, we do get to see a final glimpse of A2, who is still yet to be brought back, hanging out with a bird next to her. Then the player gets one final choice to keep or delete their save file to help someone else beat the game for good.

How to Unlock

To get this final canonical ending, you must replay the final battle between A2 and 9S. However, the difference this time is that you must have already gained the Endings C and D. This means that you will have to beat the fight at least twice, see both sides of the battle, and then do it all over again.

This time, though, the Pods will give you a chance to bring back the main characters. Choose to do this, and you will get the credits. Beat the credits minigame, and you will have one final choice to delete your save file and save someone else in the world in the process.

This is a monumental decision, but if you are ready to let go, I highly recommend doing this. It seriously deletes your save — this is not a joke — but this also makes this event one of the most influential and heart-breaking situations that you will likely never forget. I know I will always remember this as one of my favorite video game moments of all time.

Additional Endings

In addition to the core five endings in Nier Automata, players can achieve some other conclusions. They don’t matter in the slightest, for the most part, compared to the initial five endings. However, if you want to see how the game could turn out, these endings are here.

These are comedic moments that allow you to see some of the ridiculous stuff this game lets you do. But some serious and seriously twisted moments happen in these endings, too. If you want to see everything, you’ll want to also get these 20+ endings before completing Ending E.

6. Ending F: Mission Failed

This happens during the Goliath fight. In this lousy ending, 2B doesn’t heal herself and recover, causing a game over.

How to Unlock

All you need to do to unlock this ending is going through the second playthrough until the Goliath fight. Don’t heal yourself during the hacking.

7. Ending G: Hungry for Knowledge

This happens when you replay the game during the second playthrough. Right at the start of playing 9S, he chooses to forsake his mission to protect humanity and study machines all day.

How to Unlock

Start the game over as 9S during the second playthrough and reject the mission to save humanity at the start.

8. Ending H: A Mountain Too High

2B and 9S are done with the whole robot-fighting thing, letting Goliath destroy the city and everything in it while they relax and enjoy themselves.

How to Unlock

All you need to do is wait until the Goliath mission near the end of the playthrough and then leave the area and neglect your mission.

9. Ending I: No I in Team

9S waits for 2B to show up to see him, but she never does. In fact, he stood there in that exact location for decades in hopes of seeing her again, but he never did.

How to Unlock

Following the conclusion of fighting Adam in the Copied City in Chapter 8, all you need to do is run away from 9S when you’re supposed to meet up with him.

10. Ending J: Bad Judgement

2B and 9S go wild in the factory, destroying all the machines in their rage.

How to Unlock

When you enter the machine factory during the events of Chapter 9, all you need to do is go bonkers and destroy all of the machines there.

11. Ending K: Aji wo Kutta

2B eats the forbidden and suspicious fish, destroying herself in the process.

How to Unlock

During the events of Chapter 6, the player will meet up with Jackass in the desert and be offered some suspicious fish. Eat that nasty fish.

12. Ending L: Lone Wolf

This is yet another ending where the player, as 2B and 9S, choose to abandon the Resistance Camp and the robots in Pascal’s Village to their fates.

How to Unlock

During the events of Chapter 10, leave the Resistance Camp and/or the machines in Pascal’s peaceful town to their fates when you need to save them.

13. Ending M: Break Time

Yet again, it is time to leave the robots to their fates. A2 goes and takes a break, relaxing as the machines are left to die.

How to Unlock

During Chapter 14, while you are playing as A2, don’t save the robots that Pascal leads in his village. Instead, go to the Amusement Park or somewhere else and relax.

14. Ending N: No Man’s Village

2B and 9S have no room for remorse or peace with the infinite and unnerving machines. They all must die in this war.

How to Unlock

During Chapter 5, when you meet Pascal and the members of his peaceful machine village, exterminate all of them, you unforgivable monster.

15. Ending O: Just You and Me

9S lets the mission fail just when he is needed the most, ending the future of humanity.

How to Unlock

This one is highly specific, but you have two options. This requires the third playthrough of the game in Chapter 11. As 9S, you have the mission to save 2B and hack her. Don’t do this. Alternatively, return to the factory location when you are asked to go to the City Ruins.

16. Ending P: Corruption

There is no hope for 2B. She is gone for good now due to your lack of resolve.

How to Unlock

While on the third playthrough of the game, players will deal with 2B getting infected with a particular virus. Let her die via this. Instead of helping her, you monster.

17. Ending Q: Questionable Actions

Once again, this ending has the player abandon 2B for good.

How to Unlock

During Chapter 11, while on the third playthrough of the game, avoid 2B at the factory and instead head somewhere else like the Resistance Camp.

18. Ending R: Maverick

You are a monster at your core, with no forgiveness for the robots. You destroy every one of them yet again.

How to Unlock

During Chapter 14, you’ll meet up with Pascal. Kill all of the robots that are with Pascal and secure your place once again as the worst person (err, android) in history.

19. Ending S: City Escape

If you’ve played the first Nier game, you know exactly what it is necessary to leave Devola and Popola to their fates. You made the right choice in this particular case.

How to Unlock

While on the third playthrough of the game, you’ll get some help from Devola and Popola during Chapter 17. The key here is to leave them to fend for themselves.

20. Ending T: Fatal Error

2B does precisely what she was told not to do and removes her chip, causing a swift end to the android’s life.

How to Unlock

You can get this ending pretty much anytime. All you need to do is go into the menu and find the OS chip 2B has equipped. Remove it, even if the game tells you not to.

21. Ending U: Debunked

There is no need for the bunker in space, after all. It’s time to blow it up for good.

How to Unlock

This can also be done anytime you have access to the bunker in space that is the headquarters for Yorha. Go here and use this forbidden self-destruct function to blast it all to smithereens.

22. Ending V: Reckless Bravery

Devola and Popola know what they did in the past. It’s time to attack and finish them off for good.

How to Unlock

During the third playthrough of the game in Chapter 17, this is where Devola and Popola once again try to help you. This time, you attack the two of them and try to finish them off.

23. Ending W: Broken Wings

2B failed in her first mission. There is certainly no hope in the slightest for humanity’s future.

How to Unlock

To get this one, you must be in Chapter 1, otherwise known as the solo prologue for 2B. During this tutorial mission, you only need to ensure that you lose somehow in the factory.

24. Ending X: Time to Relax

2B isn’t your friend. A2 knows this and chooses to abandon her to go and take yet another much-needed break.

How to Unlock

You can do this during Chapter 11 while you are playing as A2. You’ll be asked to go to the facility and help 2B out. However, don’t do that. Run away and go do something else to relax and get this ending.

25. Ending Y: Heady Battle

Poor Emil doesn’t deserve this pitiful life. This is your chance to give him the end he has needed for many millennia. This is where the group lets him die.

How to Unlock

There is a quest known as Emil’s Determination. During this, you get to interact more with Emil, one of the main characters from the original Nier. The poor disembodied robot head is in a pitiful state. After winning the boss fight, let the poor guy self-destruct and finally have some peace instead of saving him.

26. Ending Z: Overzealous

Pascal has had it coming for some time. The main character goes crazy, murdering him in cold blood (err, parts?).

How to Unlock

During Chapter 14, destroy Pascal when you meet up with him.

27. DLC Ending

You learn the terrifying and tragic events of the robot Plato 1728 at the Amusement Park. Afterward, you get to see an exceptional music video performance from the wonderful Japanese band, Amazarashi.

How to Unlock

Play through the DLC that involves learning about Plato 1728 after completing all three unique arenas. After the credits roll, save your game and receive this special ending.

FAQs

Check Out Another RPG With Multiple Endings

The original Nier JRPG surprised me with its multiple endings that completely changed the atmosphere and details of the story. However, its successor, Nier Automata, outdid its craziness by a long shot, forcing the player to beat the game multiple times to see it all the way through.

I will never forget my time in 2017, spending so many hours trying to unlock all of the various endings in Nier Automata. All 27 of the ends are amazing, but I have to say that I love the canon conclusion where you pick a side and then go through the credits before agreeing to that groundbreaking, unforgettable decision that no other game will be able to replicate.

While it’s impossible for another game to make my jaw drop in the way that the credits did for Nier Automata, there are plenty of other RPGs with multiple endings. Enter Elden Ring, which has around six core endings for players to explore. The Elden Ring endings are far more detailed in their requirements than the Nier endings, even to an obscure point, so please check out for everything you need to know.

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