NieR: Automata Ver1.1a episode 1 - 2B locates the Goliath-class Weapon, 9S joins the battle

NieR: Automata Ver1.1a has finally released, making both anime enthusiasts and the original video game fanatics immensely excited.

Aimer provided the opening theme song, “escalate,” and amazarashi sang the ending theme song, “antinomy.” The first episode has lived up to fans' expectations in every way possible, including production quality, sound effects, and character designs.

NieR: Automata Ver1.1a episode 1, "Or not to [B]e," sees the two primary characters, 2B and 9S, being sent on a highly perilous mission to locate and destroy the Goliath-class weapon. Follow along as this article briefly breaks down how 2B and 9S have accomplished their mission.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for NieR: Automata Ver1.1a anime series.

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NieR: Automata Ver1.1a episode 1 kicks off with an enthralling battle between YoRHa soldiers and Machines

NieR: Automata Ver1.1a episode 1: 2B infiltrates the enemy’s base

Episode 1 of NieR: Automata Ver1.1a began with 2B scouting enemy terrain through the skies while dealing with several corrupted robots. As her squadron got destroyed en route, adhering to the regulations, 2B decided to take charge as the captain. After encountering a large saucer-like machine in mid-air, 2B transformed her equipment into flight mode and destroyed it in two halves.

Following the plan, 2B infiltrated Goliath’s base at the cost of losing her equipment. Elsewhere, 9S was ordered to provide support to the remaining unit. After 2B got rid of the robots inside the facility, an enormous coal mining machine attacked her.

Even Pod’s maximum firepower was insufficient to bring the machine down. Making a spectacular entry, 9S destroyed the machine by bombarding it with an arsenal of missiles.

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Goliath weapon activates

After relaying the gathered intel to 2B, 9S decided to scout the area from the outside on his flying equipment. The latter encounters a horde of non-hostile Small Stubby machines. 2B asked 9S to avoid using honorifics for her. After locating the core, 9S guided 2B to the location. Due to some strong signal interference, their comms went down.

As 9S got surrounded by a swarm of Medium Flyer bots, he had to deal with them first before regrouping with 2B. The latter discovered the core infusing a gigantic building, transforming it into a colossal mechanized golem. Although the machine was still incomplete, 2B decided to destroy it on her own without waiting for assistance from the command center.

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2B and 9S self-destruct their Black Boxes

Making it there in time, 9S destroyed the left arm of the Goliath and saved 2B. As the machine’s function went down, the former tried to hack the device to initiate the shut-down procedure. However, the machine soon recovered and rejected 9S’s presence inside its mainframe. 9S was tossed across the building after the Goliath struck him with its arm.

After attacking 9S, the machine’s activity ceased temporarily. 2B ran to 9S to save him. However, the latter requested the former to equip herself with his flying equipment and finish the job as a YoRHa soldier. 2B defeated the Goliath by stabbing its eye with her sword, effectively destroying the core.

Somehow, 9S crawled to 2B and told her that he still couldn’t communicate with the command center. After being surrounded by three more Goliaths, the pair self-destructed their Black Boxes and destroyed everything around their radius, including themselves. They later woke up at the 13th satellite orbit base in their new bodies.

2B thanked 9S for uploading their data to the base at the last second. The latter informed the former that he prioritized backing up her data, so he didn’t carry any memories of meeting her.

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Final thoughts on NieR: Automata Ver1.1a episode 1

Episode 1 of NieR: Automata Ver1.1a has won everyone's hearts with a perfect introduction to the series. Studio A-1 Pictures has garnered a lot of praise for its captivating visuals, a commendable job by Mie Hiraga, who worked on 2D; Yusuke Noma, who was responsible for the CGI direction; and other staff members who made this project a grand success.

Although the characters weren’t established properly in the first episode, fans can still count on the upcoming episodes that will eventually explore 2B and 9S. As anime enthusiasts knew nothing about the world of NieR: Automata, during the post-credit scene, the voice actors of 2B and 9S started by explaining the types of YoRHa androids that range from A - the Attacker to the unknown. Only the YoRHa types possess the Black Box.

Natsuki Hanae and Yui Ishikawa perfectly captured the essence of 2B and 9S. Overall, the episode has lived up to expectations, and fans can’t wait to see what the future holds for 2B and 9S.