

In episode 12, the [Mysterious
Boy](http://myanimelist.net/character/34379/Mysterious_Boy) (who is probably
the first NPC) explained to Yuri that there was a boy from a long time ago who
loved another girl who left him alone in this world. Thus he lost his grip on
sanity, and created some sort of "requirements" to this world (the main one
being to not allow love to spread). But the Mysterious Boy also told her that
his chances of meeting her again are better than 0.

Based on [this question](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/18444/why-
couldnt-otonashi-of-angel-beats-pass-on), it is assumed that Otonashi didn't
have regrets so he did passed on. But I beg to differ on that, because we can
also assume Otonashi **DID** have regrets right after Kanade left him even
when he begged for her to stay with him.

It's all based on assumption really, but could it be that the first NPC was
actually Otonashi himself in some way?


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angel-beats
Is there any connection between Otonashi and the first NPC?


Theoretically, no. It's true that Kanade arrived before Otonashi and Otonashi
died in the real world before Kanade (because Otonashi's heart went to
Kanade), but I think this question never received a response from Key.


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I still haven't gotten my head wrapped around the ending, but the creator of
_Angel Beats!_ , Jun Maeda, has purportedly said in [an
interview](https://worldomonation.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/angel-beats-
interview-with-maeda-jun-second-season/):

> It was no use being there by himself, so I believe he also left the world
> after that. Besides, he was rewarded. It wasn’t a bad life. It wouldn’t be
> like Otonashi for him to stay. He’s a forward-thinker…looking towards his
> next life.

So it seems that Otonashi eventually passed on without regrets.

Otonashi is undoubtedly portrayed as a parallel of the Programmer, but it is
not known whether he will end up turning himself into an NPC like the
Programmer had done, because the anime didn't give us a clear and definitive
answer, and neither did Jun Maeda in the interview. I guess it's really up to
you to decide on what you believe in.


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The Mysterious Boy, aka the [AI](http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/The_AI), was
created by the [Programmer](http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/The_Programmer)
as the first [NPC](http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/NPC) in the Afterlife. The
Programmer's details match that of Otonashi's with striking similarities.
Let's not forget that alongside the original ending of Angel Beats, Key issued
another epilogue, aptly titled "Another Epilogue". In this, the main focus is
another person that's arrived in the Afterlife, and he is surrounded by quiet,
obedient NPCs. After challenging the reality of the Afterlife School, he is
talked to by the Student Council President,

> the Otonashi in an alternate timeline, who hasn't moved on yet,

and he is told that if he has any question about the world that they both live
in that he should come down to the Student Council room. However, as

> Otonashi heads back to the Student Council room, a girl can be heard saying,
> "There's a rumor that he's waiting for someone."

So therefore, it's entirely possible that

> Otonashi is waiting for Kanade, and that this timestream somehow loops.
> Otonashi goes crazy waiting for Kanade, who has an infinitesimally small
> chance of reappearing in the Afterlife, but still, better than zero.

He turns himself into an NPC to be able to withstand the long wait, and
creates the AI, or the "Mysterious Boy" to be able to maintain the
requirements of the Afterlife, not allowing love to manifest, therefore
possibly saving future arrivals from the pain that he has been exposed to.
This may be why he creates [Angel
Player](http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/Angel_Player), because he knows that
if Kanade reappears, then she'll know how to use it, and maybe program it to
move him back from his NPC state. The members of the SSS arrive after this.
Then, at the time of Episode 1, the timestream loops, causing

> Otonashi to revert back from an NPC.

Forgetting everything that's happened to him, the events continue their course
the same way they did before,

> causing the timeline to repeat over and over and over.

Any thoughts? This seems pretty far-fetched, but it's out there now.


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