After all, that’s just how they’re programmed. From the game’s perspective, no one can really do anything about this turn of events. As the end of the game reveals, 9S has discovered the truth about the death of humanity several times, and 2B was forced to kill him and delete his memories each time to keep the dreaded secret. Just like the woman and her partner, 2B and 9S are also caught in an endless cycle, and I don’t just mean the game’s looping frame narrative. Though they both suffer greatly from her schemes, she views it as little more than a way to pass the time, just like how the endless war with the machines is just a carrot to keep the YorHA units going. Instead of simply rebuilding him the first time, the woman in the side quest delights in putting together excuse after excuse for her partner to reset himself. Much like the she-bot’s plan, however, all their effort is based on a foundation of lies-humans died out long ago. Throughout Nier, 2B and 9S spill blood, sweat, and oil to fight against a neverending scourge of machines in order to make the planet safe for people again. But when he tries to do the same for the she-bot, she reveals that the whole wild goose chase was a scheme to convert the male into a combat model, so they’ll "never have to run from anything again." When 9S expresses shock at this turn, the woman off-handedly confesses that she’s already done this six times, "and it’s never been a problem." After that, she showers you in gifts and wanders off, presumably to "update" him until he has all the traits of her ideal man.
After some running around to repair the two, the couple argues about their future, with the woman suggesting that they reformat each other, return to the Resistance, and start anew.Įventually, the man agrees, and 9S reformats him.
Upon returning to the flooded city, you find out that the the supposed "Emancipator" has swindled the couple. Once you fork over 50 grand, you might just assume the quest is over and forget about it. Just like the woman and her partner, 2B and 9S are also caught in an endless cycle.