Returnal Ending and Secret Ending Explained

Returnal‘s bizarre ending and secret ending left players with more questions than answers. This comprehensive guide will analyze the various theories and interpretations to provide deeper insight into the meanings behind Returnal‘s convoluted conclusions.

Understanding Returnal‘s Ending

After an arduous journey across the shape-shifting, deadly planet of Atropos battling bizarre creatures and overcoming endless time loops, Selene finally confronts the end boss Ophion and appears to break the cycle.

The ending cuts to a car driving sequence eerily similar to Selene‘s past. She‘s with her son Helios right before their accident as she swerves to avoid the astronaut – later revealed to be herself. Their car crashes into the ocean where Selene fights to save Helios but ultimately fails.

This cyclical ending reflects several core themes threaded throughout the game:

• Overcoming life‘s challenges: Selene displays perseverance in mastering the extreme conditions of Atropos despite constant setbacks.
• Confronting consequences: Her inability to save her son may represent her ultimate failure.
• Seeking closure: Breaking the loop could indicate finding closure by acknowledging her trauma.

The ending does not outright explain whether Selene awakens from a trauma-fueled dream or actually transcends from a space-time trap. But further analysis of fan theories and in-game clues point to deeper meanings.

Theories Behind the Main Ending

Several theories attempt to decode Returnal‘s enigmatic ending.

It Was All A Dream

A popular theory suggests Selene invented an elaborate psychedelic dreamworld to cope with her immense survivor‘s guilt after the car accident that killed Helios.

Evidence supporting this:

• Selene‘s guilt complex: Her obsession over the "Helios Abandoned" message and the presence of Helios‘ toy hint at her being unable to accept what happened.
• Dream-like environments: The inconsistent, abstract environments reflect how dreams rapidly shift from one scene to another unrelated one.
• Hallucinatory creatures: The bizarre creatures encountered resemble imaginary hybrid organisms manifested during dream states.
• Denial and escapism: Creating a science-fiction fantasy universe allows Selene to escape reality and metaphorically undo the tragic events.

However, counter-arguments claim there are too many references indicating tangible connections between Atropos and Selene‘s memories.

Breaking the Cycle

Another perspective is that Selene literally breaks out of a space-time loop after her nth death, finally overcoming the sentient planet. Evidence:

• Parallels Hindu mythos of cyclical existence.
• Gameplay requires dying repeatedly to progress reflecting the loop.
• Environments physically transform, hinting at manipulating space-time.

But this simpler explanation fails to address deeper character motives and thematic undertones.

Unlocking the Secret Ending

The secret ending showing Selene‘s mother Theia requires collecting all Sunface Fragments:

Watch this comprehensive video guide highlighting all fragment locations:

Interacting with the terminal triggers the secret ending cutscene.

Analyzing the Secret Ending

The secret ending reveals Selene‘s mother Theia who attacks her upon opening the car door.

The perspective shifts to first-person inside Selene‘s helmet visor during the car crash. This confirms Selene was the astronaut she swerved to avoid. As the car sinks, someone swims away leaving young Helios behind – likely indicating Selene abandoning her dying son.

So what does this cryptic scene actually imply about the story?

Secret Ending Theories

The added context expands on existing interpretations.

Selene‘s Trauma Manifesting

Everything stemming from Selene‘s tragic memory of losing Helios. Theia represents Selene‘s childhood abuse regarding her ambitions to join ASTRA, exacerbating her guilt. She projects immense self-hatred onto her mother as the cause.

More evidence:

• Shift to 1st-person connects player directly to Selene‘s psyche.
• Fighting aged Theia externalizes Selene’s inner turmoil.
• Connects rejection by ASTRA between bothmother and daughter.

History Repeats Itself

An alternative take is Theia experienced an identical accident years ago, losing her son Helios I. Selene meets the same fate, forever linking their family trauma. Details supporting this:

• Explains Theia‘s mistreatment of Selene – residual grief carried on.
• Environmental shifts represent this history repeating.
• References possibly Theia‘s original rejection letter.

But no confirmation exists indicating Selene had a brother or that specific letter belonging to Theia.

Connections to Greek Mythology

Analyzing names and themes related to Greek myths provide another interpretative dimension.

The Fates and Atropos

The planet Atropos named after the Fate responsible for severing the thread of life alludes to xenobiologist Selene inevitably meeting her demise there. She cannot escape her metaphorical "fate."

Overcoming Hubris

Selene embodies the Greek tragic hero succumbing to her hubris of believing she can master the chaos. Her persistence to push forward despite constant failures parallels that fatalistic flaw.

Symbolic Gods and Creatures

Enemies like Hyperion, Nemesis, Ophion and Gorgon directly reference Greek myths, grounding the game world in that ancient context.

Cyclical Life and Death

While no singular myth matches the entire narrative, broader concepts of repeating cycles of rebirth tied to the complex relationship between fate and free will permeates throughout.

The Psychology Behind It All

From a psychological perspective, Returnal crafts an elaborate manifestation of Selene‘s immense trauma and inability to cope with losing her son.

PTSD and Survivor‘s Guilt

Selene exhibits PTSD symptoms constantly reliving visions of the accident. She constructed Atropos as her psyche’s desperate attempt to amend her wrongdoings that fateful night through escapist heroism.

Depression and Suicidal Ideation

Choosing to continually throw herself into unsurvivable battles with savage aliens indicates immense depression and passive suicidal tendencies to end her miserable guilt.

Motherhood and Grief

Losing Helios left irreparable pain that distorted her very identity as a mother. Her detached, bitter mother Theia reinforced internalized negative emotions that she projects back.

Putting the Pieces Together

Synthesizing all these theories, Returnal is best understood as a psychological sci-fi drama envisioning how overlapping trauma – losing a child along with an already strained maternal relationship – fundamentally damages one‘s psyche through endless cycles of self-blame.

The ending represents the culmination of that grief causing her to repeatedly seek dangerous feats allowing her to symbolically achieve the impossible feat of correcting her mistakes. But ultimately, she must confront how she failed Helios.

Through each death and rebirth, she inches closer to that revelation – that she left her only son to die alone. Facing that truth becomes her last step towards acceptance and closure.