Death Stranding 2 Ending Explained (And How It Sets Up a Third Game)

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The long-awaited sequel to “Death Stranding” has arrived, and if you’re here, chances are you’ve either completed the game or are eager to discover its conclusion. Known for their peculiarities, Hideo Kojima’s games can sometimes be complex and hard to follow. However, “Death Stranding 2” stands out as one of his more linear and straightforward titles, thanks in part to the extensive lore established by the first game. Nevertheless, many aspects remain unclear until the end, particularly concerning the character of Neil, Sam’s past, and several other enigmatic elements that are left vague for a significant portion of the game.

Major spoilers for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach follow below.

In the opening scene of Death Stranding 2, Sam takes refuge close to the Mexican border, accompanied by his former bridge baby, Lou. Despite orders to destroy the baby due to it being classified as equipment, Sam defied these instructions and liberated Lou from her container, only to find out later that she was a girl. Unfortunately, a distressing event unfolds when Sam returns home after completing a mission to find that Lou has met her end under Fragile’s care.

In the sequel to Death Stranding, named Sam, finds himself drawn into a more ominous dimension several hours later. This realm is shrouded in darkness and death. Within this place, you encounter a man resembling Solid Snake, called Neil, who engages you in combat alongside an eerie group of soldiers. The reasons for the hostility are not fully explained, but even after emerging victorious, the situation remains unsettled. Upon regaining consciousness in Australia, you stumble upon a young girl with blonde hair, portrayed by Elle Fanning. This girl appears to have extraordinary abilities, such as floating and hastening the aging process of objects merely by touching them. She is then taken back to the ship for Fragile and Tarman to study further.

Over time, the group manages to earn her confidence and calls her Tomorrow. They guide her in speaking and acting much like raising a young child. She proves to be an important and valuable member of the group, despite her background remaining somewhat enigmatic. As the story unfolds, Sam keeps meeting Neil and uncovers more details about him. He was once a worker at the same facility where Sam used to work, around ten years back. Neil would smuggle pregnant women in from Mexico for Bridges to transform their babies into “bridge babies.” The emotional toll of this role caused him to seek therapy from Lucy, who is also Sam’s partner.

Eventually, they both understood they had a unique bond and started a romantic relationship, but when Lucy got pregnant, she attempted to end things. Presently, Sam thought the child wasn’t his, but he discovers that she deceived him to safeguard the baby. Lucy feared Bridges might try to seize her baby because it was Sam who had various extraordinary abilities.

Death Stranding 2 Ending Explained

In the second-to-last chapter of Death Stranding 2, the wicked character named Higgs boards the ship with the intention of capturing Tomorrow. In this revelation, it is disclosed that Higgs is Sam’s biological daughter, which implies she could trigger an extinction event and eliminate humanity as we understand it. After a fierce conflict erupts on Higgs’ beachfront, Higgs is vanquished, and Tomorrow is rescued. As they return to their world, there is a final flashback to the life of Neil that is shown.

Worried that Bridges might have discovered the truth about her child, Lucy pleaded with Neil to help her escape the country secretly. Initially hesitant, he eventually consented, but their attempt was foiled by Bridges’ security forces who subsequently shot and killed both of them. The unborn baby was retrieved from Lucy’s body and transferred to another facility for use in the BB program. Sadly, Neil’s body started decomposing rapidly, resulting in a voidout that led to an enormous explosion, claiming the lives of all nearby personnel.

The entire truth concerning Neil has been unveiled, yet there’s more to reveal. Onboard the ship, Sam discovers that Fragile perished – a fate she met from the very beginning of the game. She sacrificed herself to shield Lou and teleported the baby away from imminent danger using her powers. Her spirit and physical body were split apart, but she managed to inhabit her body in a manner similar to Deadman’s control over Heartman, keeping Sam driven on his quest.

Initially, when Fragile transported Lou at the game’s start to rescue her, it was assumed that Lou had perished. Contrary to expectations, Lou matured in this peculiar world where time flows abnormally, eventually transforming into the character we recognize as Tomorrow. This situation bears some resemblance to the ending of Interstellar, albeit with a less somber tone. Furthermore, a trail of hints suggests that Sam and Lucy’s child is none other than Lou, or Tomorrow. Remarkably, Sam has had custody of his biological offspring all along, and she has now evolved into a young woman. As they comprehend the truth, they reconcile emotionally, recognizing each other as father and daughter and sharing a heartwarming reunion.

How Death Stranding 2 Sets Up Death Stranding 3

In the closing credits sequence, there’s a sneak peek into the future. It’s hinted that Tomorrow will transform into a porter, carrying around an old BB container full of keepsakes. The exact timeline isn’t clear, but it seems like just a couple of years at the most. In this scene, Sam is missing, suggesting she’s off on a journey by herself for reasons yet unclear. As the story continues, Tomorrow approaches a colossal gate known as a plate, which enables teleportation between continents – presumably, she’ll use it to embark on her own adventure. Another post-credits scene reveals Tomorrow’s BB container brimming with fresh apples, implying she’s mastered her power to slow down aging processes.

Hideo Kojima has expressed that he won’t personally create Death Stranding 3, but he does have concepts for additional games and would welcome someone taking up the challenge. He also mentioned that the concept of plate gates makes it feasible to tell stories in various locations, facilitating the creation of new settings for future titles. It’s uncertain if another creator will feel daring enough to make Death Stranding 3 with Kojima in a producing position, but there’s definitely room for Tomorrow to appear as a playable character in a future game.

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2025-06-27 05:10