<p>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.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-27T20:37:28.503Z
Theories are backed by facts.
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-10T13:58:19.133Z
If Otonashi was related to first NPC, then should arrive afterlife before Kanade. But she arrives first for some reason (ep1).

Maybe, Otonashi arrives, then leave afterworld, and dies a second time on real world...?
Sakura Kinomoto
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-29T18:07:26.837Z
2015-01-30T16:56:54.260Z
2015-01-30T16:56:54.260Z
Sakura Kinomoto
<p>I still haven't gotten my head wrapped around the ending, but the creator of <em>Angel Beats!</em>, Jun Maeda, has purportedly said in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201109030255/https://worldomonation.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/angel-beats-interview-with-maeda-jun-second-season/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">an interview</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>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.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So it seems that Otonashi eventually passed on without regrets.</p>
<p>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.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-01T03:44:48.140Z
what about the epilogue where Otonashi v2 reached to Kanade v2 ?
Tanya von Degurechaff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-01T14:48:16.500Z
@NamikazeSheena I believe that epilogue is the result of Otonashi having successfully left the Afterlife World, the "Good/True End". But don't forget the Another Epilogue, where we are not so sure if Otonashi won't stay indefinitely in the Afterlife World, like a "Normal/Bad End".
Gao
CC BY-SA 4.0
2015-01-30T18:51:34.290Z
2024-08-24T03:16:56.177Z
2024-08-24T03:16:56.177Z
Gao
<p>The Mysterious Boy, aka the <a href="http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/The_AI" rel="nofollow">AI</a>, was created by the <a href="http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/The_Programmer" rel="nofollow">Programmer</a> as the first <a href="http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/NPC" rel="nofollow">NPC</a> 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,</p>

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> the Otonashi in an alternate timeline, who hasn't moved on yet,</p>
</blockquote>

<p>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</p>

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> Otonashi heads back to the Student Council room, a girl can be heard saying, "There's a rumor that he's waiting for someone."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So therefore, it's entirely possible that</p>

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> 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. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>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 <a href="http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/Angel_Player" rel="nofollow">Angel Player</a>, 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 </p>

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> Otonashi to revert back from an NPC. </p>
</blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> causing the timeline to repeat over and over and over.</p>
</blockquote>

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

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-02T16:30:41.013Z
2016-09-20T16:48:40.460Z
2016-09-20T16:48:40.460Z
Munesawagi
<p>In episode 12, the <a href="http://myanimelist.net/character/34379/Mysterious_Boy" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mysterious Boy</a> (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.</p>

<p>Based on <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/18444/why-couldnt-otonashi-of-angel-beats-pass-on">this question</a>, 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 <strong>DID</strong> have regrets right after Kanade left him even when he begged for her to stay with him.</p>

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

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-29T07:46:55.467Z
So far, I have not seen undeniable evidence for or against this theory. The Mysterious Boy is just an AI. You probably meant [The Programmer](http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/The_Programmer) instead of the first NPC.
Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-30T21:00:55.583Z
@GaoWeiwei According to the English DUB, The Mysterious Boy said the first NPC **he is** the The Programmer...
Hashirama Senju
<angel-beats>
Is there any connection between Otonashi and the first NPC?
# Is there any connection between Otonashi and the first NPC?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-01-23
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?
**Tags:** angel-beats
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: So far, I have not seen undeniable evidence for or against this theory. The Mysterious Boy is just an AI. You probably meant [The Programmer](http://angelbeats.wikia.com/wiki/The_Programmer) instead of the first NPC.  
> **username_0**: @GaoWeiwei According to the English DUB, The Mysterious Boy said the first NPC **he is** the The Programmer...  
---
## 3 answers
### Answer by username_2 on 2015-01-29. Score: 1
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.
> **Comments:**
> **username_3** (2016-02-27): Theories are backed by facts.  
> **username_2** (2016-03-10): If Otonashi was related to first NPC, then should arrive afterlife before Kanade. But she arrives first for some reason (ep1).

Maybe, Otonashi arrives, then leave afterworld, and dies a second time on real world...?  
---
### Answer by username_1 on 2015-01-30. Score: 1
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://web.archive.org/web/20201109030255/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.
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2016-03-01): what about the epilogue where Otonashi v2 reached to Kanade v2 ?  
> **username_1** (2016-03-01): @NamikazeSheena I believe that epilogue is the result of Otonashi having successfully left the Afterlife World, the "Good/True End". But don't forget the Another Epilogue, where we are not so sure if Otonashi won't stay indefinitely in the Afterlife World, like a "Normal/Bad End".  
---
### Answer by username_5 on 2016-02-02. Score: 0
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.
---
