Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1), Episode 6: Nier Automata Ver1.1a sheds light on Lily’s past and the relationship between The Resistance and YoRha, as well as The Bunker as a whole, making for another strong episode overall.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1), Episode 6 Recap:
“[L]one Wolf”
The episode opens with Lily having a nightmare about her past, which appears to her in flashes. She wakes up to lead 2B and 9S to set up a machine detection system at 9S’s discretion rather than The Bunker’s orders. Lily wonders if they can really detect machines, which 9S smugly confirms, only to be told comically by 2B that he is taking too long to install the apparatus as his pod also tells him that there is an error somewhere else.
9S backtracks to fix the problem, but not before asking why YoRha and The Resistance never formally cooperated until now. The question makes Lily uncomfortable, so 2B tells him to hurry up with fixing it.
Lily then asks 2B if they, as androids, can dream, which 2B says they can’t. She reveals that there was a time when they cooperated, as The Resistance had once rescued the previous generation of YoRha soldiers while they were on a top-secret mission. Lily tells 2B that she looks exactly like No. 2, the previous leader of YoRha, as all No. 2 models use the same synthetic body.
YoRha had requested their assistance to destroy a server that controlled machine lifeforms after only four of them were left alive. They were initially very distrustful of YoRha as they hadn’t heard of them at that stage, but The Resistance Leader Rose gave a short speech on their allies, survival, taking action, and honoring their fallen comrades before agreeing to help.
No. 2, the YoRha leader, reveals all she can about the mission, but some information is still classified, and she cannot reveal that. The two groups of androids are cold to each other, and The Resistance is still slightly distrustful, but they slowly manage to bond. Lily, however, is distant and attempts to bond with her lead nowhere. One YoRha soldier and one Resistance soldier race to see who can fill the water from the river faster.
Just after that, Lily gets infected with the machine logic virus, which makes her go insane and will shortly overwrite her data and take over her body, and that would be the end for her. The Resistance has no way to cure her data, and as per their protocol, they decide to kill her before the virus spreads amongst the others present. However, No. 2 pleads with them to stop and even deflects a bullet with her sword to protect her, emotionally reminding them that Lily is their family.
One of the YoRha androids, No.21, tries to cure as No. 2, No. 4, and No. 16 hold her down, eventually succeeding in curing Lily without any further problems. However, Lily reveals during the process her frustrations with being constantly protected as she wasn’t made for combat and that she wants to protect the others just as much.
By the time they arrive at the server area, several hundred thousand machine lifeforms have converged there to protect the area. Despite pleading for reinforcements when they are under heavy fire, The Bunker sends none as the signal is disconnected. Many of the Resistance androids die, and one YoRha soldier and one of the Resistance members volunteer to hold the machines back as the others go underground to destroy the server.
No. 21 is hacking a computer to open the elevator to head underground but is infected with the logic virus and stays behind along with Anemone of the Resistance. The remainder of the group continues underground and briefly, discusses how androids cannot dream. They engage in combat with the enemy guarding the server, as Rose is injured and is sent back to the elevator along with Lily, who admits her memories of what happened are hazy.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1), Episode 6 Ending, Explained:
A heavily injured Rose is seen pushing Lily back into the elevator, and her parting message to her is to keep thinking about the future. Lily is guilt-ridden with the belief that everyone’s death is her fault and is about to commit suicide but is stopped by Rose. Rose tells her not to forget what happened during the mission and to use that as motivation to protect everyone, which Lily promises to do.
She then contemplates whether androids can dream and concludes they can’t as they have no souls but that their memories are genuine and make up for who they are now.
In the present, Lily asks 2B what kind of memories she has as 9S returns to them. 2B doesn’t answer but instead asks Lily if it is possible that one of her comrades from that mission might have survived. Lily ruefully smiles and says it would be a nice dream, as she is certain she is the only survivor.
Elsewhere, it is revealed that No. 2 actually did survive, her hair much longer now and with a wilder appearance, and she is still fighting machines.