WARNING: the following contains spoilers for Platinum End Episode 24, "The Final Arrow," now streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
In the last episode of Platinum End, “The Final Arrow,” fans were shocked to see the dramatic twists and turns that took place, which resulted in all forms of life coming to an end after Shunji Nakaumi (the new God) committed suicide. This ending has led many to speculate as to whether this incident was simply a coincidence or if the event had been planned from the very outset of the God candidate selection process.
In the final few moments before heaven collapses, Nasse and Muni, who are the last angels left, stand side by side. Before Nasse ceases to exist, she turns to Muni, the Angel of Destruction, and congratulates her on successfully destroying heaven. While neither of these characters explains what this comment actually means, Muni does appear to acknowledge Nasse’s recognition before she disappears. Does this mean that Muni was behind God’s suicide, or is there something else at play?
While in heaven, Nakaumi aims to provide a suitable message for Professor Yoneda so that he can understand the nature of reality; specifically, which being came into existence first, the creature or human beings. Over the course of the episode, Nakaumi spends six years attempting to learn about God, heaven and how he might convey what he has learned to Yoneda.
After deliberating, he decides that the best way to communicate with the professor is to commit suicide. In doing so, the Red Arrow that he allowed the professor to keep after the God selection process would vanish, which would inform him that God no longer existed and that mankind did not rely upon this creature to survive.
Yoneda was convinced that God’s existence was meaningless and the removal of this creature would have no negative impact on the human world. Ultimately, he was wrong -- it did. The entirety of life as it was known was completely wiped out the moment God ceased to exist. Despite Yoneda’s intellectual prowess, he was incapable of understanding what couldn't be known. This highlights mankind's frailty, naivety and vanity, in which many are incapable of accepting the unknown or their own ignorance.
As a devotee of Yoneda, Nakaumi too would suffer from these very human weaknesses. Even in heaven as the acting god of the world, he still cannot believe that there is either a purpose or academic reason for a creator. After being informed by the creature of God’s purpose, Nakaumi quickly reminds himself that this must be incorrect, as Yoneda’s book states that this God is false. The fact that Nakaumi still relies on earthly concepts, which are in no way capable of recognizing the true nature of reality, emphasizes his ignorance.
It appears that Muni was planning the creature's demise, and the fall of heaven, through her selection of Professor Yoneda as a God candidate. Whether her plan was for Yoneda to become God himself or simply to act as an influencing character remains uncertain. However, the professor’s impact on the final events of this series is difficult to question. While it's impossible to know if Nakaumi would have committed suicide without Yoneda’s request of finding the truth behind God, it undoubtedly was the principal cause in this scenario.
All angels appear to be driven by their natures, and as the Angel of Destruction, Muni would have clearly sought to end life in some form or manner. Nasse likely recognized this trait and Muni’s distinctive choice of candidate as a sign that she was planning something all along.
However, this explanation will likely be both convoluted and unsatisfactory to fans of the show. After all, if this was truly the case, why did God allow an angel of destruction, with the capabilities to scheme his own death, to take part in such a selection process to begin with? Further still, this explanation is not able to explain why all the God candidates had to be those about to commit suicide or the reasoning behind Muni’s decision.
However, regardless of the lack of detail that's presented in the show to explain Nasse’s comments, it remains interesting as to why they were included and to theorize how Muni might have impacted the finale of the show. If Ohba’s intent was to leave fans guessing about what led to this set of unfortunate circumstances, he certainly succeeded.
