List of Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episodes

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a
Season 1
Logo of the anime series
No. of episodes	12
Release
Original network	Tokyo MX, GYT, GTV, BS11
Original release	January 8, 2023 (2023-01-08) – present (present)
Season chronology

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a is a Japanese anime television series based on the 2017 action role-playing game Nier: Automata. The plot follows androids of the YoRHa military force fighting for humanity in a proxy war with alien-created Machine Lifeforms. It was directed by Ryouji Masuyama and produced by A-1 Pictures. The characters were designed by animation director Jun Nagai, the scenario was co-written by Masuyama and original director Yoko Taro. The music was handled by studio Monaca.

The anime began its broadcast on January during the late night time slot on Tokyo MX, Tochigi Television, Gunma Television, and BS11. An English-subtitled version was simulcast on Crunchyroll. It has been delayed twice due to production issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An English dubbed version began streaming on Crunchyroll in March 2023. After the broadcasting of the final four episodes of the first cour, production on a second cour was announced to be green-lit. The second cour is set to premiere in 2024.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboarded by	Original air date	Ref.
1	"or not to [B]e"	Ryouji Masuyama	Ryouji Masuyama	Ryouji Masuyama	January 8, 2023 (2023-01-08)
YoRHa android soldier 2B is sent on a mission to destroy a Goliath-class Machine lifeform. However, the rest of her unit is destroyed en route, leaving her the sole survivor. Landing at an abandoned factory, 2B fights her way through multiple machines before meeting with 9S, another android specializing in reconnaissance and electronic warfare. They both scout the factory searching for the Goliath until it activates as a massive, building sized Machine. 9S attempts to hack the Goliath but is severely damaged in the process. Angered, 2B destroys the Goliath but is left stranded on top of its remains with 9S as they are surrounded by three more Goliaths. Realizing there is no chance for escape, 2B and 9S self-destruct their black boxes, destroying the Goliaths and the factory along with themselves. Sometime later, 2B is revived in a new body at the Bunker, YoRHa's orbital headquarters, with her data having been backed up right before her destruction. She reunites with 9S and finds out to her dismay that 9S prioritized backing up her data first, so he has lost all of his memories shortly after they first met. Alternate Ending: While 9S is explaining how black boxes work, 2B accidentally touches her black box against his, triggering a chain reaction that destroys the Bunker.
2	"city e[S]cape"	Satsuki Takahashi	Ryouji Masuyama	Ryouji Masuyama	January 15, 2023 (2023-01-15)
The Council of Humanity addresses YoRHa with a speech explaining that Aliens invaded Earth with an army of Machine Lifeforms in the year 5012, forcing what remains of Humanity to retreat to the Moon and build an army of androids in the form of the Resistance on Earth and YoRHa in space with the intention of retaking the planet. Meanwhile on Earth, a Machine designated PLAO8 begins to develop intelligence and instead of attacking the Resistance, decides to learn to grow flowers. 2B and 9S are assigned to head to Earth to investigate why YoRHa's liaison with the Resistance has gone silent. The Resistance sends a team led by the fighter Lily to recover supplies, only for them to be ambushed by an army of Machines. Lily and her surviving team lure the Machines onto a booby-trapped bridge while PLAO8 tries to stop from trampling its flowers. 2B and 9S then arrive and destroy the bridge and the Machines, with PLAO8 being destroyed in the crossfire. Elsewhere, more Machines begin reading old books left behind by Humanity as an ominous cocoon like structure is being built. Alternate Ending: 2B and 9S receive a post card from Yoko asking about the purpose of their OS chips. Curious, 2B removes her own OS chip, inadvertently killing herself.
3	"break ti[M]e"	Kōsuke Madoka & Yūki Matsuo	Ryouji Masuyama	Seishirō Nagaya	January 22, 2023 (2023-01-22)
2B and 9S are guided to the Resistance Camp, where Lily reveals she is the overall leader of the Resistance. At the Bunker, it is revealed that 2B and 9S weren't sent to Earth to assist the Resistance, but to investigate mysterious behavior by the Machines, and YoRHa intends to use the Resistance as sacrificial pawns. Back on Earth, 2B and 9S meet another Resistance fighter, Jackass, who tells them about strangely behaving Machines in the nearby desert. 2B and 9S have Jackass guide them to the desert, where they are ambushed by a Machine patrol. 9S hacks one of the Machines and witnesses a vision of an ancient desert civilization that the Machines were copying. 2B destroys the Machines, and the group pursues another Machine that has decided to flee. Along the way, they discover the corpse of the YoRHa liaison, as well as a mysterious jamming signal. 2B and 9S trace the signal but accidentally fall into an underground chamber where they find a massive cocoon built out of Machine bodies. The cocoon then ejects a human-like Machine which the androids swiftly kill to stop it from evolving, but a second human-like Machine emerges from the corpse and attacks the pair, causing the chamber to collapse. Alternate Ending: 2B and 9S decide to ride a boar and a moose for fun, but 9S loses control of the moose and accidentally runs over a YoRHa squad. With the YorHa forces destroyed, Earth becomes a "paradise" for the Machines.
4	"a mountain too [H]igh"	Ayako Kōno	Yako Morimachi	Kengo Matsumoto & Tetsuya Akutsu	February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)
The Machines are shown gaining more intelligence as they increasingly mimic human behavior. At the Resistance camp, 2B and 9S debrief Lily and Jackass on the human-like Machines they encountered, which YoRHa has dubbed "Adam" and "Eve". Jackass muses on the possibility of making peace with the Machines, but 9S flatly rejects the idea. 2B and 9S are then ordered to scout a nearby amusement park to investigate the disappearance of an android soldier. To their surprise, they find the Machines there are not hostile, and advance into a theater. There, they encounter an advanced Machine called the Songstress which attacks them on sight. 9S attempts to hack the Songstress and manages to catch a glimpse of her memories, where she fell in love with another Machine, who ignored her, and became obsessed with making herself look beautiful, turning her into the monstrous machine she is now. 2B manages to expose the Songstress' core and destroy her. 9S coldly declares Machines can't feel emotions and then destroys a pair of nonviolent Machines, much to 2B's concern. Alternate Ending: The Commander begins bossing around her subordinates in order to get the Bunker working at full efficiency, causing many of them to desert. With their numbers dwindling, YorHA eventually loses the war against the Machines and all androids are wiped out.
5	"mave[R]ick"	Satsuki Takahashi	Akira Kindaichi	Satsuki Takahashi	February 26, 2023 (2023-02-26)
Adam and Eve are shown steadily gaining intelligence as Adam eagerly reads old human books. 2B and 9S are given a mission by Lily to deliver supplies to a village of Machine lifeforms that have developed into a peaceful community and are willing to trade with the Resistance. They head to the village and meets its leader, Pascal, who explains that he and the other Machines in the village have severed themselves from the Machine network and now live peaceful lives. 2B and 9S are intrigued at how the Machines have been able to form a functional, human-like society. They then explore an underground chamber beneath the village, where they find an Emil head. 9S tries to hack it and catches brief glimpses of Emil's memories and deduces the Emil head is one of many robotic weapons developed by humans to fight the Machines. Pascal explains that the village revere the Emil head, as it was what triggered their desire for self-preservation and peace. However, 9S remains conflicted at the idea that Machines can grow beyond their programming. Meanwhile, Adam and Even continue to gain more knowledge, and Adam convinces Eve to refer to him as the older brother. Alternate Ending: 2B and 9S demonstrate their self-destruct features, which merely damages their clothing. However, Emil observes this and decides to copy them, detonating his fusion reactor and destroying the planet in the process.
6	"[L]one wolf"	Toshimasa Ishii	Yūsuke Watanabe	Toshimasa Ishii	March 5, 2023 (2023-03-05)
2B, 9S, and Lily head out to set up a Machine early detection network. While 9S heads off to troubleshoot the system, Lily tells 2B about how the Resistance first met YoRHa. After a botched landing operation only left four YoRHa androids alive, led by a No. 2 model similar to 2B, they appealed to the Resistance for assistance. The Resistance, who weren't aware of YoRHA's existence at the time, mistrusted them, but their leader Rose agreed to work together. The combined group then headed for the location of a Machine server to destroy it. Along the way, Lily was infected by a Machine logic virus, which the Resistance had no way of curing. No. 2 intervened and convinced the team to subdue Lily instead and the YoRHA squad used a vaccine to cure her. The team then continued on to the server, only to be attacked by a massive Machine army. While the server was successfully destroyed, shutting down the Machines in the area, Lily was left as the sole survivor, leaving her bitter against YoRHa for refusing to send reinforcements. 2B then asks Lily if there is the possibility that any of the team survived the mission, but Lily expresses doubt. Elsewhere, it is revealed that No. 2 is still alive and fighting Machines on her own. Alternate Ending: Adam and Eve decide to try wearing school uniforms like humans used to. However, when Eve begins pestering Adam, Adam decides to leave to go fishing.
7	"[Q]uestionable actions"	Kōsuke Madoka	Yako Morimachi	Ryouji Masuyama, Tomohiko Itō & Yūki Matsuo	March 12, 2023 (2023-03-12)
Adam and Eve continue to accrue knowledge until Adam decides to visit the "Playground". Meanwhile, 2B and 9S remain on standby as they haven't been given new orders yet. Pascal then approaches them, asking them to help save a missing villager who wandered into the Forest Kingdom, a nation of similarly independent but highly hostile Machines. 2B and 9S agree to investigate and travel to the Forest Kingdom with Pascal, where they find all of its inhabitants massacred by an unknown assailant. Exploring the castle more, the group learns that the Forest Kingdom's original king had died over a century ago, and his followers carried on his legacy by transferring his memories into an infant machine which they protect to this day. They are able find the missing villager who was hiding with a surviving Forest Kingdom soldier, and the two of them have decided to marry, confusing 9S. The group then heads to the infant Forest King but are too late to prevent it from being killed by No. 2, now identified as the fugitive android A2. 2B and A2 briefly clash until A2's sword breaks, and she decides to withdraw. 9S asks A2 why she would betray YoRHa, but A2 retorts that it was YoRHa that betrayed her before taking her leave. Alternate Ending: Pascal is teaching a lesson to a class of Machine children until A2 suddenly arrives and kills him. With Pascal's death, his followers go berserk and destroy all androids on Earth.
8	"aji wo [K]utta?"	Asahi Yoshimura & Tomohiko Itō	Akira Kindaichi	Tomohiko Itō	March 19, 2023 (2023-03-19)
The Commander tasks 2B and 9S to track down and eliminate A2 but won't tell them what caused her to betray YoRHa. They try to gain more information by questioning the Resistance members. Lily recognizes A2 as No. 2, but hides that fact from 2B and 9S, instead telling them she has no idea where A2 is. The pair then head for the coastal ruins to find Jackass. After a brief discussion on human behaviors often considered unnecessary, 2B finds a Lunar Tear flower and wears it on her chest at Operator 6O's suggestion. 2B and 9S then split up. 2B finds Jackass fishing and questions her. Jackass reveals she doesn't know anything about A2 other than she used to be No. 2, which 2B has already known. 2B attempts to contact 9S but is concerned when she discovers his signal is jammed. Meanwhile, 9S hacks into the Bunker's system to try and find more information on A2 but is forced to disconnect when his intrusion is discovered. He then pursues what he thinks is A2 until he ends up in a surreal space and is attacked by an unknown entity. Elsewhere, Eve searches for Adam but is shocked when he cannot detect him on the Machine network. Alternate Ending: 2B receives a letter asking her how buildings are still standing even though humanity has left Earth thousands of years ago, and what she does in her spare time. 2B answers that the androids attempt to rebuild the cities in preparation for humanity's return, only for them to be destroyed again by the machines. She also explains she spends her free time fishing, and is tempted to eat a fish, which kills her.
9	"hun[G]ry for knowledge"	Isamu Yamaguchi	Akira Kindaichi	Yumi Kamakura & Ryoji Masuyama	July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23)
9S finds himself trapped in cyberspace by Adam, who proceeds to capture and torture him. 2B searches for 9S and finds coordinates leading to an underground installation. She requests support from the Bunker, but the Commander refuses to send any reinforcements. 2B continues on anyways and finds a Machine built replica of a human city. Inside, she finds Adam who has 9S prisoner. Adam reveals that the Machines had been evolving ever since they came to Earth and became fascinated with Humanity, to the point where they rebelled against and exterminated their alien masters centuries ago. He also claims Humanity has long been extinct already. In order to become closer to being human, Adam has severed his connection to the Machine network so he can experience human mortality and attacks 2B. 2B buys enough time for her and 9S' Pods to hack Adam, neutralizing his powers. Eve takes the killing blow from 2B meant for Adam, and 2B withdraws with 9S as the installation collapses and Eve dies in Adam's arms. Alternate Ending: 2B and 9S come up with T-shirt ideas, but it takes up so much of their time that they abandon their mission, leaving Earth at the mercy of the Machines.
10	"over[Z]ealous"	Takumi Doyama	Yusuke Watanabe	Tomoyuki Munehiro & Ryoji Masuyama	July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23)
After Eve's destruction, 9S' body is sent back to the Bunker for repairs while the Commander orders 2B to eliminate Adam. 2B heads to Adam's last known location, which is a factory occupied by Machines that have formed a peaceful religious cult. 2B is led deeper into the factory to meet their leader, but it turns out to be a trap set by Adam, who uses his authority over the Machine network to turn the cult hostile against 2B. As 2B tries to escape, she encounters a Machine being remote controlled by 9S, who promises to help her. 9S shuts down the factory's power supply, allowing 2B to defeat a large Machine in her way while the rest of the Machines commit mass suicide in their religious fervor. Meanwhile, Adam's influence causes more Machines to go berserk as they start attacking everything in sight. 2B then receives a distress call from Lily requesting support at the Resistance camp. Alternate Ending: 9S meets the maintenance androids Devola and Popola and starts drinking desert rose alcohol. Devola and Popola are then attacked by a horde of Machines, but 9S is too drunk to help them, resulting in all three of their deaths.
11	"head[Y] battle"	Kengo Matsumoto, Yoshitsugu Kimura, Yoshiyuki Kumata & Asahi Yoshimura	Ryoji Masuyama	Masahiro Watanabe	July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23)
As Resistance and YoRHa forces all over the region are being attacked, 2B reaches the Resistance camp and links up with the survivors. At the Bunker, the Commander petitions the use of YoRHa's satellite laser cannons to assist in the battle, but she is blocked by the Council of Humanity who state that intervening in the battle does not align with their goals of attaining God through "Process 11". With assistance from 2B and a newly arrived 9S, the Resistance is able to stop the Machine army with the use of a wide area EMP. However, the Machines are then absorbed by a berserk Adam to create a massive Machine monster. With help from Pascal, 9S is able to hack into Adam's mind and lure him into a trap, though also witnesses Adam's grief of Eve's death. In the real world, the Resistance springs their trap, destroying Adam with a giant missile. However, Adam survives and moves to attack everybody before being truly destroyed by a massive laser beam. Alternate Ending: 2B and 9S show affection to their Pods, who realize that they may be becoming self aware and "alive".
12	"flowers for m[A]chines"	Satsuki Takahashi & Ryoji Masuyama	Ryoji Masuyama	Satsuki Takahashi & Ryoji Masuyama	July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23)
The Commander disobeys orders and uses the Bunker's satellite laser cannon to destroy Adam. However, the Pods still detect Adam's signal in the impact crater, so 2B and 9S head down to finish him off. When they find Adam, he is already mortally wounded and 2B and 9S finish him off. Adam accepts his death, seeing it as a way to reunite with Eve. With Adam dead, the Machines in the area shut down, ending their onslaught. Unfortunately, 9S is infected with a logic virus due to hacking Adam, and 2B is forced to mercy kill him and breaks down over his death. However, 9S manages to save himself by transferring his consciousness to a nearby Machine. In a post credit scene, during his time getting repaired at the Bunker, 9S connects with the Bunker's server. Sensing an anomaly, 9S prevents himself and 2B's data from synching with the Bunker server. As he investigates, he accidentally triggers the server's defense system and he encounters twin girls wearing red dresses, who claim they are observing the androids and help 9S discover truth about Project YoRHa. He learns that Humanity has long been extinct, and that Project YoRHa was created to raise android morale by fooling them into believing humans are still living on the Moon. 9S then wakes up and responds to 2B's request for backup as he is secretly observed by the girl in the red dress.