An analysis of the final ending of Rebirth ***SPOILERS!!!***

[Ryusuta]

So, I've been giving a lot of thought to the final ending of Binding of Isaac Rebirth; the one you receive for beating Mega Satan. In it we find Isaac hyperventilating inside of the box he's hiding in as gradually reality seems to shift around him and he alternates between being Isaac and being a grotesque, black demon with a sinister grin on its face. Eventually the demon side remains permanently, his breathing becoming hard as the world darkens around him.

Before I go into what I believe this ending truly means, it should be noted that an incredibly intelligent article was written about the original Binding of Isaac endings and how they tie into other McMillen games, such as Aether and Time ♥♥♥♥ (it auto-censored the word even spelled as it is in the title). This analysis can be seen here: http://www.twinfinite.net/2012/10/01/big-sloppy-slomper-chompers/

To summarize, the endings of Binding of Isaac paint a picture of a heavily emotionally abused child whose mind resorts to a form of escapism to protect itself from the terrors it has been experiencing. Aether and Time ♥♥♥♥ represent his life in the fantasy and his return to reality respectively. So, how does this all tie into this final ending?

Well, let's remember how all of this started. Isaac's mother wishes to kill him because of his wickedness. Isaac hides from his mother and slowly comes to the conclusion that she must be right about him. Isaac wants to be a good boy, but as seen in Cathedral and Sheol endings, he is convinced that's not possible. So, he closes himself into the box. He's scared to confront his mother, but he also doesn't want to end his own life. The escapism of the box is a sort of bizarre limbo in which he's not dead and not truly alive. And YES, the Schrodinger reference isn't lost on me (and perhaps not on them either, since we do indeed see a bit of a cat in the box with Isaac).

The point is, he can't reconcile who he is. He wants to be a good boy, but he believes he's wicked because that is the image his mother painted for him. He wants to hide away not just because of the imminent danger his mother represents, but because of the fact that some part of him still wants to believe he's a good little boy. This is a little child thinking, not an adult! He wants a happy ending where he and his mom live happily ever after. Where his father comes back and they're all one big family again. So, he puts himself into a box because he knows he's evil, but he also wants everything to be happy again. In this way, the mother threatening to kill him isn't even the most relevant part. This is a series of traumas that have been boiling up inside of him for YEARS. He has no friends, his father left him, his mother wants to be rid of him... A child in that situation could easily be lead into thinking that it's somehow all their fault. That if they were just a little better behaved, everyone would have been happier and they'd all be together.

So, Isaac is in the box, which also represents his mind closing in on itself to protect him from the world. He's crying and shivering and hyperventilating, and unable to do anything to change his situation. The last vestiges of his hope for a happy ending are dwindling away as he is forced to remember everything that's happened to him. In spite of his best efforts, he can't hide himself from a truth that refuses to go away - he can't go back. He can't be a good little boy in a happy family. And if he can't go back...

...He has to go forward. Isaac is convinced that he's evil because his mother said he was. As a result, Isaac closes himself into the box and attempts to suffocate himself. He pictures what he'll look like once he's found in his toy chest, blue and asphyxiated in his death. That's what his perception of ??? is. Isaac sees that as the only way. The only ending things can have for him.

But... survival instinct is a powerful thing. An INCREDIBLY powerful thing. Isaac doesn't want to die and he's finally come to grips with the fact that he can't have a happy life with his whole family. And another option presents itself. Isaac gives in and believes in his mother's delusion about him. Isaac gives into the delusion that he is a being of pure evil. Isaac decides once and for all that he wants to survive. And if survival makes him evil, then so be it. So, his imaginary world shifts and he is now a demon child, just as his mother said. But... we're not done!

You remember the article I linked you? As I mentioned before, it's heavily implied that Aether and Time ♥♥♥♥ are the continuation of Isaac's story. Even in game, the Steven references being his "future's past." From this we can only arrive at one conclusion: Isaac survived. By giving into his supposed "wickedness," he gave himself an option that never would have presented itself otherwise.

The questions of what happened with his mother or where he went aren't relevant. What matters is that he is introduced into a way of seeing his life from a different perspective. One that allows him to fight against the hatred and judgmentalism that plagued his existence up to that point. He accepts that he's evil so he no longer HAS to fight against it. It's just who he is.

In time he will have to learn to return to reality and see things as they are, but for now, the box contains his child's mind... safe and alive.

***tl;dr - Isaac gives into his mother's delusion of his supposed evilness so that he can allow himself to want to live and survive.***

So, what do you think? Is this good? Bad? Is this what you guys have thought as well? I'd love to hear you guys' thoughts on this.

[skalerz]

ummm
iloveit

[Bee Dad]

Erhmagerd
My brain exploded

[Hateful]

Didn't read but i condemn

[Ryusuta]

Heh, thanks for that, guys. =)

[Imperial]

I really like this interpretation of the game, but I'd have to say that mine is a little bit different. This theory did change my own interpretation of The Binding of Isaac and its endings, though, in pointing out the meaning behind Isaac's "demon". Below I've pasted a theory of the underlying story that I'd written a few months back, with quite a few edits made due to this new knowledge. I apologize for how lengthy it is, I'm just really intrigued with the symbolism and mysteries of TBoI. :D

***SPOILERS***

After defeating It Lives, Isaac has to make a decision - he will either go to Sheol/The Dark Room, or The Cathedral/The Chest.

If Isaac decides to go to Sheol, and later, The Dark Room, he decides that he really is evil. In fighting Satan, he is fighting what might be a projection of the evil that he believes he is guilty of. Killing Satan triggers Ending 12 to play (until the Dark Room is unlocked), which shows Isaac locking himself in his toy chest. This could represent Isaac accepting that he is evil, and deciding that he cannot be redeemed. When the toy chest's lid has slammed shut, he has mentally locked himself into the mindset that he is evil.

I believe that The Dark Room ending (Ending 15) and the Mega Satan ending (Ending 16) are both related to Ending 12. In killing The Lamb, Isaac accepts that he not only has an evil state of mind, but that he is purely evil; the embodiment of evil. Ending 15 will play, depicting Isaac's mother searching for him in the background while a "missing" poster with Isaac's face on it is visible in the foreground. If Mega Satan is killed, Ending 16 will play, showing Isaac waiting to suffocate in his toy chest (also, the cat arm that is visible in this ending might belong to Guppy, his dead cat. It is also perfectly reasonable that this is both a reference to Guppy and Schrodinger's Cat -- I found this to be really neat). Isaac's mother might not have thought to look in his toy chest, where he is currently either dead or in the process of dying. Isaac flashes back and forth between his real self and his demon, having final doubts as to whether or not he is evil, until he turns into his demon and does not change back to his normal self -- he IS his own demon, and he is evil.

If Isaac decides to go to The Cathedral, and later, The Chest, he does not accept that he is evil. Killing Angel Isaac triggers Ending 13 to play. Isaac is reading the Bible, and looks into the mirror, only to see that his demon self is staring back. Isaac himself, however, does not look like his demon -- only his reflection does. Isaac is not fully evil, but perhaps half evil, and half pure. His doubt about his wickedness is the only thing that causes that pure half to remain. Isaac sadly gazes at his toy chest, but does not move toward it, he only stares. He seems indecisive -- should he end his life, or should he choose to live? Once again, his doubt anchors him in place. The killing of Angel Isaac is the removal of his insecurity. This intensifies his doubt of being evil.

Once Angel Isaac has been killed, Isaac will move on to the Chest to fight ??? (Blue Baby). He is fighting his death wish -- an oxygen-starved, blue corpse. He sees that this is what he will become if he allows his doubt of his wickedness to vanish, only to be replaced with surity that he is evil. The lyrics of the song that plays during this fight are VERY important. They are:
"Pueri diabolum, pueri diabolum, pueri diabolum, pueri diabolum, erus, acer, assus, victoria!" In English, they are:
"Boy's devil, boy's devil, boy's devil, boy's devil, owner, sharp, dried, victory!"
The lyrics, in unison with the boss, Isaac's dead body, make it quite clear that Isaac is struggling against the urge to give in to his "evil half" and lock himself in his toy chest. He is unsure which half of him owns his body, and feels pain and depression, but knows that his "pure half" can pull through. Upon defeating ???, Isaac no longer wants to kill himself. His pure half has prevailed against his evil half. He is now sure that he is not evil. Ending 14 will play, and shows a collection of photos (mixed in with what are probably Isaac's memories, both good and bad) being placed into his toy chest -- both the toy chest of Isaac's mind, and his physical toy chest. It is interesting to note that the third photo (I believe) of this collection shows both Isaac and his demon in a room, facing opposite directions. His memories of both good times and terrible times, rather than he himself, have been locked in his toy chest.

Overall, I thought that your theory was excellent and unique -- I like how you included the tie-ins of Aether and Time Fcuk; I've never seen that done before. Thanks!

[Ryusuta]

The only issue I'd have with that is that I figured all endings were linked. Like... it didn't seem like there was a split canon in BoI. But who knows!

[HairyPiotter]

I had some similar, yet scattered interpretation ideas in my head, but your posts helped to organize them. Ryusuta and Solusefos, big kudos!

[LeBlusz]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ :O

[Nightryderace]

I like the idea but I don't think that's what the article was talking about with Time Fcuk and Aether. The article was talking about the IDEAS and CONCEPTS the games present and how The Binding of Isaac also reenforces these ideas and concepts. Showing another side to them. I am 99% sure that Time Fcuk and Aether is NOT a continuation of Isaac's story.

[Bite]

I don't really support the ideas that suggest the game is in any way happening in Isaac's mind, you pointed out a couple of times how he's a kid, and yet, a kid wouldn't know all the references there are to Satan, or religion in general, in the game, such as bosses, items, trinkets, etc.

IMO, it's not all as ambiguous as people make it out to be, back in vanilla Isaac it sure wasn't cear AT ALL, but with the inclusion of The Lamb and Mega Satan I think it's a lot clearer that Satan is indeed involved in Mom's descent into madnes, which confirms his desire to claim Isaac's soul, hence, both paths show up...

Dark Room > Isaac embraces the darkness, The Lamb being his soul corrupted.

The Chest > Isaac resists by hiding in his chest. Blue Baby being himself dying suffocated in the chest.

Regardless of the path you choose, you'll always have the option to fight Mega Satan as the true final boss, however, both ending 15 and 16 seem to establish that regardless of Isaac's efforts two things are a constant.

1. Mom wins, offering Isaac's soul as an offering to Satan, and scatters missing posters around town to appear innocent in regards to Isaac disappearance. (Ending 15)

2. Satan succeds and corrupts Isaac's soul (Ending 16).

We'll have to see where the planned expansion takes things, but IMO, so far it hasn't been as ambiguous as before, the inclusion of The Lamb and Mega Satan I would say give the story much more structure and form, and endings 15 and 16 both take away from the ambiguity of previous endings by establishing certain things happening both at the end and after the events of the game.