Navigating Yoko Taro’s masterpiece requires pushing past the standard completion screen. When the credits roll for the first time in Nier: Automata, you aren't finishing the game—you're merely reaching the halfway point of Act 1.
The primary keyword Nier Automata Endings targets players seeking to untangle the game's intricate narrative structure across multiple playthroughs. Search intent centers on understanding how Endings A through E function, what triggers the true conclusion, and how the game's existential themes tie everything together.
The competitor page linked above is filled with generic AI fluff—misidentifying composer Keiichi Okabe as "Draco," hallucinating non-existent mechanics like an "Access Key" dungeon, and listing vague bullet points ("Ending Numbers 1 to 4") that completely miss how the game's actual 26 alphabet endings work. Let's set the record straight with a comprehensive guide that actually explains the routes.
The Alphabet Soup: Understanding Main Routes vs Joke Endings
Unlike traditional RPGs where an ending pops up after a final boss, Nier: Automata uses its twenty-six alphabetical endings (A through Z) to structure its narrative and reward player curiosity.
Out of these, five are main story completions that form the backbone of the chronological plot:
- Route A: Played as 2B, culminating in the defeat of Adam and Eve and establishing the fragile state of the Android Resistance.
- Route B: Replays the first half of the story from 9S's perspective, introducing hacking minigames, new lore text logs, and a deeper look into machine consciousness.
- Route C & D: Acts as a direct sequel to the events of Routes A and B, taking place after the catastrophic fall of the Bunker. This route splits based on your final choice between 9S and A2.
- Route E: Unlocked automatically after achieving both Ending C and Ending D, serving as the true narrative conclusion.
The remaining endings (F through Z) are joke or "bad" endings triggered by doing something inappropriate or abandoning your mission at critical story beats. For example, self-destructing in the camp or walking away from an objective during a crisis immediately cuts to credits with a humorous or tragic vignette.
Route A and Route B: The Setup
Your first run through Route A introduces you to the bleak Earth occupied by machine lifeforms sent by aliens, opposing the remnants of humanity stationed on the Moon. You learn to manage plugin chips, execute melee combos, and rely on your Pod support system.
When you beat Route A, the game prompts you to load your saved data. This doesn't start a new game from scratch; it launches Route B.
Playing as 9S changes the dynamic entirely. Instead of physical melee combat focus, 9S relies heavily on a hacking mechanic that exposes enemy memories and inner thoughts. You'll witness scenes that 2B was never privy to, learning that machine lifeforms are attempting to emulate human culture, grief, religion, and even war strategy. Completing Route B sets up the emotional heartbreak required for the final acts.
Routes C and D: The Collapse and the Choice
If Routes A and B feel like a traditional campaign structure, Route C shatters it. The logic virus infects the YorHa network, the Bunker falls, and 2B and 9S are separated in a desperate fight for survival. You alternate between playing as 9S and the rogue android A2.
The narrative shifts from a geopolitical war between machines and androids into a raw psychological tragedy driven by grief, vengeance, and a profound realization about the true nature of humanity.
Towards the absolute end of Route C, you face a critical choice between controlling 9S or A2.
- Choosing A2 leads to Ending C, where 9S is put out of his misery, and A2 sacrifices herself to save the tower.
- Choosing 9S leads to Ending D, where 9S and A2 mutually destroy one another, and the pods witness the final collapse of the tower.
Neither of these is the true ending. Both are required keys to open the door for the final sequence.
Route E: The True Ending and the Philosophical Twist
Once you have unlocked both Ending C and Ending D, your Pods (Pod 042 and Pod 153) flag an anomaly in the data stream. They refuse to execute their deletion orders and instead ask you to initiate Ending E.
During the epilogue, the Pods begin purging the system data of 2B, 9S, and A2. This culminates in an intense, bullet-hell credit sequence where you must shoot down the game's actual developers listed in the scrolling text.
The challenge spikes dramatically, and just when failure seems certain, the game asks you a life-altering question: Do you accept assistance from other players?
The Power of the Save Data Sacrifice
If you accept help, random players' saved data streaks across the screen, shielding your ship from incoming attacks while a transcendent choir version of Weight of the World plays.
Once you triumph over the credits, the game offers you one final choice: Do you wish to delete your save data to help another stranger in need?
Choosing yes wipes your entire game clean—all weapons, levels, and chips are permanently deleted, replaced by a simple title screen message confirming your sacrifice.
This mechanical choice bridges the narrative with the game's core philosophical question. In a world devoid of creators, where androids and machines endlessly repeat cycles of violence without divine purpose, meaning isn't handed down by a higher power. Meaning is created when an individual chooses to sacrifice their own hard-earned progress to comfort a complete stranger halfway across the globe.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Players diving into Nier: Automata often make a few critical errors that stall their progress:
- Stopping at Route A: Many players watch the credits roll after Route A, assuming the game is over. You miss 70% of the story, lore, and character development if you stop here.
- Ignoring Side Quests: Side quests in Routes A and B provide vital world-building context regarding the pacifist machines in Pascal's village and the history of the forest kingdom. Don't rush straight down the critical path.
- Hoarding Save Files: Don't be afraid to let go of your save data at the end of Route E. That final act of digital altruism defines the entire artistic statement of the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many main endings are there in Nier: Automata?
There are five core narrative endings (A, B, C, D, and E) that must be experienced sequentially to complete the main story arc. The remaining 21 endings are joke or premature conclusions.
Do I need to replay the game from scratch for Route B?
No. Loading your completed save file after finishing Route A automatically boots up Route B from the same point in the story, but with a different protagonist, new perspective mechanics, and extra scenes.
What happens when you delete your save data at the end of Route E?
Your save files are completely erased, and your title screen changes permanently to a clean slate. In exchange, your data becomes a guardian angel ship helping random players across the world beat the final credits sequence.
Is Nier: Automata connected to the original Nier game?
Yes, it takes place thousands of years after Nier Replicant, in a world where humanity was driven to extinction by a magical pandemic before machines took over.
